To facilitate this larger presence, the original 800’s 63.6-inch wheelbase has been extended to 64.8 inches, and a large 180-section rear tire wrapped around the new spoke wheel. This gets covered by an even larger rear fender, which is borrowed from the Vulcan 2000, and is matched by a full front fender that sits on top of a 130.90-16 inch tire. The 5.3-gallon gas tank and broad, low seat contribute heavily to the bikes large physical appearance, and swinging a leg over while grabbing the wide pull back bars it is only the bike’s weight that gives it away as a mid sized cruiser. Where on the Vulcan 2000 you feel glad you ate your wheaties before lifting it off the side stand, the 595 pound 900 is a completely different animal, lifting up with ease.

Powering the new Vulcan is a 903 cc, 55 degree V-twin that gets its capacity increase by using an 8mm longer stroke than the Vulcan 800’s power plant. Compression is 9.5:1, and a single overhead camshaft opens and closes four valves in each cylinder. Lightweight connecting rods use technology borrowed from the Vulcan 2000, and the flywheel weight has been increased to give the bike an altered power pulse that is supposed to be more like a big bike. On the road the engine certainly felt much bigger than its 903cc, but exhibited a strange trait on the closed throttle with almost no engine braking. This took a while to get used to, as one of the fun things to do on big cruisers is roll of the throttle and let the engine slow the bike down while listening to the sound of the engine and exhaust. Not on the Vulcan 900, roll off and you keep gliding forward without any of the pleasant sounds.

Responsible for firing the fuel into the new cylinders, a pair of 34mm throttle bodies each uses a single 75-micron fine fuel injector. These throttle bodies also use a sub throttle valve and the low end response is said to be improved by new intake tracts that extend further into the air box. The fuel injection uses an automatic fast idle system similar to the one used on the Vulcan 2000 and the fire is provided by new high-energy coils.

Much attention has been paid to the external appearance of the new engine also, with sculptured cam covers and stylized power valleys to make it look bigger. These chrome cam covers are attractive, and match the exhaust pipes that run into their own individual chrome, sculptured tail pipes. These emit a pleasing rumble on idle and don’t sound too asthmatic under way. Well not until you get amongst a few thousand individuals in their black T-shirts and jeans out saving lives with their straight through exhaust pipes. The external engine cases are also chromed and stand out nicely against the black inner parts.

Following the Vulcan 2000’s lead, the 900 uses a belt drive to take power to the new, fat tire. Swing arm is still a hard tail knock-off that runs to a single shock. This is actually adjustable for not only pre-load but it also has eight positions of rebound available. With a large passenger saddle, and a LT version of the standard Vulcan coming equipped with bags and windshield, it is a useful option. The 41mm forks unfortunately offer no adjustment, and as with most cruisers are nice and compliant until it is time to put the brakes on. With just a single disc up front, the forks give a weird diving to the side feeling when you use them hard, and for really quick stops it is necessary to use plenty of rear brake. This is thankfully very strong, and with the bikes long wheelbase and weight bias not prone to locking up unless you get really silly. For the newest Vulcan this is now a 270mm disc, which replaces the previous drum, and it is a big improvement.

Seat height is a low 26.8 inches and with the wide bars makes the bike extremely maneuverable in the grid locked Daytona traffic. Providing a home for your feet, the Kawasaki uses typical cruiser floorboards with a heel/toe gearshift system. The floorboards are reasonably roomy and don’t thrust your feet too far out into the breeze, once up to speed. Shifting is executed with some good solid mechanical thumps and bangs, but gear selection is always positive and heel shifting, for those who must, is an easy affair. Ride position was not the most comfortable for my six-foot frame, with the scoop of the seat and the bend of the bars putting me in a slight crouch. A bit of time to adjust the bars would probably have helped, but it wasn’t enough of a problem to spoil our day in the saddle.

Instrumentation is all housed in the chrome nacelle on the gas tank. A large analogue speedometer takes center stage, with easy to read white numbers, fuel gauge in the bottom and a digital speedometer in the top portion. Neutral light, turn signals and high beam indicator lights live in a small triangular plate below with the mode and reset buttons on either side. Up on the handlebars, the switchgear is clean, polished metal, while the view forward is clean and uncluttered with the small, chrome headlight sitting in front of the minimalist triple clamps.

Picking Bike Week to launch the Vulcan I wasn’t expecting a great ride, but rumbling out of Daytona in the early morning sunshine, the rest of the crowd were obviously still sleeping off the previous evenings excitement as we quickly cleared the city. Picking up A1A for a while, we soon turned west out into the quiet, near deserted countryside. Twisting along beside a sparkling river, surrounded by natural unspoiled Florida countryside, Bike Week could have been a million miles away as the eager Vulcan pulled strongly below me.

Tipping into the turns quickly had the floorboard feelers scraping, but not any sooner than expected. Even with the longer wheelbase and fat rear time, handling was nice and light, the Vulcan very easy to flick side to side. Hitting the brakes for the odd stop sign a good squeeze on the lever was needed. This induced the fork twist I talked about earlier, but by not puling too hard and using plenty of rear, the bike stopped just fine.

Leaving the tight roads behind and making our way north, the lack of windshield made things breezy at a steady 70mph. The wind hits you square in the chest and helmet area though so is not too abusive, but to maintain these speeds for a long time some sort of windshield would have been nice. The bike does a great job at this speed, loping along with a nice bark from the pipes when the throttle is twisted. Acceleration is strong, and the bike pulls from low down till a soft limiter kicks in somewhere up in the rev range. With no tachometer it is hard to tell, but I can’t see it being too much over 6,000 rpm. Running up and down through the gears, and twisting the throttle hard from low rpm in top gear didn’t reveal any stumbles or glitches in the fuel injection either.

Priced at $7,299, the new Kawasaki Vulcan 900 is slightly more expensive than its middleweight competition, but with a lot more to offer the price differential is easily justified. Featuring a big bike sized back fender and tire, hard tail styled rear end, belt drive, as well as a number of other big bike features, the 900 is the most sophisticated cruiser in this class. Color choices are: Metallic Ocean Blue, Phantom Silver and Ebony/Candy Fire Red. Also available as the Classic Lt with windshield, passenger backrest, studded seat and saddlebags, as well as some paint upgrades for an additional $1200, the new Kawasaki Vulcan 900 looks set to be the new King of the middleweight cruiser class.