Kawasaki Vulcan S Performance 2020 Test Ride Review and visit to Matlock Bath

Join me as I test ride the Kawasaki Vulcan S Performance in the new colour for 2020, Spark Green, Come along as I visit Matlock Bath and ride this motorcycle back towards Nottingham on various types of road to give you an idea of what this mid-sized 650cc cruiser is like to live with in the U.K.
Specification of this bike is as factory standard with...
12v charging socket (Dealer fit)
Oxford Heated Grips (Dealer fit)
Puig Engine Protection Bars
To see my preview to this video where I take a walkaround this bike, follow this link - • Kawasaki Vulcan S Perf...
For a review of the Quad Lock kit fitted to this bike including unboxing and fitting, follow this link which also includes a 10% discount link - • Quad Lock Motorcycle M...

[@Angel9932]

Best review of the bike I've found so far. I just picked up a gently used 2018 Vulcan S cafe a few weeks ago with only one previous owner. He replaced the stock lights with all around LEDs, crash bars with highway pegs, locking saddle bags and an aftermarket exhaust. He then proceeded to only put on 5900 miles in four years. I'm not a fan of the exhaust and plan to change out to an Arrow. Aside from that one detail, I've been so happy I traded in my Ryker 900 for the Kawasaki. :)

[@lloydhocking3923]

I've seen most vulcan s videos on here, this is at the top. Enjoyably thorough!

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Thanks Lloyd. There are some awesome content creators on here so your comment is very much appreciated. Very glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻

[@SuperLaplander]

@Jaxx Nash Whats Instagram?

[@walkerlone]

A radiator guard is also a good investment, especially on British roads. Bobbins too of course. You can get them quite cheap on Aliexpress. This is the most thorough review I've watched.

[@cliffmeans6986]

Had the 2020 Vulcan S Cafe, 3 yrs later I'm now riding a 2016 C90 Boulevard BOSS... I miss my Vulcan... 😢

[@tomjones6939]

Thanks for a great ride. Picking my one up this Saturday. Same colour. Cheers from Australia.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Awesome! Glad they are doing the same colour combo somewhere else too 😊 Enjoy it!

[@redduketeleman]

Arriving in 2 weeks with that exhaust plus a backrest....swapped in a Z900 for it as I couldn't get on with 4 cyclinders having run twins for years. Thanks for the review OEB.....it pushed me over the edge...cheers...Red

[@paulkiley4667]

Great video on the Vulcan S. I bought mine new in 2018 in the Lava Orange colours. Bought without a rest ride so a big risk, a risk that paid off massively. What a fantastic bike it is, confidence inspiring and very capable. I had 15 years away from bikes, bought an SV650S (Great bike too) but I found I was in 15 years ago mode! I couldn't take that riding position anymore at 52...so unfortunately it had to go. Interesting you find the seat ok though, mine is horrendous. So much so it's in a local upholsterers being sorted. I've just changed my front pegs to the short setting too, that's due for testing this weekend weather permitting. Overall I'm well happy with the bike that I describe as a sports cruiser and I have no plans to change it.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Hi Paul! I’m glad you enjoyed the video and you like your Vulcan S. The Orange looks awesome. I’d have been tempted if it was available still.

[@richiethemage2646]

Mine came today tourer version. Beautiful.

[@iainbenz1]

Great bit of insight in the Vulcans. Convinced me to get one. Thanks

[@balquidder7920]

Thank you for an excellent review - made more enjoyable as I know the A6 quite well! I'm in the market for one myself just now. On balance (like you) I prefer the Vulcan to the Rebel. Just subscribed!

[@colinclement2752]

Beautiful little town

[@UncleRed]

Having rode my Vulcan S in Matlock, it's a lot of fun. Great vid! Hoping to do a VS get-together in the area when things pick up. :)

[@hugovandermeer1566]

Nicely done. I thought you were going to ride past my house at one point but you went in the opposite direction.👍

[@SuperLaplander]

Very good video. Ive heard that a booster plug helps with the twitchy on/ off throttle. Might pick up a Vulcan S myself. Subbed!

