If you’re a fan of team grean, chances are, your choices of colors are usually limited to green or black. Thankfully, Kawasaki is changing things up this year with some new colorways. We wouldn’t call them daring, but they’re certainly better than what’s already on offer. And that applies to its cruiser line, the Vulcan.
Fresh from the launch of the new 2022 Z900 RS Cafe, Kawasaki follows it up with new looks for the Vulcan S, Vulcan 900 Custom, and Vulcan 1700 Vaquero.
Starting off with the Vulcan 650 S, Kawasaki has updated it with a choice of Pearl Robotic White, or Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray/Metallic Matte Graphite Gray two tone. Depending on the color, the graphics on the tank vary as the white gets a tear drop shape with gradients, while the Matte Graphite features the brand’s distinct green stripes. The similarities to the Ninja platform are still evident, particularly with the single sided rear spring, and low-mounted underbelly exhaust.
Next up is the Vulcan 900 Custom, Kawasaki now offers it in a Pearl Nightshade Teal/Metallic Graphite Gray two-tone paint job. On the tank, the two shades are separated by a pinstripe in the shape of a ‘V.’ The 900 is powered by a 903cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine with fuel injection. It produces 78.9Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. It’s paired with a five-speed transmission and drives the rear wheels via a belt drive. Kawasaki has kept the sweet multi-spoke wheels. The engine by contrast features a gloss piano black look accented by matte twin exhaust pipes.
The top of the line is the 1700 Vaquero which is the bagger tourer. This model gets a unique, satin-effect Metallic Matte Graphenesteel Gray paint finish which appears matte from afar but still retains the sparkle of gloss paints. As the name indicates, it’s powered by a 1,700cc V-twin that makes a 145.9 Nm at as low as 2750 rpm. It’s paired with a 6-speed transmission with overdrive and a positive neutral finder.
Kawasaki also unveiled two other models that we wish were offered locally. One of them was the Vulcan S Café. Much like the Z900 RS Café, the Vulcan S Café adds a front cowl to the Vulcan and is offered in even brighter colors like Candy Steel Furnace Orange. It’s still the same Vulcan 650 underneath built on the Ninja platform.
Another cool model is the Vulcan 900 Classic. This beauty is essentially a Vulcan 900 Custom but with more old-school parts like wire wheels, full fenders, and white sidewall tires.
The new Vulcans are already out in the US, but could be offered in other markets, including ours, soon.
