Log on to the Kawasaki India website and you will spot a teaser of what appears to be their 650-cc cruiser, the Vulcan S, hinting at a launch sometime in the following weeks. Kawasaki India’s current portfolio boasts of a machine for almost every type of rider and now it looks like the cruiser-folk are next in line for a treat.

 

The butch-looking cruiser is equipped with ample styling quotients that give the motorcycle a retro look that is balanced by contemporary elements as well. The motorcycle’s menacing stance is owed partly to the tubular diamond steel frame. Suspension duties at the front are handled by a 41-mm telescopic fork while the rear is managed by an offset Horizontal Back-link unit. Stopping power comes from a single disc at either end with the security of ABS.

 

Beneath all the glamour is the 650-cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that we have seen in the Ninja 650, the Z650, and the Versys 650. However, in the Vulcan S it produces 61 PS at 7,500 rpm and a peak torque of 63 Nm at 6,600 rpm; all of which is managed by a six-speed gearbox. The fuel tank has a 14-litre capacity and the motorcycle weighs 229 kg. If priced between five to six lakh (ex-showroom, India), the Vulcan S could make an interesting stand in the middleweight cruiser market in India and go up against the likes of the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and the Hyosung GV650 Aquila Pro.

UPDATE: Kawasaki Vulcan S launched in India at Rs 5.44 lakh

Story: Joshua Varghese