My First Kawasaki (Or, My First Water-Cooled Bike)

Well, I went and did it! I traded my 2021 Fat Boy for a 2026 Kawasaki Vulcan 900. I know it doesn’t make any sense, right? However, the new Jay Hatfield Motorsports place in Claremore gave me such a great deal on what they would pay for my Harley that I couldn’t pass it up, but the real story here is more about how much motorcycle I really need.

The M8 114 is a beast, and I felt it was overkill for my buck-fifty frame. I found myself doing riskier moves on the Fat Boy, ones that I had no business doing. The most recent, the one that was the deciding factor for trading it off, is when I was racing a pickup truck down Highway 20 at over a hundred miles an hour, backing off to let it get ahead of me and then gunning the throttle to catch up and pass.

This was insane! The thing is, I would engage in this kind of behavior almost every time I rode it, because I loved the adrenaline rush it gave me! Sure, I could die at any second if any mechanical failure decided to crop up at that moment, but maybe that’s part of the allure.

I kept the bike in great shape and if it did malfunction at an excessive speed, I knew it was going to be my fault. My routine was, I would get the bike out and drive it like a maniac, then get freaked out and promise myself I wouldn’t do it anymore – at least until the next time I got on it anyway.

I figured the 900 wouldn’t let me do crazy stuff like that because it wouldn’t be that powerful. That rationale didn't last very long and let me stand corrected after taking it on a trip to Spavinaw yesterday. I rode the Kawasaki on those twisties between Salina and Spavinaw like it was a sport bike! The lean angle on the Vulcan is much greater, and the 130mm front and 180mm rear tire stuck to the asphalt like glue!

  Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

I didn’t get the usual anxiety entering a curve like I did with the Fat Boy and the shifting seems so much smoother, intuitive. Suffice it to say there was a smile on my face almost the entire time I was riding, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had that much fun riding a motorcycle! I was impressed with the torquiness on the 900 as well.

It is very responsive at highway speeds when I rolled the throttle back. In these instances, the 903cc Japanese motor seemed almost as responsive as the 114 – almost. Even so, it does the job I need it to do and I’m okay not cruising at a hundred miles an hour. Eighty is just fine!

Another issue I had with the Fat Boy (besides the vibration at higher speeds) was the fact I was putting miles on it and perpetuating the wear-and-tear on the bike. I kept it in the garage and just brought it out occasionally for some road time maybe a couple times a month. When I had the Ultra Classic, I could ride it and save the miles on the Fat Boy.

I felt like I was tearing it up the way I was riding it after selling the Electroglide and, with it being the only bike to ride, I couldn’t bear the fact that she wouldn’t stay in the pristine shape I had kept ‘er in for the last three years. I wanted to ride but was discouraged because of putting too many miles on it. I couldn’t afford to buy another bike for everyday commuting and grocery getting (believe me, I tried).

The Harley had barely 21,000 miles on it and I figured I should probably try to sell it or trade it before the odo went any higher and the depreciation really started to affect it. I know Harley’s keep their resale value better than the metric bikes, but that still meant limiting my riding to keep the miles down, and where’s the fun in that? So, back to the new Kawasaki.

            I had never owned a Kawasaki before. I’ve had just about all the others but not this particular brand. My first “real bike” I got when I was twelve was a Honda CB 100, then graduated to a Suzuki GT 550 in high school. I’ve had Yamahas as well, with the most recent being a couple of Roadstar 1600’s with the belt final drive.

I’ve also owned both the V-Star 650 and the 1100 with shaft drives. Yamaha makes a good product and is very reliable - with proper maintenance. However, one of the issues with the Yamahas (besides a dwindling parts supply chain for these models) is the valve adjustments every ten thousand miles!

It’s not so bad once you’ve done it, but it still requires removing the rocker boxes to do it. The last Roadstar was a flipper – bought, modified, and resold for a little more than I paid for it. Of course, I wanted to keep it, but I already had two other motorcycles at the time.

1999 Yamaha Road Star 1600

I honestly think that was the best bobber build I’d done – to date. Another issue with the Yamahas is the “chatter” in the engine compartment that sounds like there is something wrong with the lifters or push rods, but is considered “normal” for that engine. The Kawasaki has none of that, is smooth as butta, and handles like an extension of my body – Almost like I become a Motaur, when I’m on it.

Before the Yamahas, I owned a 2015 Sportster, a 2015 Tri-Glide, a 2018 Softail Slim and another Tri-Glide with the “new” Milwaukee Eight motor. After the Japanese bikes, I bought another 2015 Ultra Classic and the 2021 Fat Boy arrived a year later. So, I’ve ridden a few different bikes over the years and enjoy the buying, selling, modifying, and trading aspect of the hobby as much, if not more, than actually riding them.  

2018 Softail Slim at Snowdale

The 2026 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic uses the same tried and true, water cooled, engine that they use across the Vulcan 900 platform line-up, such as the 900 custom (21 inch front wheel and blacked out paint job) and the 900 LT (light touring) with saddle bags, passenger upright, and windshield. Also, the Vulcan 900 (903) engine has been produced by the manufacturer for the last twenty years, debuting in 2006. So, this means there is extensive aftermarket support for the motor and, with it being water cooled, should last quite a while.

Well,  for better or worse, it’s a done deal now and I can’t say I don’t miss my Fat Boy – it was a beautiful bike and, in my opinion, probably the best two-wheeler I’ve ever owned. Of course, my “buyer’s remorse” flares up occasionally and I get very sentimental over the ordeal.

Robin on the 2015 TriGlide at the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona

I just hope someone buys the Harley and takes really good care of her. In the meantime, I’ll be adjusting and modifying my new everyday commuter. The vision is to modify it into a functional “bobber,” adding new fenders and the solo, bobber-style seat. It’s not going to be a “budget build” per se, but I do want to try and keep the cost to a minimum. There are a lot of parts suppliers that stock these aftermarket parts for the Vulcan and some of the finished products look pretty amazing!

Vulcan 900 Classic with "Blue Collar Bobbers" aftermarket parts and matching paint.

So, thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to email us or make a comment if you found the content in this article valuable. Until next time, keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up and I’ll see you on the road!