The Kawasaki Vulcan S - Breaking Boundaries Build-Off

Held deep in San Pedro, California the Kawasaki Breaking Boundaries Build-Off sought to find the creative potential of the company's Vulcan S cruiser in the design-happy hands of four separate outlets/shops: RideApart, Austin Speed Shop, Iron and Air Magazine, and Tracker-Die.

If you don’t know much about the Kawasaki Vulcan S, it's a cruiser built around the company’s popular 649cc engine available in their Ninja and Versys, but specially tuned to provide better low-end and mid-range torque profiles.

READ MORE: Kawasaki Vulcan S Specs | RideApart

The Build-Off's Beginnings

Emcee for the evening and PR Manager + Brand Experience for Kawasaki Motor Corp. USA, Kevin Allen, explained that the Breaking Boundaries Build-Off was first conceived in the Kawasaki marketing department as a fun experiment for the Vulcan S.

The Vulcan S is a fairly affordable cruiser that comes in just under $8,000 and has the potential to serve as a promising platform for customization. What better way to see what could be done with the Vulcan S than to give it to a few folks eager to cut some metal and twist a wrench?

Intrigue Under the Sheets

Under each individual veil, each Vulcan S possessed very different profiles very different from the stock version.

The Builds, Unveiled

The Austin Speed Shop Kawasaki Vulcan S Custom

• Two Brothers Competition 2-1 Exhaust

• ProTaper high rise ATV bars for a tracker look

• Battery - Shorai Ultra Light Lithium

• Upholstery - Mario’s on South 1st Diamond Stitch Design

• Tail Lights - Vintage Dash Light with LED internals

• Grips - Motorcross Style grips

• Tail Section - 1” O.D. Tubing shaped includes custom oval seat section with wiring routed through tubing.

• Rear Sets - Relocated 10” rearward

• Headlight - Hella LED 6”, 18 watt 1080 lumen bulb

• Electrical - Wires minimized to clean up appearance. All connections soldered and heat shrinked for a cleaner look.

• Battery box custom fabricated

RideApart Kawasaki Vulcan S Flat Tracker

• Anaheim rod and custom paint

• Wheels - Retro KZ1000 cast, and anodized

• Front Suspension - Ninja

• Swingarm - Ninja 650

• Pegs - Biltwell

• Handlebars - Biltwell

• Tires - Metezler Lasertech

• Battery relocation

• Custom seat designed by RideApart and built by Al's Upholstery

• Mid-control mounts by RideApart

• Custom Exhaust

Track-er Die Kawasaki Vulcan S Dirt Tracker

• Full custom paint job by paint by Bondo.

• Tires -Pirelli MT60rS

• Custom fabricated gauge mount.

• Custom headlight fabrication set up

• Machined solid riser bushings

• 6” Gordo risers by Biltwel

• Contour handlebars by Pro Taper

• Levers and perch by ASV

• Hand guards by Acerbis

• Full exhaust system by two brothers racing

• Suspension by Progressive

• Reshaped and covered seat by The Seat Guy

• Internal wiring through handlebars to clean up the look

Iron and Air Vulcan SS

• Drag style handlebars

• Foot controls- moved rearward, return revised for more aggressive seating position

• Café tail - fender and struts swapped out, but retains the stock taillight return modified shock mounts increase the ride height.

• Custom-made tank - to raise the visual line of the bike and give it a more “Kawasaki” look.

• Two-tone gloss and flat black paint scheme with Kawasaki green pinstripe.

AND THE WINNER IS....

Based on votes tallied on-site. The winner of the Breaking Boundaries Build-Off is....The RideApart Vulcan S Flat Tracker!
READ MORE: The Kawasaki Vulcan S Riding Impressions - From a Small-Fry Beginner Rider | RideApart

Congrats to our Senior Editor Jesse Kaiser for putting together a winning build!

Because I was going to write a brief article, I abstained from voting. However, if pressed, deciding which of these bikes was my favorite turned out to be difficult. In the end, if I had to live with one in my own garage, I would run the Vulcan SS by the Iron and Air boys because it fit me. I’m a bit of a sucker for comfort and a little cafe styling. I do really love the scrambler pipe and that high seat on Jesse's build, and the weirdness of the Austin Speed Shop and Track-er Die bikes. Great builds all around.

Which bike is YOUR favorite?

READ MORE: The Kawasaki Vulcan S Motorcycle Build | RideApart

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