The Best Kawasaki VN 900 Custom 2011

Bridging the visual Balancing the lightweight look of the front end is a low, wide rear wheel featuring a 180mm tire on a 15-inch cast wheel that gives the rider the feeling of sitting on a one-of-a-kind, made-to-order motorcycle. The wheel features spokes arranged in pairs for a special visual appeal. Perhaps one of the most striking examples of this Vulcan cruiser’s distinctive look is its large-diameter 21-inch front cast wheel – itself somewhat rare in the custom-building world. A massive rear tire, light-looking front end accentuated by a thin 21-inch cast wheel, and sculpted bodywork top the stand-out features of the Vulcan 900 Custom.

Kawasaki engineers and designers concentrated on delivering a motorcycle with a customized appearance typically found only on expensive two-wheel offerings. The 900 Custom’s unique, edgy design shows it can stand out from the crowd. Like its siblings, the Vulcan 900 Custom has a fuel-injected 903cc engine that produces exceptional roll-on acceleration rivaling the get-up-and-go of much larger motorcycles – yet it’s wrapped in a nimble chassis that lets it turn and handle like no heavyweight motorcycle can. These stylish machines have more to offer than just good looks. But you won’t pay big bike bucks to get this affordable middleweight. And the 180-series rear tire, the largest in its class, accentuates its big bike style. Stylish cast wheels, including a solid-look rear wheel, complete the classic V-twin look.  Drawing from both current and classic styling influences, the Vulcan® 900 Custom and Custom Special Edition cruisers are a distinctive mix of back-in-the-day style and up-to-date imagery; an aggressive flat handlebar and forward footpegs place the rider in a stylish profile that enhances the overall visual appeal when rolling down Main Street.

New Kawasaki VN 900 Custom 2011

The essential design of the Vee's shaft drive limits the While the 21 inch almost dangerously skinny front rubber on the Vulcan 900 Custom leads you to wonder whether you'll be kissing the asphalt when you slide out on the next hairpin, the Vulcan 900 Classic LT is provided with an exceptionally meaty 130/90-16 front tire which instills considerable confidence when leaning the V-twin over. Underneath that pile of chromed junk you might as well have a Kubota D600 diesel for all you can see from the right side! Worse than that, if that's possible, the darn thing covers up half of the raison d'etre of the Vulcan 900 Classic LT, the wonderful V-twin jugs which are the primary impetus for these bikes being bought in the first place. It's a bulbous triangular mess with a half formed embryonic chopperish round cover bulging out of it like the Alien from John Hurt's gut.

The mufflers are way too fat and long, the saddlebags cover up the radical hardtail styled rear frame members, and the air cleaner cover is an aberration. The Vulcan 900 Classic LT is, of course, not aesthetically perfect. From the bold chrome structure on the windshield featuring the V logo to the studded leather everything and the exquisite pinstriped two tone paint job that just oozes post-war era, the Vulcan 900 Classic LT is a visual feast.  Unlike a fair amount of its competition (are you listening Honda Shadow 750?) the 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT is a truly modern and technologically up to date midsized cruiser which combines essential basic model good looks with the classic Fifties tourer styling clues to end up with an exceptionally tasty and desirable package.

2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT

It may look the part of chopperized custom, The front 21 inch cast wheel and 80/90x21 tire simply does not provide enough contact patch for a nearly one litre motorcycle. Where the Vulcan 900 Custom Special Edition really comes up short is in the tire department. It's not in the same stump puller league that the late Vulcan 2000 owned, but then again its displacement is less than half of the former Kawasaki two wheeled Caterpillar D9.

The Vulcan 900 Custom Special Edition is propelled down the road by a 903cc liquid-cooled, SOHC, four-valve per cylinder, V-twin which generates a fairly respectable 58.2 foot pounds of torque at a reasonably low 3,500 rpm. It's the best handling of the three (with one gaping exception to follow), as well as the most technologically advanced. Strictly from a riding standpoint, the best choice is the Vulcan 900 Custom Special Edition. If the front wheel and tire looks like it just came off of a 1948 Oldsmobile, then it's either the Honda or the Harley. If it's fairly light and has a motocrosser front wheel, it's the Vulcan 900 Custom Special Edition.

From across a street the only hope you have of identifying the Kawi is by checking out the front end. They're all black on black on black, with highlights in… black! You could certainly be excused for wondering how to tell these virtual clones apart, as the paint job is certainly not going to give you any hints. Now which one is which?

Look, it's a 2011 Harley Davidson Sportster Forty Eight, and right next to it is a 2011 Honda Shadow Phantom, and next to that is a 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom Special Edition!