Kawasaki Vulcan Cruiser 2008 User Manual

Up to Two Years Warranty

Your new Vulcan cruiser motorcycle comes with a 12-month/unlimited mileage limited factory warranty, except your new Vulcan 1600 Nomad, Vulcan 2000 LT and Vulcan 900 LT which come with a 24-month/unlimited mileage limited factory warranty. Read the next paragraph to find out how you can extend your coverage inexpensively, or ask your dealer for details about the factory warranty and available extended coverage.

Up to Four Years Additional Coverage*

Let Kawasaki protect your new machine for years to come* with the exclusive Good Times™ Protection Plan. This plan repairs or replaces most components free of charge if found defective in material or workmanship. Everything about the plan is easy: There’s no deductible. It’s honored at every authorized Kawasaki motorcycle dealer nationwide. It’s transferable to another owner with no fee. Just ask your dealer how you can buy extended coverage of 12, 24, 36 or 48 months. Imagine, for just pennies a day, you can ride with no worry and no hassle. Just tell your dealer you want the Good Times Protection Plan.

*Depending on the program purchased.

Ride Now With Zero Down*

We offer up to 100% instant ﬁ nancing on most Kawasaki products with the Good Times™ Credit Plan† or Good Times™ Credit Card. Qualiﬁ ed buyers can ride away on a brand-new Kawasaki with no down payment. In most cases, the computerized credit approval takes just minutes. You can even add insurance, accessories and the Good Times Protection Plan to your contract. Ask your participating dealer for details.

*Qualified buyers. †Good Times Credit Plan not available in Canada.

Safe Riding’s More Fun

Ride responsibly. Kawasaki believes safety begins with us and continues with you. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and proper apparel. Passengers too. Ride defensively. Obey the Basic Speed Law. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Riding is more fun on a well-maintained motorcycle...follow the instructions in your owner’s manual. Remember, riding safe is smart.

For more information, visit our Web site at: www.kawasaki.com For the nearest Kawasaki dealer, call: 1-800-661-RIDE To purchase accessories, see your dealer or visit our Web site.

Specifications subject to change without notice. Availability may be limited. Always wear a helmet and appropriate apparel. Call 1-800-446-9227 for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner or expert course near you. You won’t even need a motorcycle—your course sponsor will provide one courtesy of your local dealer.

Action Photography: Professional riders on a closed course.

2008 VULCAN

CRUISER

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

9950 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, California 92618

P/N 99969-3219 Printed in U.S.A.

VULCAN 900 CLASSIC

Everything you need for cruising and nothing you don’t—that’s the mission of the Vulcan® 900 Classic. So whether you’re new to

motorcycling or a seasoned pro, your first trip on one of our most affordable V-Twins will prove its worth. Crank up the 55 cubic-inch

engine and hear the steady beat echoing from the dual slash-cut mufflers. Now pull onto the road, wind through the gears and feel the

solid handling and silky ride cast their spells. The sun glints off the deeply chromed headlight, swept-back handlebars and fuel tank-

mounted instrument panel while the fuel-injected engine rumbles beneath you. Hard to believe this is a middleweight cruiser you can

enjoy stock—or personalize with Kawasaki Genuine Accessories. Your passenger appears right on time, and climbs aboard for the ride

into town. It’s a nice day, all right—and the night’s going to be even better.

LUMINOUS POLARIS BLUE • METALLIC DIABLO BLACK • METALLIC IMPERIAL RED

CLASSIC STYLE AND PERFORMANCE

1 The Vulcan 900 Classic looks and feels

larger than a middleweight thanks to its flowing lines, large classic-styled round headlight and wide front forks.

• An advanced digital fuel injection system

featuring dual 34mm throttle bodies offer exceptional response, great acceleration and good fuel economy. And the fast idle feature means no more waiting for a cold engine to warm up on those brisk early mornings.

• The V-Twin engine employs four valves per

cylinder head for better breathing that adds up to more power and stronger low-end torque for this middleweight cruiser.