[@leepearce787]

In formative, thank you. Look forward to getting one myself. Thanks mate. Lee.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Hi Lee. I’m glad you found it informative. I tried to give as much information as possible in a manner to help those choosing so glad you found it useful. If you have any further questions, let me know 👍🏻

[@rickyl.colney7489]

Booked the newly launched 2021 Vulcan S BSi & I am eagerly Waiting for it to be delivered by the end of this Month(Sept.2020)

[@ericwalters2347]

First sight of your channel, i own a Harley FXD Dyna Glide , and i had in 1996 a Kawasaki 1100. I enjoyed how you did the 2020 Vulcan S review also loved the length of the review. I pressed the SUBSCRIBE , and a thumbs up.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Thanks for the positive feedback Eric.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Thanks for the positive feedback Eric.

[@grahamireland8028]

great vid. full of info and the bike looks great.. love the colour too..

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Thanks Graham

[@Gaverny]

Beautiful ride and informative, cheers from North Carolina, USA.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Thanks Tyler

[@_Meriwether]

45:16 - the throttle snatch you refer to can be completely eliminated with the Booster Plug aftermarket addon, £135 and well worth it.

[@s8a7m]

Any recommendations for a booster plug for the KVS, please?

[@_Meriwether]

@@s8a7m Head to www.boosterplug.com to see if they have anything for your ride 👍

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Am I right in saying this reduces engine braking too?

[@_Meriwether]

@@theoneeyedbiker2029 Not that I've found - the snatch happens because the bike runs extremely lean at low revs and then picks up (due to Euro4 emissions regs this is what Kawasaki intended), the Booster Plug is like a mini power controller which levels this out. Is there's any loss of engine braking at all, I've not noticed.

[@_Meriwether]

@@theoneeyedbiker2029 I don't have a vid, but my experience is identical to KwakaJohn: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWaamGeGa7VjirM He talks more about the engine struggling at low revs in higher gears - that gets sorted too. The throttle snatch has the same cause.

[@TronciM]

Sounds great, reminds me of a sports tourer

[@saidabimelec8506]

Awesome review. Lovely place to ride too. Thanks.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Thanks Said 👍🏻

[@pjeng1]

It is worth mentioning that Vulcan S has a parallel-twin engine instead of a V-twin design, and therefore, it has very different control riding characteristics. When I go to very light throttle, it gets a slight vibration/shudder. Not really lugging motor and it will accelerate fine. The Vulcan S simply doesn’t like “light throttle “. It likes to be wound out and shifted around 5000 rpm. I wanted to shift at 2000 rpm and ride at 2500 to 3000 rpm and Vulcan S engine doesn’t like that (shudder and vibrate). I now shift at 4500 to 5000 rpm and cruise around 5000 rpm. It just takes some getting used to (for those who used to ride a V-twin bike).

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Indeed it hates being sat under 2000rpm. Kawasaki has done a great job at mapping the engine to make it manageable at 3000rpm region compared to this engine sitting it the Versys or Ninja.

[@saidabimelec8506]

This bike cruises at 3-4k.

[@webmastermail8]

Plenty of knobs on the road there, you had an undertaker and pillocks crossing solid white lines cos they can't wait a couple of seconds.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Indeed. You’ve got to ride for everybody else a lot of the time.

