In today’s market, there is nothing more important for a major motorcycle manufacturer than the introduction of a new, large displacement cruiser. Big bore cruisers (over 1200cc) represent, by all accounts, the largest and most profitable segment of the motorcycle market here in the United States. Redesigned product in this category better hit the mark.
Manufacturers seem to follow some basic rules with each new model introduced in this category, i.e., make the engine larger, make the seat height lower, and make the wheel base longer. Sales success isn’t quite this simple, however, and in the final analysis, the bike has to be well integrated, look right and work right. The competition is fierce.
Kawasaki has been building, redesigning and refining cruiser motorcycles for many years. The new 2003 Vulcan 1600 Classic is the latest in a long line of cruisers that have earned a well-deserved reputation for quality, styling and performance.
Indeed, the Vulcan 1500s produced by Kawasaki (particularly, the fuel-injected models) have been known for rather sprightly engine performance within the “traditional cruiser” category. By choosing a liquid-cooled, overhead cam, four-valve-per-cylinder engine design, Kawasaki left itself a performance envelope that is, perhaps, greater than some of the other manufacturers in the category. The actual displacement of the Vulcan 1500 is 1470cc. The new Vulcan 1600 Classic obtains its 1552cc displacement via a 5mm increase in stroke. With a claimed ten percent more torque and five percent more horsepower, the Vulcan 1600 Classic also features revised cam timing and a re-mapped fuel injection system.
The engine is also restyled, featuring a silver finish and new air box covers. The radiator is a larger capacity unit that is both taller and thinner (and very well hidden).
The new frame is more stout and better integrated with the styling. It is also designed to work with the other chassis changes, that include a longer swingarm (by 30mm) and revised rake and trail numbers. The front forks are beefier (43mm tubes vs. 41mm last year), and the front axle is larger in diameter (now 25mm).
Lots of restyling was done, as well. New fenders, gas tank (which removes the ugly seam found on many other cruiser tanks — including, some of the other Vulcan models), floorboards and plenty of the details. The capacity of the tank is increased to 5.3 gallons.
The instrument panel has also been redesigned, and the ignition key has been relocated (as shown in the photo). The electronic speedometer is accompanied by a multi-function LCD (featuring odometer, trip meter and a fuel gauge).
After spending a couple of weeks, and several hundred miles, with the Vulcan 1600 Classic, we are more than impressed. Much more. Kawasaki has really hit a home run with this bike.
Beginning with the styling, a very important part of any cruising motorcycle, Kawasaki did a fantastic job. We realize that styling is subjective (“beauty is in the eye of the beholder . . .”), but from our perspective, Kawasaki came up with a very integrated, almost elegant package. The rather complex (and, undoubtedly, expensive to manufacture) creases found in the steel fenders and seamless gas tank on our silver test model (take a close look at these items in our photos) really make the bike look expensive and sophisticated. They also evidence (the fenders, in particular) some real design creativity.
Together with all of the chrome-finished metal parts on the 1600 Classic (take a look, for example, at the shaft drive cover), the bike really stands out. The fit and finish of the motorcycle, including the paint, is outstanding. Virtually every person we showed the bike to (including some motorcyclists who “don’t like cruisers”) was impressed.
The bike is massive, but the look is balanced and impressive, without being overstated or intimidating. Bravo Kawasaki!
The new cast wheels and triple 300mm brakes (each gripped by dual piston calipers) give the bike a bit of a performance look, as well. The large stock tires (170/70/16 rear and 130/90/16 front — Kawasaki left room for an even bigger front tire under that huge front fender) play a part in this.
So, the look is there, what about the performance? This is probably the best performing traditional cruiser we have ridden to date (outside the power cruiser category). The engine and chassis work together superbly.
The revised, larger engine pulls strongly from low rpm, but revs out much better than any traditional cruiser I can recall. Kawasaki claims that the new cam timing and other engine changes were designed to optimize “mid-range performance”. That sounds about right, because the bike has a very flexible, broad powerband that pulls well from the low end through a very healthy mid-range, and decent top end for a large-displacement cruiser.
Throttle transitions are very smooth and very well controlled by the fuel injection system. Clutch action was smooth and predictable, and the clutch pull is not too hard (a problem on some big cruisers).
This bike is fast for the category. Acceleration is strong right up to 90 miles per hour, or so, where the bike will continue to pull to an indicated top speed of 115 miles per hour.
The ergonomics of the 1600 Classic are big — meaning, there is plenty of room for larger riders to spread out, and shorter riders (under 5’8″, or so) may find the reach to the floor boards a bit long.
For such a big motorcycle, it handles very well. Even at low speeds, the Vulcan 1600 Classic feels very balanced. With such a huge wheel base, tight u-turns are not easy, but the bike will perform them. I did dozens riding back-and-forth in front of our photographer. Once moving at a good pace, the bike almost feels nimble, and very well balanced. Straight line stability is rock solid, but the bike will actually carve twisties as well as (and maybe better than) any other cruiser in the large displacement, traditional category. This bike doesn’t have the chassis stiffness of some of the power cruisers (Kawasaki’s own Mean Streak and Yamaha’s aluminum framed Road Star Warrior come to mind), but it felt fluid and well-behaved when pushed through the twisties.
The chassis really feels like Kawasaki did lots of testing to achieve a balance between comfort and handling. The front fork works extremely well, and the shock does a good job for the category (where manufacturers are always struggling to set up the shocks to best take advantage of the minimal suspension travel). The four-way rebound damping adjustment on the rear shocks came in handy, as the bike felt a bit floaty in back, at first, but switching from position two to position three on the rebound dampers cured this.
Big-bore cruiser transmissions are usually a bit clunky, but Kawasaki has minimized this feeling on the Vulcan 1600 Classic. Gear changes were always positive, and relatively low effort. Placement of the heel-toe shifter was just right for my size 11 boots, as was the placement of the rear brake pedal.
The dual discs up front do a good job of hauling down the 1600, although they are not nearly as strong as those found on the Mean Streak (the best brakes I have ever experienced on a cruiser). Together with the rear brake, however, the front brakes can bring the Vulcan 1600 Classic to a halt very quickly and controllably — definitely a step up from the typical one-front-brake set-up you will find on most traditional cruisers.
Overall, the Vulcan 1600 Classic has that important quality you cannot define — fun. The bike is really fun to ride, and this is not something I typically say about cruiser motorcycles. The motor is smooth and powerful, but you can feel those huge power pulses just enough to appreciate the character of the machine. The handling is fluid and confidence inspiring (dragging the floor boards for our photographers was a piece of cake).
Negatives? As previously mentioned, your reach to the forward-mounted floor boards will be a bit much if you have short legs. You will also need a windshield, because the Vulcan 1600 begs to be ridden fast (is that a negative?).
At a U.S. MSRP of $10,499, the Vulcan 1600 Classic is also a bargain. The amount of style and performance it brings to the table for that price is nothing less than surprising, and the 1600 Classic is definitely a bike you should take a close look at if you are shopping in this category. Kawasaki will support the 1600 Classic with its own accessories. Take a look at Kawasaki’s web site for additional details and specifications.
