Difference between revisions of "Kawasaki VN1500 Vulcan Classic"
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{{ | {{Motorcycle | ||
|name = | |name = Kawasaki VN1500 Vulcan Classic | ||
| | |photo=Kawasaki-VN1500-Valcan-Cla-96--1.jpg | ||
|aka = | |aka = | ||
|manufacturer = Kawasaki | |manufacturer = Kawasaki | ||
Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
|predecessor = | |predecessor = | ||
|successor = | |successor = | ||
|class = | |class =Cruiser | ||
|engine = Four stroke, 50° V-Twin, SOHC, 4 valves per cylinder | |engine = Four stroke, 50° V-Twin, SOHC, 4 valves per cylinder | ||
|bore_stroke = | |bore_stroke = | ||
Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
|dry_weight = 292 kg / 643.7 lbs | |dry_weight = 292 kg / 643.7 lbs | ||
|wet_weight = 313.0 kg / 690.0 lbs | |wet_weight = 313.0 kg / 690.0 lbs | ||
|fuel_capacity = 16 | |fuel_capacity = 16 Liters / 4.2 US gal | ||
|oil_capacity = | |oil_capacity = | ||
|recommended_oil=K-tech 10W-40 | |||
|fuel_consumption = | |fuel_consumption = | ||
|turning_radius = | |turning_radius = | ||
|related = | |related = | ||
|competition = | |competition = | ||
|oil_filter={{oilfilter|K&N KN-204}}<ref name="kl_2019">{{cite book|title=2019 K&L Supply Co Catalog|publisher=[https://www.klsupply.com/ K&L Supply Co]|date=2019}}</ref> | |||
|air_filter={{airfilter|K&N KA-1596}} `96-08<ref name="kl_2019">{{cite book|title=2019 K&L Supply Co Catalog|publisher=[https://www.klsupply.com/ K&L Supply Co]|date=2019}}</ref> | |||
}} | }} | ||
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==Chassis== | ==Chassis== | ||
It came with a 130/90-16 front [[tire]] and a 150/80-16 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 320mm discs 6 piston calipers in the front and a Single 270mm disc 2 piston [[caliper]] in the rear. The front suspension was a 41mm cartridge fork while the rear was equipped with a Dual air assisted shock absorbers with 4-way rebound damping adjustment. The VN1500 Vulcan Classic was fitted with a 16 | It came with a 130/90-16 front [[tire]] and a 150/80-16 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 320mm discs 6 piston calipers in the front and a Single 270mm disc 2 piston [[caliper]] in the rear. The front suspension was a 41mm cartridge fork while the rear was equipped with a Dual air assisted shock absorbers with 4-way rebound damping adjustment. The VN1500 Vulcan Classic was fitted with a 16 Liters / 4.2 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 292 kg / 643.7 lbs. The wheelbase was 1605 mm / 63.2 in long. | ||
== Photos == | == Photos == | ||
[[File:Kawasaki-VN1500-Valcan-Cla-96--1.jpg|600px|Kawasaki VN1500 Vulcan Classic]] | [[File:Kawasaki-VN1500-Valcan-Cla-96--1.jpg|600px|Kawasaki VN1500 Vulcan Classic]] | ||
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|- | |- | ||
!Fuel Capacity | !Fuel Capacity | ||
|16 | |16 Liters / 4.2 US gal | ||
|- | |- | ||
!Braking 60 - 0 / 100 - 0 | !Braking 60 - 0 / 100 - 0 | ||
Line 280: | Line 283: | ||
== External Links == | == External Links == | ||
* http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mckaw/vulcan88.html | * http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mckaw/vulcan88.html | ||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
[[Category:Kawasaki motorcycles]] | [[Category:Kawasaki motorcycles]] |
Latest revision as of 22:10, 23 November 2019
Kawasaki VN1500 Vulcan Classic | |
Manufacturer | |
---|---|
Production | 1995 - 98 |
Class | Cruiser |
Engine | Four stroke, 50° V-Twin, SOHC, 4 valves per cylinder |
Compression ratio | 8.8:1 |
Top Speed | 169.7 km/h / 105.4 mph |
Air Filter | K&N KA-1596 `96-08[1] |
Ignition | CDI |
Transmission | 4 Speed |
Frame | High-tensile steel, double cradle |
Suspension | Front: 41mm cartridge fork Rear: Dual air assisted shock absorbers with 4-way rebound damping adjustment |
Brakes | Front: 2x 320mm discs 6 piston calipers Rear: Single 270mm disc 2 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 130/90-16 |
Rear Tire | 150/80-16 |
Wheelbase | 1605 mm / 63.2 in |
Seat Height | 705 mm / 27.8 in / 720 mm /. 28.3 in |
Weight | 292 kg / 643.7 lbs (dry), 313.0 kg / 690.0 lbs (wet) |
Oil Filter | K&N KN-204[1] |
Recommended Oil | K-tech 10W-40 |
Fuel Capacity | 16 Liters / 4.2 US gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
It could reach a top speed of 169.7 km/h / 105.4 mph.