[@bloosepticpsycho7322]

I MIGHT pick this up tomorrow, same colour scheme. This paint scheme oddly reminds me of the old Batman films for some reason 🦇 £8000 for this bike with 3000 miles… RIP my bank account 🥴 let’s find out if I pick it up 💰😅

[@schneecoraxx8689]

about to buy the Vulcan S cafe here in the us. we dont have quite the same color scheme but i like our 3 tone better then the green fog anyways. thanks for the great video

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Glad you enjoyed it Michael

[@Andre_Sant]

Great review! I'm even more decided to get this bike in the next couple of months. I've got a question for you: which engine guards have you installed and how easy were they to install? I'm considering buying a pair too. It's not something I enjoy to see but it may save me future troubles. Thanks

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

They are Puig ones. They’re available on Amazon. It’s a bit fiddly. I watched a YT video of somebody else doing it first. It’s a 20 minute job.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Oh and thanks for the positive feedback too

[@Andre_Sant]

@@theoneeyedbiker2029 thanks for the reply. I'm gonna look for it. 👍

[@Scoottoots]

Nice review. I'm drawn to this bike for some reason. Kind of a sensible, good looking, lean, nimble cruiser, with enough juice. The arrow exhaust does improve the sound quite a bit without being obnoxious. I had two bikes in the garage. I just sold one of them. Now the other is a bit lonely in there ;-)

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Buy it Scott!!! You won’t regret it! 😂👍🏻

[@mstev5956]

What pre load did you go for?

[@smokeydk7712]

I have the gloss black with blue cloud its a Vulcan S SE ...price is $12,500 plus on road costs Australia

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

Howdy sir, are you actually a one-eyed biker? I’m currently losing the sight in my right eye and I’m wondering how it will affect my biking. You cope ok? Looks like you do.

[@NEGZ99]

6'2 tall, almost the same as me with 6`4. However i have to make some changes on my bike, the seat is custom and the pegs are in forward position. Nice video !

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Glad you like the video Luiz.

[@TopshelfJunior]

Started this video...fell asleep and took a nap, woke up 20min later and he was still behind the red car lol.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

🤣

[@DazDiceDH]

Great video . You mentioned that the bike can be adjusted for size, does it cost extra from new to have the bike adjusted for the extended reach? Thanks.

[@persuadedterror925]

Kawasaki adjust them to fit at purchase at no extra cost iirc.

[@DazDiceDH]

@@persuadedterror925 Cheers Paul

[@persuadedterror925]

@@DazDiceDH no problem buddy. Worth stopping in at your local kawa dealer and picking their brains about it

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

There is a cost as the bike comes with the standard fitments. The dealer getting the extra bits in isn’t free. Speak to your local dealer for costs as Paul says.

[@tayebntamam1625]

Have you tried the exhaust for sound by removing the muffler? i have had my vulcan performance for a month (Ebony (blue colour scheme just like the green on yours but blue). Dealer still has not got the exhaust due to backlog so im a bit miffed at that. downsizing from 20 years on a gen1 Vmax. a mate told me the other day this bike looks like the baby brother of the Vmax. Being used to brute power and acceleration of the Vmax, i love taking this vulcan out and throwing it about. its so much fun, and having a fuel guage, range indicator, abs brakes etc is such a handy thing to have. In my vmax i would get to reserve and a red light would come on giving me 10-15 miles to find a filling station. Here is a thought……… since lots of cars have a sports mode….. would Kawasaki ever consider giving this bike an eletronic dual engine setup? standard for cruising (even more torque at low end), and a sports mode that made it function closer to the ninja…..?

[@_Meriwether]

Comparing the Vulcan S to the H-D Street 750 is like comparing a Vulcan S to a fake-gold & chrome encrusted turd.

[@CornishMotorcycleDiaries]

Pleasant video, but could have done with some editing to make it tauter and more like 30 minutes, especially the mid section.

[@henrietn]

Hey man. I just purchased my vulcan s as well. I am 6.2 and weigh 80kg (177lbs). do you still enjoy the mid foot peg controls? As i also plan to install a crash bar, but then the most forward controls can not be used. My inside leg is about 34 inches (87cm). what type crash bar did you install - brand? excellent review btw, subscribed

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

I’m the same size as you. They are Puig crash bars. Always been happy with the standard foot control position.

[@henrietn]

@@theoneeyedbiker2029 thx . the standard / default? because in the clip you mentioned mid foot controls?

