Buyer’s view
VN 2000 vs Vulcan 1600 & 1700
The question buyers ask most: how much bigger is the 2000? Here it is side-by-side. Notably, the 2000 is the largest yet has the lowest seat.
.jpg)
Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 — the VN 2000’s smaller stablemate (size comparison)
order_242 from Chile · CC BY-SA 2.0
| Metric | Vulcan 1600 1552 cc 50° V-twin, 2002–2008. The lighter mid-big cruiser. | Vulcan 1700 1700 cc SOHC 52° V-twin, 6-speed, 2009–present. The modern successor. | Vulcan 2000 2053 cc 52° V-twin, 2004–2010. The flagship — biggest and heaviest. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Displacementsrc: Wikipedia — Kawasaki Vulcan | 1552 cc | 1700 cc | 2053 cc |
| Enginesrc: Wikipedia — Kawasaki Vulcan | 50° V-twin, SOHC | 52° V-twin, SOHC | 52° V-twin, SOHC |
| Transmissionsrc: Wikipedia — Kawasaki Vulcan | 5-speed | 6-speed | 5-speed |
| Seat heightsrc: VulcanForums — physical size difference 1600 / 1700 / 2000src: Vikingbags — Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 (VN2000): Detailed Specs The 2000 has the lowest seat of the three despite being the largest bike. | ≈700 mm | ≈730 mm | ≈680 mm |
| Wheelbasesrc: VulcanForums — physical size difference 1600 / 1700 / 2000 1600/1700 wheelbase approximate; the 2000 is the longest. | ≈1665 mm | ≈1665 mm | ≈1735 mm |
| Overall lengthsrc: VulcanForums — physical size difference 1600 / 1700 / 2000src: MotorcycleSpecs.co.za — Kawasaki VN2000 (2006) 1600/1700 lengths approximate. | ≈2500 mm | ≈2510 mm | 2535 mm |
| Weightsrc: VulcanForums — physical size difference 1600 / 1700 / 2000src: Vikingbags — Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 (VN2000): Detailed Specssrc: MotorcycleSpecs.co.za — Kawasaki VN2000 (2006) Weights mix dry/wet across sources — compare cautiously. | ≈306 kg dry | ≈345 kg wet | 332 kg dry |
Biggest engine
At 2053 cc the VN 2000 dwarfs the 1552 cc 1600 and 1700 cc 1700 — it’s all about low-rpm torque.
Lowest seat
Despite its size, the ~680 mm seat is the lowest of the three, making it surprisingly approachable at a standstill.
Heaviest & longest
The longest wheelbase and most mass mean stable highway cruising but more effort in tight, slow manoeuvres.
Some 1600/1700 figures are approximate and mix dry/wet weights across sources — treat cross-model weight differences as indicative. See the full VN 2000 spec tables →.