Based on the 1400, the 1500...
Based on the 1400, the 1500 gets a fresh top-end and a much heavier bike to push.
KAWASAKI
Pick a decade from your life, and Kawasaki probably has a Vulcan 1500 to take you back to it.
The original big Vulcan, the 1500 Vulcan 88, was a bike of the 1980s. The hulking, liquid-cooled, 50-degree engine was mated to four speeds, shaft drive and unmistakably Japanese-cruiser styling -- clearly a product of the era when Japanese firms were making their first forays into V cruisers.
With its wide, comfortable style and Americanized proportions, the Vulcan 1500 Classic had the look of a top-shelf bike from the 1950s. The Nomad (not included in this comparison) added bags and a windshield to evoke the 1960s, when Americans were falling in love with the open road.
The chopperesque seat of the...
The chopperesque seat of the 1400 is a short-ride proposition.
The new Vulcan 1500 Drifter is drawn in the luxurious, streamlined style of the 1940s, highlighted by its deep fenders with their French-curve lines.
However, although the styling seems to be regressing to even earlier eras, the technology has been evolving steadily. The same basic, liquid-cooled, 1470cc engine -- which features a chain-driven overhead camshaft atop each cylinder's four hydraulically adjusted valves -- powers all three of the models tested here but each one is unique. When this engine was rolled out in 1987 to power the Vulcan 88 (or 1500A) it had two 36mm carbs and 9.0:1 compression. With two carbs, both exhaust pipes protruded from the fronts of their cylinders, and somewhat awkward oval airboxes hung toward the front of the engine. The rest of the Vulcan 88 styling was a little bit lumpy also, no matter which of the two versions you looked at. Although the 88SE version was eventually discontinued, the original Vulcan sold well enough for Kawasaki to keep it in production all these years.
The 1500's under-seat tank...
The 1500's under-seat tank keeps weight low but could use more capacity.
The Classic was rolled out for 1996. The same basic engine with its single-pin crankshaft and vibration-canceling counterbalancer was employed, but it had been reconfigured with a single 40mm carb, lower (8.55:1) compression, milder cams and an exhaust system that exited the front of the front cylinder and the rear of the rear cylinder. The pipes were one component in the Classic's cleaner, longer, lower, wider style that made it an instant hit. The Classic started out with four speeds but a five-speed was introduced for 1998. The chassis was completely different than the Vulcan 88's, and it was a huge leap forward for the designers. Fat fork legs, wide wire wheels, tank-top instruments, floorboards, broad fenders with pretty curves and classic American proportions all helped to make the 1500 Classic an immediate success.
The new limited-production Drifter hit showrooms in March with a fresh take on traditional, American styling. The Drifter's frame is similar to the Classic's but with a stiffer front section derived from the Nomad. The fenders, which some identify with flagship Indian models of the 1940s, are its most apparent cosmetic feature. To maintain the profile of those hardtail bikes, the fender mounts to the swingarm where it can hug the tire. Many of the components that would be chrome on the Classic are blacked-out on the Drifter. It has a smaller-diameter multireflector headlight, black air shocks (with adjustable damping) and a fishtail muffler capping the 2-into-1 exhaust system. (The muffler design permits owners to change the tip.) The dual saddle is cantilevered to imitate the sprung solo saddles of big midcentury motorcycles (solo saddles are optional).Although the rest of the bike is retro, the engine takes a step toward the future with fuel injection. The fuel-injector body replaces the Classic's single carb and feeds the cylinders through two 36mm throats. The engineers also bumped the compression back up to 9.0:1 and used the hotter cam timing of the original Vulcan 88. First-year buyers will be sent a boxed kit which includes a top handlebar clamp with their name and the bike's serial number engraved into it, an owner's certificate, a key fob and a video. We can hardly wait to see what Kawasaki has in store for the 1970s.
SUZUKI
When the Intruder 1400 made its debut, early in 1987, it was something of a revelation. Here, in real steel, was proof a Japanese motorcycle company could sculpt a cruiser to American tastes. The lines were original but still based on the chopperesque style of an American custom. And it was clean -- with wiring and cables tucked out of sight, unnecessary gadgets discarded and, for a few months, the biggest V-twin on the planet tucked under its peanut-sized tank. Coming as it did on the heels of Suzuki's ill-fated Madura V-4, it was a welcome surprise.
The 1360cc engine powering this rolling work of art was a 45-degree V-twin, its vibration checked by a pair of offset crankpins, their offset chosen to subdue vibration while providing a pleasing cadence. This gave the balance of a smooth 90-degree design. The engine is air/oil-cooled, with one exhaust and two intake valves per cylinder. Single overhead cams and hydraulic adjusters actuate the valves. Each cylinder has its own 36mm carb positioned behind it with the exhaust pipes exiting the front and running down either side of the distinctly narrow motorcycle. Originally, a four-speed transmission was used, but a five-speed was fitted in 1997. A shaft final drive completes power delivery to the rear wheel.
Slim was in when the Intruder 1400 was being designed, and despite a few minor styling changes over the years it retains that narrow, chopped look. The tank accommodates only 3.4 gallons and the slender, stepped saddle terminates in a short, but welcome, passenger backrest. A narrow 19-inch wire wheel, stopped by a single disc, points the way up in front with a fat 15-incher squatting out back.
Later versions of Victory's...
Later versions of Victory's engine use the same basic design but have more power and a better finish.
By the time the Intruder 1500 LC was introduced in '98, fat was where it was at. To get the wide, comfortable style cruiser buyers sought, Suzuki kept little except the layout of the shafts in its V-twin engine and the three-valve cylinder-head layout. Bore and stroke were increased to yield 1462cc and compression was dropped slightly. Both carbs were located together between the 1500's cylinders, and both pipes exited on the right side. The crankshaft's mass was increased for more flywheel effect, and the 1500 got five speeds and shaft final drive. Much of the drivetrain was beefed up to handle the added weight and power, and new, wider cases and covers were used.
Those two carbs needed a big airbox to get the volume of air required to make the power Suzuki sought, so most of the space normally occupied by the fuel tank was consumed by the airbox. The 4.1-gallon fuel tank was relocated under the seat. The tank had to be fairly wide which made the entire bike quite broad in the beam.
The seat, fenders, dummy tank, cast wheels (16-inch front, 15-inch rear), covered fork legs, 7.5-inch headlight and engine cases are all fat, even in this chubby crowd. Floorboards and tank-top instruments (speedometer, warning lights and an LCD odometer that now includes a fuel-level function) complete the Intruder's transition from chopper-flavored custom of the '80s to big, luxurious classic cruiser of the '90s.