[@mikesloan3661]

I've been considering one of these bikes as well. But was concerned about my size. I've sat on one it feels alright. But not sure how my weight would be. I'm 6 foot 2 and 255 pounds.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Hi Mike. I’m the same height as you, just a touch lighter. I think you’ll find it a good fit. Certainly don’t write it off your list.

[@sathishrao7926]

Having ridden 10000 KMs in a year on my Vulcan ( of course prior to the pandemic ), my experience isn’t good with Stock seat and rear suspension. Soft setting of suspension makes the underbelly exhaust scrape almost every speed bump that we have here in India, a harder suspension setting makes me feel there’s no suspension ! The solution I’ve come up with is to use Soft setting along with 2 inch handle bar raisers which effectively raise the ground clearance by 1 inch. Regarding Seat, since no aftermarket seat is available in India, I use Air seat on top of the stock seat..

[@sathishrao7926]

Vulcan : Yes.. You’re not advised to ride the bike with damaged exhaust. I have faced this experience twice while crossing over Speed bumps. First time was in city limits, but second time was in the middle of a 600 KM ride ! Even though my destination of the ride had a Kawasaki Service center, it was still about 250 KM from where the damage happened. I had to cover 250 KM with the damaged exhaust to get it welded !

[@sathishrao7926]

Vulcan : Sorry - Not quite sure about your issue in particular..In my case, the impact created a crack at the junction between muffler and the pipes.. Exhaust smoke (air) was getting leaked out of the crack and the exhaust note was louder than normal.. (Once ‘Check Engine’ light was also on).. I took the picture of the crack, Recorded Audio of the louder exhaust note and sent them to my Kawasaki Service advisor.. He confirmed the damage and advised me to get it repaired as early as I could..

[@sathishrao7926]

Vulcan : No problem.. Good luck !

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

It looks like you’re all sorted on here. It’s not something I’ve experienced with the Arrow exhaust not running under the bike to be honest. I know the seat is a bone of contention for many KVS riders but I find it fine even for long ride outs, but each to their own.

[@michaelnapper4565]

I live in America. Can anyone tell me why the white lines on the road zig zag sometimes?

[@JulAlxAU]

You are coming across a bit muffled. Were you muzzled?

[@travellover3373]

Im into 4:30 and hadn’t seen the featured bike. Did he talk about a bike?

[@kelleymanning1137]

I feel sorry for those of you that live in places that down tune your bikes...that would really suck.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

You only have to downtune a Vulcan S and other bikes if you want to ride them on an A2 licence. If anything it makes the bike accessible to more people. It is a easily reversible process too so if a young rider who only had an A2 does a full A test when old enough they can keep the same bike and get a speed boost! Lol

[@henrietn]

Hey man, how do you feel when doing long rides? +2h like back/legs/schoulders?

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Not bad to be fair. I get stiff in the shoulders at times but that’s me needing to keep looser in general I think.

[@tubedriver009]

You like leaving that left indicator on

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Wrong, I love it. It’s better than sex. Thanks for the feedback 👍🏻☺️❤️

[@Daccio88]

Am I wrong, or the vulcan performance is also taller than the standard one?

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

No it’s the same height.

[@dastinhofman2244]

👍🔥

[@kalnwi2023]

I can see you have two eyes..

[@hazzatux]

A review of the Vulcan S... but here are photos of all these bikes that are not the Vulcan S. Pass.

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

You’ve clearly not watched the whole video. Over 40 minutes of footage is dedicated to the bike. It does state in the title and description the dual purpose of the video. I’m very sorry it doesn’t meet your standards.

[@80jmbrown]

Watches 2 min of a video then starts crying. Classic. Enjoyed the video, all of it. Buying one soon but not soon enough.

[@inn0v8tiv]

That is an ugly color scheme. Love the vulcan s bikes though

[@theoneeyedbiker2029]

Each to their own. There is some lovely new colours for 2021.

[@crumbcake11]

does the exhaust increase performance? or is it just a phrase?