Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126796
Kawasaki's Vulcan (above) goes after the cruiser market with its 699cc engine and repli-cruiser styling. Also new for '85 is the KLR250 (below). Cruiser styling and low maintenance will make the 454 LTD (above) appeal to new riders. The KLR600 (below) has slight refinements. More 19855: Kawasaki refines its line-up BV Rex Reese For 1985 Kawasaki debuts the VN700-Al Vulcan as its premier boulevard cruiser in a revamped product line which includes 10 street and sport bikes, two dual-purpose machines and one 200cc enduro. But the addition of the tariffbusting, 699cc Vulcan to similar models produced by the other 30 major manufacturers signals 1985 as The Year of the Killer Vees, with yet another competitor determined to acquire a portion of the semi-chopper V-twin cruiser market. Like Honda's VTIIOO Shadow and Yamaha's Viragos, Kawasaki's Vulcan has been cast in the Harley repli-cruiser mold, for which there seems to be no shortage of buyers. The Vulcan is Kawasaki's own answer to the V-twin rage with the engine featuring water coolin~, double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder and twin spark pi ug igni tion. Bore and stroke are 82 x 66.2mm with a compression ratio of 10.3: I. Carburetion is via two 34mm Keihin CV carbs; ignition is electronic. Five speeds are in the transmission; £inal , , ,. " drive is shaft., , A massive double-downtube frame holds the Vulcan together. Front forks. are air-assisted, leading-axle models with 5.9 inches of travel; two airassisted shocks provide 3.5 inches of rear travel. Both Bridgestone and Dunlop tires will be standard equipment, depending on availability; the (ront tire measures 100/90-19 while the rear is a 150/90-15. Styling on the Vulcan is clearly influenced by Harley, (rom the teardrop-shaped gas tank to the stepped seat and the abundance of chrome and polished metal in several places, such as the forks, instruments, shocks. and exhaust pipes. Also new to Kawasaki's cruiser line is the EN450-AI 454 LTD (see Cycl~ N~ws, October 24 for specs) which is described as an entry-level machine {or new riders. It features. a watercooled, {our-valves-per-cylinder, vertical twin engine and a heavy dose o{ cruiser styling, as evidenced by the gas tank and saddle shapes, pull-back handlebars and slash-cut mufflers. To make life easier for first-timers, there is a belt final-drive, automatic cam tensioner, and elearonic ignition. Seat height on the 454 LTD is 29 inches. Two traditional models are returning in 1985 under the LTD banner, the ZN700-A2 and the ZN lIOO-B2 LTDs, Like the Vulcan, the 700 LTD is a tari£f-buster, displacing 694cc; the 1100 LTD, however, like all of Kawasaki's over-700cc street line, is made in the USA at the company's Lincoln, Nebraska, plant. Both have been given the traditional touch by Kawasaki, mainly because both bikes feature transverse, in-line, {our-cylinder, DOHC motors. The 700 LTD has bore and stroke measurements of 64 x 54mm; {our 34mm Keihin carbs do the breathing, and there's sha{tdrive. The 1100 LTD measures 72.5 x 66mm to displace 1089cc; {our 34mm Mikunis are used, and like the 700, starting is electric. There's also shaft drive. Both bikes share many styling and mechanical features, inclw;ling tear-drop tanks, stepped seats, cast alloy wheels, airassisted shocks and triple disc brakes. Still at the top of Kawasaki's sport bikes is the Ninja 900, which was a very hot seller in '84. This year it returns with refinements and color changes; still the same are the 908cc, {our-cylinder, four-valve, liquidcooled DOHC motor, Uni-Trak rear suspension, anti-dive front forks, and full-race styling. And, taking note of last year's success, the big-bore Ninja has been joined by the ZX600-AI Ninja 600R (see Cycl~ News, October 24, for more details). Like its bigger brother, the 600 uses the same racebike styling features and includes anti-dive forks, triple disc brakes, 16inch wheels at both ends, a six-speed transmission, and a claimed dry weight of 429 pounds. Returning for another year is the Turbo 750, which is basically unchanged from last year. Weighing in at 513 pounds dry, the Turbo is