Kawasaki’s fastest bikes have a history of racing into victory lane wearing the brand’s iconic green livery, so when you think of Kawasaki motorcycles, the first thing that comes to mind is the speed offered by iconic bikes like the Ninja – Kawasaki’s cruiser-class Vulcan is probably not what comes to mind.
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Kawasaki cruisers are designed for power and cruising comfort rather than full-throttle speed. That ethos is perhaps best embodied in Kawasaki’s large-displacement cruiser, the Vulcan 2000. This model debuted in the Vulcan lineup in 2004 with a 2,053 cc V-twin engine. This was not only the largest engine in a Kawasaki cruiser at the time, but also the largest V-twin engine in the industry. In fact, the Vulcan 2000 was the first bike to exceed 2,000 cc.
This big Kawasaki boasted lines and design similar to Harley-Davidson cruisers of the time, a fact that likely helped it gain a following among serious riders who might not have looked to the Japanese brand in their search for a power-hungry cruiser. Though the Vulcan 2000 had the style and power to rival cruisers from the big manufacturers, it still didn’t last long in the Vulcan lineup, with Kawasaki ceasing production of the big bike in 2010. However, the bike has not been forgotten and is considered by some to be one of the best Japanese cruisers of all time.
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The Vulcan 2000 boasted solid speed commensurate with its size.
Kawasaki didn’t discontinue the entire Vulcan lineup when it discontinued production of the Vulcan 2000. In fact, the manufacturer still makes Vulcans today, but none of the newer models boast the power output of the 116 horsepower and 141 lb-ft of torque that the 2,053 cc engine offers. For now, the Vulcan 1700 Vaquero’s 1,700 cc engine is the largest engine Kawasaki currently makes for a cruiser.
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Given the size and power of the Vulcan 2000’s engine, it’s probably safe to assume that this is one of the fastest Vulcans ever. It’s been years since the Vulcan 2000 was dropped from the lineup, so official figures from Kawasaki are hard to come by, but some have tested the bike’s performance. Top Speed claimed in a 2007 feature that the bike could easily accelerate from 120 to 150 mph if really pushed flat out, and they’re not the only magazine to make that claim.
While this bike is faster than many other cruisers, some may wonder how comfortable a ride it would be to ride the Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 at that speed. After all, speed is not the point of building a bike. However, some reviewers have claimed that the bike is so easy to accelerate and so comfortable at high speeds that you barely feel you’re going at triple digits mph. The combination of power, speed and relative comfort is a big reason why the Vulcan 2000 continues to command respect among riders, even more than a decade after Kawasaki stopped making it.
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