Ever had the chance to operate a really big pickup truck, say, a dually with four-wheel-drive and turbocharged diesel? Sure it’s a handful in the parking lot, takes two to get your MX bike up into the bed, and the sticker price tops your mom and dad’s first house…
But, as they say, that “ain’t no hill for a stepper.†So, no matter how long or steep the grade, even with the bed loaded to the gunnels, you lean on the power and the power is there—no sweat, no strain, makes all the bulk and work pay off.
That’s what we have here with the 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero, top of 1700 Vulcan family this model year. The Vaquero is a bagger meant to take on Harley-Davidson and the rest of the touring-oriented V-Twin cruisers that have become so popular.
Clearly, Kawasaki considers the bagger and cruiser markets to be important niches, as the 2011 Vulcan Vaquero is carefully tailored. The goal is to offer the classic profile, long and low and curved. Okay, it’s the style that spells Motorcycle for at least two generations of Americans, and the Vaquero is a point-by-point match for Harley’s FLT. No offense intended, because if we didn’t get to copy what works, only Peugeot would have four-valves-per-cylinder heads, and only Cadillac would offer the electric self starter.
Because the hard bags, full fairing, floorboards and such add bulk to an already big package, the 1700 Vulcan became the foundation for the Vaquero and the Vulcan 2000 line was put on hold.
The 1700 engine is a 52-degree V-Twin, slightly undersquare at 102mm bore, 104mm stroke. It is liquid-cooled, overhead-cam with four-valve heads, single-pin crankshaft (for the classic staggered potato-potato exhaust beat), and rated at 108 foot-pounds of torque, no power rating given. EFI and digital ignition, of course. There are six speeds in the gearbox, with the top two overdrive so the sprockets for the belt final drive can be the most efficient size.
There are some clever touches here: One, the dual throttle bodies are controlled by the ECU, ride-by-wire as we say, but the actual throttle grip pulls a cable, so the rider gets the feel normal to the now-banished carburetor; two, the radiator is integrated into the bodywork while the cylinders have fins, as seen in air-cooled days; and three, the rear suspension is dual shock absorbers, again like the old days. You can’t see them, but they are there and can be adjusted for preload with air, and offer four-position rebound-damping adjustment.
