Kawasaki VN 900 Light Tourer 2012 — Specifications

Imagine a younger sibling refusing to stay home while the elder heads off on adventure. That's exactly the stance of the 2012 VN 900 Light Tourer, the unapologetic little brother of the VN 1700 but determined to play in the big tourers' yard. Kawasaki understood that a mid-sized custom could swallow kilometers without blushing, provided it was equipped for the road. The Light Tourer pack therefore transforms this accessible cruiser into a credible travel companion, with a generous windshield, sissy bar, additional lights, and two leather saddlebags of 15 liters each. Curiously, this trim is even slightly better equipped than that of the bigger 1700 brother, a detail that doesn't lack spice.

Beneath the 20-liter tank beats a V-twin of 903 cc delivering 50 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 78 Nm of torque from 3700 rpm. Figures that hold up against a Yamaha XVS 950 or a Suzuki M800, but carry little weight against the 90 horsepower and 135 Nm of the VN 1700. The displacement gap is felt in the gut, not just on the spec sheet. On the road, the 900 pushes smoothly, without strain, and tops out around 180 km/h in favorable conditions. Its short 88 mm bore and 74.2 mm stroke, with a moderate compression ratio of 9.5:1, shape a laid-back character, made for long stretches of country highway rather than Sportster 883-style launches.

On the chassis side, the double steel cradle and the long 1650 mm wheelbase place the machine in a stable, almost lazy register. The 41 mm telescopic fork with seven-step preload and the Uni-Trak monoshock offer decent comfort without aiming for the sophistication of a premium tourer. Braking remains dated, with a single disc at both front and rear, each gripped by a two-piston caliper. A Heritage Softail does better on this point, but demands a far steeper financial commitment. The seat set at 680 mm from the ground immediately reassures smaller riders and those getting back on a bike after a break, an argument far from anecdotal in this category.

With 282 kg fully fueled and 253 kg dry, the VN 900 Light Tourer is no featherweight, but its mass remains manageable at a standstill thanks to a very low center of gravity. The five-speed gearbox and final chain drive betray its price positioning, some competitors having opted for shaft drive in this segment. Priced at 10,299 euros, it sits nearly 5,000 euros below its bigger 1700 brother, a difference that largely justifies the compromise for anyone seeking a custom tourer without mortgaging their bank account.

The target audience takes shape without ambiguity. Newly licensed rider looking for a credible first custom, seasoned motorcyclist who wants to travel two-up without wrestling a 350 kg machine, or simply a fan of Sunday rides attached to American aesthetics without the constraints of big displacement. The VN 900 Light Tourer revolutionizes nothing, does not claim to rival a Road King, and that is precisely its strength. It offers an honest dose of cruising, a real ability to absorb long legs, and a price that leaves room for fuel and mountain passes.