The VN750, also known as the Vulcan 750, is a 750 cc class

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

-style

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

made by Kawasaki from 1985 to 2006. The Vulcan 750 was Kawasaki's first cruiser and first

V-twin engine A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. Although widely associated with motorcycles (installed either transversely or longi ...

, introduced in late 1984 as the 1985 model.

Production history

Kawasaki introduced the 750 cc class Vulcan worldwide in 1985. Due to tariff restrictions in the United States on bikes over 700 cc imported from Japan, the initial US spec model was limited to 699 cc and called the Kawasaki Vulcan 700. The tariff was lifted in 1986, and all bikes from then until the production run ended in 2006 were 749 cc. The US name was changed to Vulcan 750 to reflect this.

Overview

The VN750 remained largely unchanged throughout its 22-year production run with only minor adjustments to the components and varying paint schemes. The VN750 was unique in its class by featuring a more reliable

shaft drive A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...

usually found on larger cruisers. The motorcycle also featured a liquid-cooled

DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...

V-twin engine producing 66 horsepower and 47 ft-lbs of torque. Notably, the torque curve is quite flat, producing high torque throughout most of the rpm range. And, the engine was underrated and commonly produced 8-10% more than the advertised power during dynamometer testing. . The bike was configured to support an upright riding position with a king/queen seat and a factory installed

sissy bar A sissy bar, also called a "sister bar" or "passenger backrest" is an addition to the rear of a bicycle or motorcycle that allows the rider or passenger to recline against it while riding. Alternatively it can serve as an anchor point or support ...

. The VN750 also featured adjustable air shocks front and rear, with Showa 4-way valving on the rear.

References

Vulcan 750 Cruiser motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1985 {{motorcycle-stub