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, 50° V-Twin, SOHC, 4 valves per cylinder. The engine featured a 8.8:1 compression ratio.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 130/90-16 front tire and a 150/80-16 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 320mm discs 6 piston calipers in the front and a Single 270mm disc 2 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a 41mm cartridge fork while the rear was equipped with a Dual air assisted shock absorbers with 4-way rebound damping adjustment. The VN1500 Vulcan Classic was fitted with a 16 Liters / 4.2 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 292 kg / 643.7 lbs. The wheelbase was 1605 mm / 63.2 in long.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Kawasaki VN 1500 Vulcan Classic
Kawasaki's Vulcan 1500 is a study in
excess. Excessive torque, that is. But then, Kawasaki has never been one to be
out-done in the power department. Remember the 750-H2 triple? The original Z-1?
How about the Ninja 900 or the ZX-10 and ZX-11? Memorable bikes, all of them.
Kawasaki's largest entry in the cruiser class has got to be considered among
them. It is, after all, the reigning King of Torque.
At 1,470cc (88 cubic inches) the Vulcan 88 is the largest
production V-twin cruiser on the market today. It's probably the longest,
too. At 557 pounds dry with a 63.2 inch wheelbase, the big Kawasaki is the
stretch limo of cruisers! Fortunately, it's as comfy as one.
The huge seat is well contoured and pillowy soft, while the
bars have a tall rise and reach back to the rider. Footpegs are mounted well
forward, adding to the spacious feel. The long wheelbase allows for plenty of
passenger room, and our resident pillion tester reported the thickly-padded seat
and backrest to be among the most comfortable in the cruiser class.
Even the coolant tank, which is mounted directly behind the
engine on the right side, has a highly-polished chrome cover. Kawasaki did a
good job of giving the liquid-cooled V-twin motor an air-cooled appearance, an
important styling feature in the highly competitive cruiser market. Nice styling
touches, like the braided-wire covers for the four spark-plug leads (it has
dual-plug heads), abound on this bike. Switches and controls are typical
Kawasaki fare, familiar and easy to use.
You won't find a tachometer on the Vulcan 88, but with this
bike's prodigious power spread, who needs one? You shift when you suddenly
realize that you've been in the same gear for the last hour or so. Mounted above
a cluster of warning lights in a heavily chromed panel is the speedometer, out
in the wind and easy to read.
The only other gauge on the Vulcan is a nice, large fuel gauge
mounted in, you guessed it, a heavily chromed console on top of the fuel tank.
You'll have to keep a close eye on this gauge though, as the needle
sweeps quite rapidly from Full to Empty. The big Kawasaki can suck the 4.2
gallon tank dry in as little as 120 miles or so of spirited riding. And with the
kind of roll-on power the Vulcan 88 has, who can resist? Equipped with
four-valve twin-plug heads, 36mm carbs, and an effective counter balancer, the
deep-breathing V-twin (with a stroke of 90mm) produces V-8 sized power pulses
from V-8 size pistons, and provides arm-stretching acceleration anytime you wind
up the throttle -- in any gear, from any speed.
Which is fortunate, as we found the gearbox to be a little
notchy during upshifts. Kawasaki fitted the Vulcan 88 with it's Positive Neutral
Finder system which is a device that prevents the transmission from shifting
from first into second when it is at a standstill. Once the bike is under way,
the centrifugal force of a spinning transmission shaft disengages the device,
ideally allowing unhindered upshifts. It's a nice feature to have when you're
trying to shift into neutral with one foot while attempting to balance the beast
with the other. But we kept finding ourselves hitting neutral during
first-to-second gear changes.
This may be contributed to parts that have not broken in yet,
or that magazine test bikes lead a harder-than-normal life. A firm, deliberate
prod with your left boot on the large gear lever is required to overcome the
neutral finder system and make it safely into second gear.