2 The 55 cubic-inch V-Twin engine delivers

linear torque from very low engine rpm that translates into strong acceleration in the midrange. A gear-driven balancer counteracts the pulses of the 55-degree single-pin crank V-Twin.

• The Vulcan 900 Classic looks and feels like

its bigger brothers with its large folding floorboards with a heel/toe shifter, a wide, relaxed handlebar, deeply padded seat, a centrally located speedometer with warning lamps, chrome slash-cut mufflers, Positive Neutral Finder, 5-speed transmission and traditional-style round headlight.

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3 The clean, quiet and reliable belt drive

system transfers the 900 Classic’s strong V-Twin power to the ground smoothly and efficiently while the hardtail look of the rear end adds comfort and style.

• Up front, the 41mm front fork with 32

degrees of rake and a wide fork pitch give the 900 Classic a bigger bike look.

• Combine that with deep, rich paint, miles

of chrome and an ultra-low 26.8-inch seat height and you have a classic cruiser ready to ride in style.

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VULCAN 900 CLASSIC LT

Take flight aboard the Vulcan® 900 Classic LT, the middleweight Kawasaki touring bike designed for the casual weekend rider.

Based on our best-selling Vulcan 900 Classic and offering 55 cubic inches of fuel-injected and liquid-cooled V-Twin power, it

delivers the most responsive performance in its class, together with tremendous value and low insurance costs. Net result?

The Vulcan 900 Classic LT is a friendly, competent cruiser with plenty of features to satisfy the most experienced riders—such

as a large touring windshield, a beautifully studded premium saddle and passenger backrest, and even a pair of genuine studded

leather saddlebags. Rider-friendly details include a 26.8-inch seat height and a low dry weight for confident handling, and a

stretched-out wheelbase for reassuring highway stability. So climb aboard, and see how easily tree-lined neighborhood streets

can become forested mountain roads. But be careful—you may never want to turn back.

CANDY FIRE RED/METALLIC DIABLO BLACK • LUMINOUS POLARIS BLUE/ATOMIC SILVER

PEARL CRYSTAL WHITE/METALLIC TITANIUM

1 The Vulcan 900 Classic LT is the perfect

escape vehicle for your weekend getaways with its optically correct adjustable windshield that protects you from wind blast and inclement weather.

• The 900 Classic LT features the same

middleweight class benefits of the standard 900 Classic—smooth 903cc V-Twin engine, efficient belt drive, and light handling all in a brilliant mid-size package.

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2 Reinforced top grain leather saddlebags

swallow extra items for your longer journeys out of town. The bags come with chrome studs and feature quick-release snaps underneath the chrome clasps.

• With its studded trim, the deeply padded rider

and passenger seat—with backrest—raises the stakes for class-leading comfort and style.

3 The black-faced speedometer is centrally

mounted on the gas tank for great visibility. The ignition switch is mounted in a traditional location inside the rider’s left leg at the tank and seat junction.

• The 900 Classic LT provides one of the

best light touring and comfortable cruising platforms ready to ride with all the features previously found only on larger cruisers.

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TAKE A WEEKEND TOUR

VULCAN 900 CUSTOM

It’s not a high-dollar custom show bike—it just looks like it. Meet the Vulcan® 900 Custom, a supremely stylish Kawasaki cruiser

with a custom personality all its own. The tall 21-inch cast-aluminum front wheel first commands attention. Rare in the cruiser

category and utterly unique in the Kawasaki lineup, along with an abbreviated front fender it offers a lightweight, radical custom-

shop look. Then there’s the engine—55 cubic inches of middleweight V-Twin punch, ready for dawn patrol, midday cruising and

nighttime fun. Its electronic fuel injection, big-bike power characteristics and glorious slash-cut mufflers serve notice that the

Vulcan 900 Custom is one serious custom ride. Ditto for the straight-style handlebar, extra-wide fork and gunfighter-style seat,

chromed forward-mount footpegs, burly 15-inch cast-aluminum rear wheel and bobbed rear fender. Perhaps most amazingly,

though, you can further personalize the Vulcan 900 Custom with a wide range of Kawasaki Genuine Accessories.

