As this is looking mighty tempting for £6k...

 

http://www.motorcyclesdirect.co.uk/road-bikes/kawasaki/cruiser/bike/bike/kawasaki-vn900-custom/

Not seen one before tbh.

It is a 900, but only puts out 48ps. So good for those on a restricted licence.

Wonder if thats why its come along? To fill that market?

My mate went from a ZX-6R (636) to a brand new one of those a year or so ago, he really liked it and was more suited for 2 up weekend cruising etc. But some doctor turned into him and wrecked it. He now has a BMW......... 

Hi I went to Riders in Bristol to buy a new VN900, they did not have a new demonstrator I could use but they had taken one in which was showing just 4k miles that I could ride.

I took it out and was very disappointed, it was gutless, the foot boards dragged on roundabouts and it had vibrations of Harley shovel proportions. My old bike is also a vee twin it aced the VN in every respect so I took my money home and put it back in the bank. The VN 900 looks the part but is rough, flat and boring to ride in my honest opinion.

Hi I went to Riders in Bristol to buy a new VN900, they did not have a new demonstrator I could use but they had taken one in which was showing just 4k miles that I could ride.

I took it out and was very disappointed, it was gutless, the foot boards dragged on roundabouts and it had vibrations of Harley shovel proportions. My old bike is also a vee twin it aced the VN in every respect so I took my money home and put it back in the bank. The VN 900 looks the part but is rough, flat and boring to ride in my honest opinion.

What was your old bike? As a comparison?

Not seen one before tbh.

It is a 900, but only puts out 48ps. So good for those on a restricted licence.

Wonder if thats why its come along? To fill that market?

How the heck do they only get 50bhp out of a 900? Last thing I had with that sized engine and amount of power was a D reg fiat panda.

How the heck do they only get 50bhp out of a 900? Last thing I had with that sized engine and amount of power was a D reg fiat panda.

Its probably got a nice smooth torque curve which starts low down.

Plus under stressed engines are the cruiser style.

Look at a Harley, about 1600cc and about 80-90bhp. Its all about the low down torque they reckon. I've been on a couple. Redline at 5k revs, chug along, rather like a diesel.

But yeah, it wont be fast by any means. Just wont have to rev it much for the power it has got. Which isnt much.

My mate went from a ZX-6R (636) to a brand new one of those a year or so ago, he really liked it and was more suited for 2 up weekend cruising etc. But some doctor turned into him and wrecked it. He now has a BMW......... 

Was chatting to said mate this afternoon and asked more about his thoughts on the VN....... Rear drum and front only a single disc he said with the weight of the thing despite lack of power it was not enough braking force for his liking and he had one moment with a dear running out that wouldn't have been as close on any other bike he's had. Had he kept it he would have upgraded the front brakes to twin disc, but that aside liked it. Engine vibration was an issue over a few Kawasaki models not least the Zed's but was sorted late 2011/early 2012 with a revision. 

Hi  I have been lucky to have owned odd an varied collection of bikes and I have ridden all kinds of bikes for the last 34 years. I do tend to go for unusual machines.

The test drive I took on the VN 900 was disappointing for a modern new bike designed for 2015.

 

I had ridden up on an old 1992 Honda PC800 Pacific Coast with 35 k miles on the clock.

It is covered in plastic and people think it is a large scooter because it has a built in boot. ( think front end of a Pan European ST1100, the side view of a 1200 wing for small people and the rear end of a Honda Accord.   But under the skin it is a direct comparison for the new bike I contemplated buying.

 

The PC 800 is a 799cc water cooled vee twin six speed motor cycle which is shaft drive. It has twin CBR Disc brakes up front and a drum brake on the rear, Hydraulic clutch, Hydraulic tappets and self adjusting cam chain. Anti dive front suspension, anti vibration balance shaft in the rubber mounted engine with two spark plugs per cylinder. It has a long wheel base yet still can be thrown through bends with some aplomb and this was first brought out in 1989.  So on paper the VN 900 is very close in power, length and seat height, obviously it has the "street cred" of being a street chop or cruiser depending on the model chosen.

 

The VN 900 struggled at low speeds due to the engine vibration, handle bar type and footrest position, but that is the style of the bike.   Power was down compared to the PC and the vibes became annoying to the point of making both hands ache and the mirrors become useless. At higher speeds the bends you would take without thinking about suddenly found the foot boards digging in on both sides and when using the brakes one had to re think stopping distances as they lacked bite and faded.  The narrow section front tyre followed tramline irregularities in the road and the vee twin failed to give the low end kick in the pants expected. The "little" Harley Sporster is the same money and that is a better bike than the VN900. But I kept my money and the old PC800.  

 

Ride safe but have fun.