Kawasaki Vulcan® 900 Custom

The Power of the Art

Just mention Austin, Texas, and I'm ready to head that way. A vibrant, college-town atmosphere, great food, innumerable live music venues, and some great riding make the Lone Star State's capital one of the coolest towns around. So when I recently received an invite to come to Austin and join Kawasaki for a day of riding on their new Vulcan® 900 Custom, all I needed was a flight number.

I won’t lie. Initially, I was more excited about the locale than the bike. The idea of a press ride featuring a 900cc cruiser didn’t exactly have the needle on the hoorah meter pinned to the peg; but the more I thought about it, the more curious I became: Why would Team Green be making such a big to-do about a mid-size model? I could only conclude that something interesting was afoot in Hill Country.

Upon viewing this new ride in person, I can attest that the teaser photographs don’t do it justice. Tip to tail, the Custom tag fits this Vulcan to a T. The styling is bold yet understated, with lines and accoutrements typically found on a much larger machine. Out back, a 15-inch cast wheel sporting a beefy 180mm tire provides a solid, planted look; while up front, an absolutely gorgeous 18-spoke, 21-inch front wheel, designed by hand and said to have no straight lines, simply screams “custom.” The graceful flow of the new fuel tank and rear fender, both featuring the twin-valley design, melds seamlessly and leads the eye downward, sweeping to the rear wheel via a swingarm that establishes a feel reminiscent of a classic hard-tail. A nifty one-piece gunfighter seat ties it all together, and liberal placements of chrome and minimalist corporate branding burnish the Custom designation. Admittedly skeptical at first, I now readily concede that this is one sharp ride....

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