Kawasaki Vulcan S Special Edition 2017 — Specifications

Who would have bet that an engine from the very tame ER-6 would end its career dressed up as a cruiser? Kawasaki took the gamble, and the result is worth a closer look. The 2017 Kawasaki Vulcan S Special Edition follows an already well-proven recipe: a 649 cc parallel twin putting out 61 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 62.8 Nm of torque at 6,600 rpm, housed in a steel perimeter frame that has nothing in common with a traditional cruiser chassis. It's closer to a roadster in disguise than a Harley-Davidson Sportster, and that's precisely what makes it interesting.

On the mechanical side, nothing changes compared to the standard version. The parallel twin with four valves per cylinder and its 10.8:1 compression ratio delivers a crisp response from the midrange onward, with a flexibility that forgives sloppy riding. The six-speed gearbox shifts right where you need it, and the chain drive remains conventional but reliable. You'll hit 180 km/h on the speedometer without breaking a sweat. It's not a sportbike, and nobody's asking it to be one. The real playground is the city, the back roads, the daily commute where the 705 mm seat height reassures shorter riders and where the 229 kg dry weight fades from memory thanks to a well-placed center of gravity. The suspension — a 41 mm telescopic hydraulic fork with 130 mm of travel up front and a side-mounted mono-shock limited to 80 mm at the rear — provides honest comfort without any sporting pretensions. The braking, with a single 300 mm disc gripped by a two-piston caliper up front and a 250 mm disc at the rear, gets the job done without any particular brilliance. Against a Honda Rebel 500 or a Yamaha XSR700, the Vulcan S plays a different card: more approachable, smoother, less edgy.

So, what's the Special Edition badge actually worth? Let's be honest: it changes nothing under the skin. No mechanical modifications, no revised suspension, no additional electronics. The premium is purely cosmetic. Redesigned tank shrouds, a silver-grey colorway running from the tank to the radiator scoops and all the way to the fenders, accented with orange racing stripes that give the whole package a slightly playful look. It's a visual success, even if you might miss the colored shock spring that added a cheeky wink to previous versions. That detail had character, and its removal makes the silhouette a touch more uniform. For those who want to push personalization further, Kawasaki also offers a Café variant fitted with a compact flyscreen and a bolder livery — a tempting option for anyone seeking an extra touch of originality.

At 7,849 euros, the Kawasaki Vulcan S Special Edition targets a well-defined audience: new A2 license holders looking for a cruiser without the maintenance demands of an American V-twin, urban riders who want an easy-going everyday machine, or returning riders getting back in the saddle after a long break. The 14-liter tank limits range somewhat on longer trips, but this isn't a tourer. The price-to-equipment ratio holds up well against the competition, even if paying a premium for purely cosmetic changes might give you pause. The real strength of this machine is its proven engine and its easygoing versatility. It won't make any track enthusiast dream, but it will put the majority of riders at ease from the very first miles. And in the affordable cruiser segment, that's an argument that carries serious weight.