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Driving report new Kawasaki cruiser
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Humming along on low stalls with outstretched limbs and looking good doing it – the Kawasaki choppers VN 1500 Classic, VN 800 Classic and EN 500 are vehicles for escaping from the hectic pace of everyday life.
The German importer sees the new Kawasaki models as choppers, on the US market they are presented as cruisers. If we try to find a compromise, we categorize the VN 1500 Classic, VN 800 Classic and EN 500 as choppers that are excellent for cruising.
The flagship VN 1500 is the most convincing master of the casual way of strolling along. With your buttocks resting on the soft, wide, low seat cushion, your feet on the spacious running boards, your knees relaxed against the expansive tank, your hands relaxed on the broad, curved handlebars – it seems like “What does the world cost?” -Feeling one. Dark thoughts about the enormous mass that spreads between the thickly rubberized 16-inch wheels fly away as soon as the 1.5-liter engine has set the 300 kilogram load in motion. Thanks to the soft start of power at the lowest engine speed – the result of increased centrifugal masses and smoother control times – turning maneuvers are possible in tight spaces without the magic of the clutch and – without prejudice to the possibly record-breaking wheelbase – without tilting or footing. And when the six quintals are brought to a stop, the low center of gravity and sitting position pays off: the machine can stand upright almost by itself and can be easily balanced even with flyweights.
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Driving report new Kawasaki cruiser
Detente policy
VN 1500 Classic in a particularly pure form. Your fourth (and last) gear is in constant use, only the throttle hand controls the speed. Merrily babbling and with sophisticated running culture, the engine surrounds itself with the aura of the indestructible endurance runner, for which there is no stopping even beyond the horizon. This calms you down and gives you the leisure to surrender to the enjoyment of the passing scenery or to take a look at the glittering world of the tank console and lamp pot every now and then.
The VN 1500 Classic happily laces over dead straight highways, obediently it swings into fast bends, lamb-piously and without tilting it circles tight bends. Dealing with the gentle giant is of course not a game without limits. The VN counteracts approaches of a sporty pace before bends with its poorly controllable, weak front brake, in bends with hard footboards. But her sovereignty as a space glider is also shaken when she gets bad road surfaces under her thick rubber soles. Their unwillingness to make a contribution to absorbing shocks clearly detracts from driving comfort: short, hard shocks hardly penetrate in a milder way. The VN 1500 also has its problems with longitudinal grooves. The wide front tire plays afterwards and must first give itself and the machine a jolt before it goes with a delay on the targeted course.
A characteristic that the VN 15 shares with the VN 800 Classic, which also has a large (front) foot. The images are also the same in terms of ride comfort: On a cross-ribbed surface, the 800 unabashedly beats the defenseless crew.
The smaller Classic levels larger bumps a little better than the VN 15, which does not change the fact that it clearly favors the sunny side of the road network. There, of course, it stages itself with significantly greater dynamism, which it creates from the bottom of its engine block. The 800 engine shows itself to be in a good mood in all situations. Enlarged centrifugal masses round its course with leisurely action, while the comparatively small individual cubic capacities – if it is required – enable a higher speed level. The VN 800 Classic is able to play the leisurely, high-torque strollers on the one hand, but on the other hand also to show that performance is ultimately drawn from revs. This results in two modes of operation: Either lazy shifting à la VN 1500 – albeit not quite as confidently – or racing courageously from curve to curve using the five-speed gearbox. The first one is seduced by the relaxed seating position inherited from the 1500s (even if implemented with rests instead of running boards), the second by the clean, flowing corridors and the lightheartedness of the lower live weight, which has a positive effect on the ease of handling.
Because the VN 800 also has problems with the lean angle, the braking system in dynamic mode deserves increased attention: It also only has one disc in the front wheel, but it is easy to dose and gripping enough to make the tire whimper. The 800 series has no advantages due to its chain drive compared to the card-driven 1500 series: here and there, no unpleasant load change reactions, no annoying play in the drive train.
The third and smallest in the league, the EN 500, promises easy play: around 30 percent lighter, but only a good 25 percent weaker – there would have to be light-footed handling and efficient propulsion. Yes and no. The comparatively low mass actually ensures less inertia in the event of abrupt changes in direction, despite the long caster of the front wheel, and the narrow, 19-inch front tire also benefits the steering precision. The energetic acceleration at moderate speeds, which is so valued by choppers and cruisers, is not that far away. Although the engine has received more guts in the lower speed range due to more subdued control times and a heavier crank drive, little of this is noticeable in practice: the short-stroke parallel twin needs to be agitated, the six-speed gearbox needs to be agitated vigorously when it needs to go forward properly. Objectively, the driving performance may be appropriate, subjectively – especially in comparison with the two larger displacement hummers – the little one looks pretty smooth.
The spatial conditions on board reinforce the impression that the EN 500 was a size too small. The narrower tank between the knees and the more compact triangle seat-footrest-handlebars underline that the EN plays in a different league than the two Classic models.
The EN chassis, which is based on a completely redesigned frame, is above serious criticism. The machine runs neatly in a straight line, can be thrown in an unconstrained position, its single disc brake ensures deceleration rates befitting of its standing. The suspension elements are a little more appealing than those of the two large cruisers, but comfort on streets riddled with small nasty things is not far off either.
The exterior of the EN 500 reveals that a little attention was paid to the money when choosing the makeup. Although there is no shortage of chrome-plated parts, it does not exude the glamor that the Classic models exude. They sparkle with engine housing lids that have been elaborately polished to a high gloss, with perfectly executed two-tone paintwork, their chrome has that little bit more depth – then the cleaning hour turns into a relaxation policy.
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