Kawasaki VN1600 (2003 - 2009) review

Long low and covered in chrome, the VN is a beautifully designed piece of kit. Clean lines, curvaceous bodywork, detailed engine, shrouded telescopic forks, and oh-so wide bars. But its all on the minimalist side of overkill, which is nice. The massive engine thrums into life like an Ann Summers’ bestseller with a simple push of the button. Take hold of the fat bars, stomp her into first and head for the sunset. The exhaust note on the standard pipes is loud enough to compliment the thumping 1552cc’s, and idling through town a little blip of the throttle will give that classic note all cruiser riders love to hear.

Although the Classic is incredibly heavy (307 kilos) and takes some time to get used to at slow speed, once on the open road she bursts into life. Slow? I don’t think so. Compared with many of her ‘Cruiser’ brethren, she is no slouch. Any super cruiser that can fire up to 50mph in first, and 90mph in second gear is definitely not slow. The massive 94ft lbs of torque is produced so low down this beast will pull big time from around 40mph in top, leaving all and sundry whimpering in your red and chromed wake.

The seat is brilliant. Wide and thickly padded, with a neat lower lumbar support incorporated to keep your back straight to prevent the usual back ache on longer rides.

Pillion comfort is fairly well catered for too. The pegs are not too high and the rear pad is fairly generous. All that is missing is the obligatory sissy bar, but like any good manufacturer this comes for an extra few bucks. Handling is only minimally affected two up, and the stepped rear pad means they can at least see where you are heading.

Happy trolling the back roads, the VN changes into a nightmare from hell as soon as she sniffs a motorway. Lurching forward with great gusto, she will comfortably sail to 70mph, still leaving plenty of power for top gear overtaking. However, this is where the problems begin.

The bars are so wide that there is no way of tucking anything in to streamline your body once over the legal speed limit. It feels more like a personal test of endurance than a Sunday afternoon cruise. Neck muscles pulse as your head is banged side–to–side, shoulders strain to keep your arms pinned to the grips, and thighs burn from clinging tightly to the tank as you squeeze every last ounce of speed from this iron horse. I managed to reach 110mph, and there was still room for a little more but I would be buggered if I thought my body would do anything other than spontaneously implode if I tried.

Drop below 70, head for the solitude of your favourite A-roads, and it becomes a whole new ball game. The riding position is relaxed and oh-so comfy and the wide bars make it easy to control. The suspension is a little soft but more than competent and the very low center of gravity means she is happy to be slung into relatively fast sweeping corners. Ground clearance is never fantastic on cruisers, but the long hero blobs on the bottom of the foot boards give you plenty of warning of any imminent wipe-out. The well-balanced shaft drive makes for a positive response and has the added bonus of being maintenance free.

The Tokico brakes may only be twin-pots but there are now dual discs to the front and a single on the back. All very necessary for a bike this heavy. A two-finger tug on the front and a dab of the back is enough to bring her to a stop.

A new evolution of the Bridgestone Exedra G700 Series tyres have been used. Designed specifically for large US–style cruisers their aim is to provide high mileage, great wet weather confidence, straight line stability, and with a large edge tread and contact patch there will be (hopefully) good firm grip through corners. For me, they did the job...

Subtle differences are contained inside the brand new low-rider style bodywork. The extra 72cc upgrade from the VN1500 comes by way of a 5mm bigger stroke, with modified fuel injection, cam timing, and peak bhp coming in earlier at around 4,700rpm. This all helps to increase the more instant and smooth power delivery of this very large lump.

The massive fuel tank is mounted with a chrome clock that has all the right info – large speedo, digital odometer, trip meter, clock and fuel gauge. Forget about fuel economy but the 20–litre tank is good enough for 120 miles before both the rider and bike are thirsting for a refill. No need for a rev counter, as let’s face it, you are hardly gonna over-rev this baby, what with cruising at what feels like 3000rpm all day long. Just kick back and enjoy...

The controls are user friendly. Easy to reach, basic and straightforward. The key is removable from the chrome ignition switch so you don’t scratch the lovely chrome surround. Kawasaki already has a vast array of bolt–on goodies to personalise the VN, including luggage, chrome covers, and sissy bars.

