Suzuki Intruder 800 vs Kawasaki Vulcan 900

I looked for a comparison I posted in August 2009 when I upgraded from my bought-new 2006 C50 to a 2007 900LT with 3K, but the search only goes back to summer of '10.

I'll try my memory. 2006 C50 with OEM saddle bags and Memphis fats windshield vs 2007 VN900LT:
Lighting--headlight is better on C50. C50 the side reflector mounts on C50 are rinky-dink; they're on bent zinc plated sheet steel, while the side reflectors on the VN look like they were planned.
Guages--a wash; C50 has two trip meters and a two stage low fuel light. 900 has a fuel guage, but at least on older models requires a resister mod to be really useful.
Switches--C50 has high beam flash button and 4 way flashers; VN900 has neither.
Styling--PERSONAL OPINION ONLY--C50 is dated (as of a few years ago), 900 is still classic, but with modern undertones.
Fuel tank--900, 5.3 gallons (4.9 usable), C50 4 gallons. 'Nuf sed.
Fuel economy--a wash, with mid 40's on both, overall.
Range--900 goes 25% farther because of larger tank.
Seat comfort--a wash, neither is good, IMHO. I tried OEM gel and Mustang on the VN, but wound up putting a Utopia backrest on the VN stock seat, and that gives me positioning options.
Optional and aftermarket stuff--a wash I think. 900 has caught up a lot in the past two years.
Vibration--much more comfortable on 900. VN has single pin, counterbalanced, rubber mounted engine, C50 has two pin crank, rigid (I think) mounted. I can see out of the mirrors on my VN at any steady speed up to at least 80. That wasn't true on C50.
Perceived power--IMHO, a little better on VN.
Exhaust note on stock pipes--a little deeper and slightly louder on VN.
Gearing options--a wash. Pulleys available for VN, but C90 final drive will adapt to C50. There was a company that did the final drive mods and sold the unit as a DJ drive for about $550, that decreased engine RPM about 14% as I recall. Front and rear pulleys for VN cost about $600, with about a 13% speed change, as I recall.
Balance--more natural for me on the VN. I can ride for miles with no hands on the VN, couldn't do that on the C50.
Handling, twisties--a wash.
Handling, freeway--900 is comfortable at any freeway speed I've ridden, including 80 mph true on Utah freeways. On the C50, freeways were miserable, and the main reason I moved away from the C50.
Reliability--C50 is a shaft drive, VN has a belt. I don't know how many miles folks are getting on their drive belts. The C50 power plant has been in production for much longer than the VN900, first in their Volusia, which was carbureted. It's pretty much bulletproof. VN is in its sixth production year, with the only recurring complaint being about the stator. 900 just doesn't and can't have the accumulated history of the Suzuki 800 engine. A few on this board, though, have reported 40K miles on their 900's with no trouble.
Ease of maintenance--Nod to VN. Gimme the valve shims any day, over the teeny tiny impossible to get your hands into stud-and-locknut system on C50. The 15K mile service interval on the 900 valves is a plus, also.

Overall--I put 12K miles in a little over two years on C50, and was past ready for a change. I hated every freeway mile I put on the C50. I've put 14K on the VN900LT, including a 3000 mile road trip from Washington to Arizona and back, and I'm quite content. The guy I went to AZ with rode a Honda 1100 Shadow, and ditched it shortly after we got back and bought--you guessed it--a VN900LT. I'm not shopping, and I'm looking forward to the next 14K on the VN.

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r/MotoUK

Posted by

Suzuki Intruder M800

7 years ago

Archived

I've read some articles that suggest the 800 has better suspension but the 900 has more grunt up top and a comfier seat for short legs like mine. I'd be interested to know if anyone has tried either and has an opinion? It seems they're very closely matched. Cheers.

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level 1

Vulcan:

• 900cc displacement

• belt drive

• heel shift?

• good tank size

• low seat

• poor suspension

• poor clearance

Intruder:

• good suspension

• shaft drive (still good)

• good for pillion

• lots of acceleration

• poor tank size

• wheezy motorway riding at 800cc

Both very similar in styling. It seems I can get an intruder for £500 cheaper and it's cheaper to insure. I'd love opinions on this. I've looked at the HD sportster, Triumph America/Speedmaster, Dragstar and Shadow but too many negatives from each.