This is not a light-shifting, snick-snick style
gearbox. And while we're complaining, we would have like to see a much wider
ratio gearbox -- the Vulcan is spinning (relatively) high rpms at 70 mph while
droning around the freeway, and we constantly nudged the shifter up, looking for
a taller gear. The awesome torque and acceleration of the big Vulcan, though,
will easily overwhelm the suspension. Both front and rear ends of the bike are
tuned for a smooth ride. The front forks are unadjustable, and the twin rear
shocks, adjustable for spring preload only, are too under-sprung and
under-damped for anything above a boulevard pace. Riding the Vulcan on your
favorite back road will have you quickly retreating back to familiar urban
jungles. The brakes are also easily overwhelmed by the Vulcan's substantial
size. The single front disc works acceptably well while stylin' downtown, but
fades quickly when trying to slow down in a hurry. It also tends to twist the
forks a little.
The rear disc, with it's single-action caliper, is
surprisingly weak, offering little stopping power. Overall though, the Vulcan 88
works exceptionally well in the confines of the city, where it delivers quite an
impressive profile during those Friday night cruises downtown and everyday
riding and commuting chores. Kept within its element, the Vulcan is a force to
be reckoned with. The amazing motor is almost enough to overshadow the rest of
the bike's shortcomings -- Kawasaki has seen fit to once again provide it in
copious amounts, this time to the cruiser class. The 88 is the Power
Cruiser. If "Big," "Flashy," and "Dominant" are words you have to have in
your cruiser vocabulary, then the Vulcan 88 is for you.
Let's clear one thing up right now: I like Kawasakis. All four
bikes that I own bear this mark, and I'll tell you why: I dig powerful
motorcycles. Not necessarily 1000cc behemoths, but relatively powerful
bikes that are the beasts of their class. And that's Kawasaki's game. Heck, it's
their identity -- they build honkin' fast motors and wedge them into
things, then kick ass on boulevards and back roads around the world.
They've been doing it for 25 years now and the tradition
continues with the Vulcan. So naturally, I like it, and can understand why
they're sold out at dealers in America. And equally important, my girlfriend
likes the pillion seat and standard sissy bar, meaning she looks forward to
riding anywhere, anytime on the Vulcan. I just wish it wasn't so damn
ugly: If I owned one, the chromed "ears" on both sides of the bike that are
actually air cleaner covers would be powder-coated black, as would the tank's
huge chrome gauge mount, which is perfectly aligned to blind the driver whenever
the sun is shining down. Oh, yes, the front brake sucked, too. In all, though,
the huge motor and distinctive styling (read: not a Harley-Davidson rip-off) was
more than enough to put big grins on my face whenever I rode it. ****
Source
Make Model | Kawasaki VN 1500 Vulcan Classic |
---|---|
Year | 1995 - 98 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, 50° V-Twin, SOHC, 4 valves per cylinder |
Displacement | 1470 cc / 89.7 cu-in |
Bore X Stroke | 102 x 90 mm |
Cooling System | Liquid cooled |
Compression | 8.8:1 |
Induction | 2x Keihin CV 40mm carburetor |
Ignition | CDI |
Starting | Electric |
Max Power | 64 hp / 46.7 kW @ 4700 rpm |
Max Torque | 112 Nm / 82.6 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm |
Transmission | 4 Speed |
Final Drive | Shaft |
Frame | High-tensile steel, double cradle |
Front Suspension | 41mm cartridge fork |
Front Wheel Travel | 150 mm / 5.9 in |
Rear Suspension | Dual air assisted shock absorbers with 4-way rebound damping adjustment |
Rear Wheel Travel | 100 mm / 3.9 in |
Front Brakes | 2x 320mm discs 6 piston calipers |
Rear Brakes | Single 270mm disc 2 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 130/90-16 |
Rear Tire | 150/80-16 |
Rake | 32.0° |
Trail | 177 mm / 6.9 in |
Wheelbase | 1605 mm / 63.2 in |
Seat Height | 705 mm / 27.8 in / 720 mm /. 28.3 in |
Dry Weight | 292 kg / 643.7 lbs |
Wet Weight | 313.0 kg / 690.0 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 16 Liters / 4.2 US gal |
Braking 60 - 0 / 100 - 0 | 14.7 m / 41.5 m |
Standing ¼ Mile | 15.0 sec / 139.3 km/h |
Top Speed | 169.7 km/h / 105.4 mph |
External Links[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 2019 K&L Supply Co Catalog. K&L Supply Co. 2019.