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I got my motorcycle license back in 2008 and for my first bike I ended up buying a 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic with the 800cc v-twin engine. Now when I took the class my instructor actually suggested looking at a Suzuki sport touring motorcycle (ironically enough since he though I was a natural at riding) but I wound up with the Kawasaki since it was cheap and it was there.
Here's a picture of the bike:
Truth be told, the Vulcan probably wasn't the best choice for me as a first bike, especially considering my body type and the engine size. I'm a lady rider and typically Vulcan 800s are great bikes for women, but the thing is I'm 5' 8" tall with a 34" inseam so sitting on the bike wasn't very comfortable for me. Not to mention the Kawasaki weighed 500+ pounds when fully fueled so I wound up wrestling with it whenever I needed to move it (not fun when you're only weigh 150 pounds to begin with and are out of shape).
Overall, however, the Vulcan was a nice ride and it was insanely reliable. Actually, the bike wasn't running well when I got it since it had sat in the previous owners garage for 2 years prior to my owning it and they didn't properly winterize it either. A local shop got it running like a champ and I haven't had a problem with it since. All I did to store the bike for winter (I winterized in September since I wasn't too fond of riding it) was hook up the battery tender, run some Stabil through the fuel lines, and let her sit. When March came around it fired right up without hesitation.
About the only real gripe that I had about the bike (other than having a hard time moving it) was the fact that it does not like cold weather. I live in Vermont so I'll sometimes ride into work when it's below 40 outside. What I'll usually end up doing is starting the bike at least 10 minutes before I leave for work, and even then I have to ride with the choke wide open and keep shifting down a gear for the first few miles. I also get a lot of "piston slap" (a term picked up from a Kawasaki forum) when it's cold. At first I thought something was wrong with the bike but upon doing research I found that piston slap is common in the Vulcans. Start the bike when it's above 60 outside and I don't have to use the choke and I don't get piston slap.
I will say the Vulcan did teach me about how to handle a motorcycle. And I won't disagree with the statement that the Vulcan was way too much motorcycle to start off with. For the first couple of months after I got it road worthy I only ended up riding it up and down the street to get a feel for where the controls were and how the power was. And even once I got used to riding the Vulcan I didn't even dare go out on the interstate until toward the end of last summer and if I had to go long distance I trailered the bike (I went to my first bike week in Laconia last summer and I trailered the bike to meet my dad at his girlfriend's camp in Gilford then just rode over to Weirs Beach from there).
But if you're looking for your basic cruiser, you can't go wrong with a Kawasaki Vulcan. They're very inexpensive to own, they are pretty good on fuel, they have enough power to go on the interstate and keep up with traffic, and they're a quick sale when you're ready for something else. I also referred to the Vulcan as my poor woman's Harley since I kept getting asked if it was one. The Kawasaki is going to it's new home tomorrow and I'll be getting my Kat next Saturday morning but we may consider getting another Vulcan next spring if my boyfriend gets his license. He wants to start with a 250 or a 500cc cruiser but eventually he wants to move up to a touring motorcycle for long hauls.
Here's a picture of the bike:
Truth be told, the Vulcan probably wasn't the best choice for me as a first bike, especially considering my body type and the engine size. I'm a lady rider and typically Vulcan 800s are great bikes for women, but the thing is I'm 5' 8" tall with a 34" inseam so sitting on the bike wasn't very comfortable for me. Not to mention the Kawasaki weighed 500+ pounds when fully fueled so I wound up wrestling with it whenever I needed to move it (not fun when you're only weigh 150 pounds to begin with and are out of shape).
Overall, however, the Vulcan was a nice ride and it was insanely reliable. Actually, the bike wasn't running well when I got it since it had sat in the previous owners garage for 2 years prior to my owning it and they didn't properly winterize it either. A local shop got it running like a champ and I haven't had a problem with it since. All I did to store the bike for winter (I winterized in September since I wasn't too fond of riding it) was hook up the battery tender, run some Stabil through the fuel lines, and let her sit. When March came around it fired right up without hesitation.
About the only real gripe that I had about the bike (other than having a hard time moving it) was the fact that it does not like cold weather. I live in Vermont so I'll sometimes ride into work when it's below 40 outside. What I'll usually end up doing is starting the bike at least 10 minutes before I leave for work, and even then I have to ride with the choke wide open and keep shifting down a gear for the first few miles. I also get a lot of "piston slap" (a term picked up from a Kawasaki forum) when it's cold. At first I thought something was wrong with the bike but upon doing research I found that piston slap is common in the Vulcans. Start the bike when it's above 60 outside and I don't have to use the choke and I don't get piston slap.
I will say the Vulcan did teach me about how to handle a motorcycle. And I won't disagree with the statement that the Vulcan was way too much motorcycle to start off with. For the first couple of months after I got it road worthy I only ended up riding it up and down the street to get a feel for where the controls were and how the power was. And even once I got used to riding the Vulcan I didn't even dare go out on the interstate until toward the end of last summer and if I had to go long distance I trailered the bike (I went to my first bike week in Laconia last summer and I trailered the bike to meet my dad at his girlfriend's camp in Gilford then just rode over to Weirs Beach from there).
But if you're looking for your basic cruiser, you can't go wrong with a Kawasaki Vulcan. They're very inexpensive to own, they are pretty good on fuel, they have enough power to go on the interstate and keep up with traffic, and they're a quick sale when you're ready for something else. I also referred to the Vulcan as my poor woman's Harley since I kept getting asked if it was one. The Kawasaki is going to it's new home tomorrow and I'll be getting my Kat next Saturday morning but we may consider getting another Vulcan next spring if my boyfriend gets his license. He wants to start with a 250 or a 500cc cruiser but eventually he wants to move up to a touring motorcycle for long hauls.
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