Faults:

Carburetor got clogged up. Ran Seafoam a few times and the issues went away. Carburetor issues later returned, and stopped running. Turns over but will not start.

When it ran it backfired a lot and at times would not idle.

Changed air filter and installed new spark plugs. Changed oil and oil filter as a precaution.

Battery died turning over trying to get started. Replaced the battery with a lithium battery.

Carburetor looks or seems too complicated to remove and rebuild or disassemble and clean. Seems like a lot could go wrong removing the carburetor to repair.

Don’t know what to do. Not happy I only got to drive the motorcycle for 500 miles before it became incapacitated.

General Comments:

When the motorcycle ran well it was quick, fast, and powerful for a 500cc. Handled great with its lightweight design and I felt I could drive anywhere on it.

I liked the cruiser appearance of it and the ninja 500 engine sound.

Could be a great motorcycle, but wish the carburetors were designed better to not clog up, incapacitate the motorcycle, and wish the carburetors were far more easier to remove or service.

Faults:

Nothing, starts right up and runs every time. The carburetors likely need cleaned. There is some acceleration hesitation when the engine is cold or not fully warmed up, but the throttle kicks in and the bike takes off.

General Comments:

The bike runs great overall and is nimble to handle. Not too heavy either. I chose this used Vulcan EN500 for $2,000 rather than a newer Vulcan S 650 to save a few bucks.

The seat was a bit uncomfortable for the first few rides, but I have adapted to it and have no complaints now.

It’s not the fastest bike, but has plenty of pep and juice for a 500cc engine. I ride casually and leisurely when the weather permits, and I was looking for a low profile bike that wasn’t too heavy.

There is plenty of acceleration to get on the highway and pass traffic, but given the lighter weight and smaller size of the bike it doesn’t exactly feel stable at highway speeds with the wind. Vibration is not an issue, just the wind. It’s probably a better cruiser for around town, city, country roads, and back roads. Maybe it takes some getting used to on the highway.

The fuel economy is good but not exceptional overall. I was running it hard with a lot of stop and go travel, and got around 50 MPG with a heavy throttle.

I climbed some long mountain hill roads with no problem and got it up to 70 mph with ease and more to go.

Turning and handling on windy roads has been no problem. It handles comfortably.

I think the bike is great for being a 500cc. It has power when you need it but it is not intimidating nor dangerous.

Faults:

Seat bolt vibrated loose, and now lost.

I returned it to the dealer about a week later, because it was backfiring. I even told the mechanic; that the service book says it's more than likely a loose battery. They jacked the carburator, took two days, and said it was fixed. Lie.

So I took it to another Kawasaki dealer. It took the guy 10 minutes to fix it; now it's the carbs going dry at the wrong time.