Long low and covered in chrome, the VN is a beautifully designed piece of kit. Clean lines, curvaceous bodywork, detailed engine, shrouded telescopic forks, and oh-so wide bars. But its all on the minimalist side of overkill, which is nice. The massive engine thrums into life like an Ann Summers’ bestseller with a simple push of the button. Take hold of the fat bars, stomp her into first and head for the sunset. The exhaust note on the standard pipes is loud enough to compliment the thumping 1552cc’s, and idling through town a little blip of the throttle will give that classic note all cruiser riders love to hear.

Although the Classic is incredibly heavy (307 kilos) and takes some time to get used to at slow speed, once on the open road she bursts into life. Slow? I don’t think so. Compared with many of her ‘Cruiser’ brethren, she is no slouch. Any super cruiser that can fire up to 50mph in first, and 90mph in second gear is definitely not slow. The massive 94ft lbs of torque is produced so low down this beast will pull big time from around 40mph in top, leaving all and sundry whimpering in your red and chromed wake.

The seat is brilliant. Wide and thickly padded, with a neat lower lumbar support incorporated to keep your back straight to prevent the usual back ache on longer rides.

Pillion comfort is fairly well catered for too. The pegs are not too high and the rear pad is fairly generous. All that is missing is the obligatory sissy bar, but like any good manufacturer this comes for an extra few bucks. Handling is only minimally affected two up, and the stepped rear pad means they can at least see where you are heading.

Happy trolling the back roads, the VN changes into a nightmare from hell as soon as she sniffs a motorway. Lurching forward with great gusto, she will comfortably sail to 70mph, still leaving plenty of power for top gear overtaking. However, this is where the problems begin.

The bars are so wide that there is no way of tucking anything in to streamline your body once over the legal speed limit. It feels more like a personal test of endurance than a Sunday afternoon cruise. Neck muscles pulse as your head is banged side–to–side, shoulders strain to keep your arms pinned to the grips, and thighs burn from clinging tightly to the tank as you squeeze every last ounce of speed from this iron horse. I managed to reach 110mph, and there was still room for a little more but I would be buggered if I thought my body would do anything other than spontaneously implode if I tried.

Drop below 70, head for the solitude of your favourite A-roads, and it becomes a whole new ball game. The riding position is relaxed and oh-so comfy and the wide bars make it easy to control. The suspension is a little soft but more than competent and the very low center of gravity means she is happy to be slung into relatively fast sweeping corners. Ground clearance is never fantastic on cruisers, but the long hero blobs on the bottom of the foot boards give you plenty of warning of any imminent wipe-out. The well-balanced shaft drive makes for a positive response and has the added bonus of being maintenance free.

The Tokico brakes may only be twin-pots but there are now dual discs to the front and a single on the back. All very necessary for a bike this heavy. A two-finger tug on the front and a dab of the back is enough to bring her to a stop.

A new evolution of the Bridgestone Exedra G700 Series tyres have been used. Designed specifically for large US–style cruisers their aim is to provide high mileage, great wet weather confidence, straight line stability, and with a large edge tread and contact patch there will be (hopefully) good firm grip through corners. For me, they did the job...

Subtle differences are contained inside the brand new low-rider style bodywork. The extra 72cc upgrade from the VN1500 comes by way of a 5mm bigger stroke, with modified fuel injection, cam timing, and peak bhp coming in earlier at around 4,700rpm. This all helps to increase the more instant and smooth power delivery of this very large lump.

The massive fuel tank is mounted with a chrome clock that has all the right info – large speedo, digital odometer, trip meter, clock and fuel gauge. Forget about fuel economy but the 20–litre tank is good enough for 120 miles before both the rider and bike are thirsting for a refill. No need for a rev counter, as let’s face it, you are hardly gonna over-rev this baby, what with cruising at what feels like 3000rpm all day long. Just kick back and enjoy...

The controls are user friendly. Easy to reach, basic and straightforward. The key is removable from the chrome ignition switch so you don’t scratch the lovely chrome surround. Kawasaki already has a vast array of bolt–on goodies to personalise the VN, including luggage, chrome covers, and sissy bars.