One fine machine
Written: Nov 22 '03
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Pros: Size, handling/stability, styling, reliability
Cons: Still hard to get some aftermarket parts
The Bottom Line: The best big cruiser you can buy for 11 grand
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| karlhoelscher's Full Review: 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Classic |
Prior to this 1600, my ride was a Honda Shadow 750. A fine little ride in its own right, but a bit small and underpowered for any type of Interstate cruising.
I have now had the 1600 for about 6 months, and am still grinning ear to ear. To date, I have nearly 7,000 miles on it. I use it primarily for commuting, but have also had the opportunity to take it on a couple longer trips.
So, my impressions are as follows:
When I was first looking to trade up, I knew I wanted something 'big' I wouldn't outgrow in a couple years. A 1100 just wouldn't do. It really came down to a VTX 1800 or the 1600. While I never rode a VTX, a friend who had reported that it felt like a big heavy bike, pretty cumbersome. In addition, it was priced a couple thousand more than the 1600.
I was very impressed with the overall styling, fit and finish of the 1600. It felt big and comfortable just sitting on it. I got the Canyon Silver color, really more of a light purple.
My first impressions driving one were, wow, this thing is big, and it has a lot of power. The one thing that surprised me, however, was how 'light' if felt. It is very well balanced, easy to maneuver around a parking lot. You simply do not know that it is a very heavy bike. Another immediate riding impression was just how neutral the handling was - it is more flickable in corners than the 750 was, albeit, the floorboards will come down sooner than I would like.
The stock exhaust is pretty throaty for a stocker system, one of the best sounding stock systems out there. Decent idle sound, decent growl on acceleration.
On the highway, this thing just wants to run all day at 75-85 mph. It is solid as a rock, and smooth as silk. There is some minor buzz in the floorboards (very minor), but the virtually none in the bars. And, at that speed, you still have plenty of power left to make some pretty brisk passes, whereas the 750 was about out of gas at those speeds.
There will be some buzzing at around 55-60 mph, this seems to be the speed where things resonate. Below it, it's fine, above it, it's fine. It is not terribly annoying, but your hand will start getting all tingly.
As for reliability, like I said, I have put a lot of miles on the bike, and the only repair required by the dealer has been a leaking radiator hose (a bad o-ring). Other than that, flawless. Yes, there is a gas cap rattle than can be easily fixed, but other than that, I haven't experienced any other type of rattle or buzz. Like I said, solid built machine.
There is one issue with the 1600's that any prospective owner should be aware of going in - the 1600 has a tendency to knock and ping when rolling on the throttle hard, even in lower gears. Kawasaki is aware of this problem, and so far, has chosen not to address it. So, it'll do no good to bug your dealer about it. The factory will tell you to try a different brand of gas, and it is overly sensitive to different grades of gas. But, the real problem is that it runs to lean, probably because of emission requirements. I installed a Fuel Injection Controller box (180.00), and the problem mostly went away with just that.
Fuel economy, when stock, is great. Turns in a solid 42 mpg. That's pretty impressive for a 1600cc motorcycle. And the extra large, and oh-so-pretty, 5.2 gallon gas tank stretches fill ups out nicely.
As for modifications to my 1600,(who doesn't like to add toys?) I have added the aforementioned TFI unit, 2-1 exhaust pipes (very loud), a K&N air filter (kinda a custom item, K&N don't make one for the 1600 yet), along with some risers and new bars to bring them back a little more and change to looks of the front end a bit.
With the new pipes and air filter, along with the TFI unit, the 1600 is like a whole new machine - beast, really. The knock and ping issue described above seems to be a thing of the past now with these performance mods. The bike has some really serious pull now in the midrange. Other than obviously louder, ride quality is still the same with the performance mods added. Fuel economy has dipped a bit, down to about 40 mpg.
All in all, I feel this bike gives you the most bang for your buck. You simply can't go wrong with the 1600. It is a smooth, powerful, well built machine. Excellent transmission, and the shaft drive really cuts down on the maintenance. While aftermarket parts can still be hard to come by, they are trickling out slowly. Some items that work on a Meanstreak or 1500 will bolt right on (like the exhaust pipes)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 10500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
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Epinions.com ID:
karlhoelscher
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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