CANDY LIME GREEN • METALLIC DIABLO BLACK • PASSION RED

FACTORY CUSTOM WHEELS

1 You can’t miss the 900 Custom with its

chrome drag-style handlebars, teardropshaped tank and raked-out front end.

• With its rubber-mounted 903cc V-Twin SOHC

engine tuned to deliver loads of low-speed torque, the 900 Custom pulls hard from idle up through the gears. A gear-driven engine balancer subdues the power pulses generated by the 55-degree single-pin crankshaft design.

• The 900 Custom delivers confident braking

performance thanks to its large-diameter 300mm front disc brake with strong twinpiston caliper.

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2 The Vulcan 900 Custom features a

striking center-mounted instrument panel and a broad, custom-syle fuel tank shape.

• The engine uses an efficient liquid cooling

system with automatic fan. The large fins on the cylinders not only impart an air-cooled look, they enhance the cooling system.

• The double-cradle frame has a largediameter box section backbone for rigidity which allows for a larger fuel tank, and keeps things stable at speed.

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3 The 21-inch cast spoke front wheel

mounted in the raked-out front fork enhances the long and low theme of the 900 Custom.

• The 900 Custom features an advanced

belt drive that offers low unsprung weight for improved ride quality and smooth rear suspension action.

• The Vulcan 900 Custom offers a very low

seat height of just 27 inches while its hidden rear shock offers the look and feel of a traditional hardtail-style rear end.

VULCAN 2000

When the Kawasaki Vulcan® 2000 first hit the streets, it didn’t just make ripples. It made tidal waves. Because with each of

its cylinders displacing over a liter apiece, it boasted the largest mass-produced V-Twin in the world. Fortunately some things

never change, and for 2008 the Vulcan 2000 continues to deliver the kind of ground-shaking torque—141 lbs.-ft. of torque,

in fact—that leaves riders searching for the words to describe it. Only now it features stunning new blacked-out chrome that

totally transforms the Vulcan 2000 into a mean-looking beast. The treatment covers the headlight shell and rim, fork legs and

fork tube covers, and air cleaner cover. It all adds up to one tough speed-shop look. Now fire up the Vulcan 2000, point the big

16-inch wheels into town, and feel the attention it commands. You’ve earned it.

METALLIC DIABLO BLACK

POWER PLAY

Model shown with available accessories.

1 Transforming the look of the Vulcan

2000 is the black chrome treatment to the projector beam-style headlight and fork leg covers, lower fork legs and air cleaner cover.

• The massive engine produces massive

torque. The effect is stunning: Just roll on the throttle to dial in the amount of torque you want for any given situation and enjoy the fantastic pull of the engine.

• The advanced fuel injection system’s fine-atomizing injectors with sub-throttles improve combustion efficiency, increase power and deliver optimum fuel economy.

2 At 125 cubic inches of pure muscle

and torque, the Vulcan 2000 gets your attention fast with the world’s biggest mass production V-Twin motorcycle engine ever produced. The single-pin crank offsets the 52-degree V-Twin, giving the Vulcan 2000 a distinctive lumpy idle and an unmistakable throaty exhaust note.

• The performance comes from the

engineering and technology you expect from a Kawasaki motorcycle. Forged pistons. Alloy connecting rods. Hydraulic valve adjusters. Push-rod valve actuation. A sophisticated Engine Control Unit (ECU).

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3 An advanced belt drive and the massive

200mm rear tire dominate the look of the rear end. The triangulated swingarm looks like a hardtail but has a soft, comfortable single rear shock mounted under the rider’s seat.

• With a very low 26.8-inch seat height and a

very low center of gravity, you’ll find that the Vulcan 2000 is neutral-handling and has light steering for secure rider confidence.

• The strong yet smooth 5-speed transmission features a gear position sensor that sends signals to the ECU, further enhancing fuel injection and ignition performance.

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