Kawasaki Vulcan
Real ownership data from 6,901 UK Vulcan motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Vulcan problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 4% |
| Other | major | 2.7% |
| Brakes | dangerous | 1.8% |
| Exhaust and emissions | fail | 1.1% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 0.9% |
| Suspension | major | 0.8% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 0.8% |
| Electrical | major | 0.8% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is corrosion.
Vulcan mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 184 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | 278 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 270 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 220 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 23 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | 31 | 13,582 mi | 199 | 50% |
| 2020 | 23 | 17,478 mi | 1,122 | 81.25% |
| 2019 | 20 | 18,540 mi | 1,499 | 100% |
| 2018 | 28 | 22,620 mi | 926 | 83.33% |
| 2017 | 31 | 24,066 mi | 6,031 | 75% |
| 2016 | 48 | 28,382 mi | 1,174 | 94.44% |
| 2015 | 54 | 19,953 mi | 2,280 | 96% |
| 2014 | 12 | 12,033 mi | 722 | 94.44% |
| 2013 | 58 | 16,228 mi | 1,050 | 89.85% |
| 2012 | 56 | 16,103 mi | 1,250 | 86.19% |
| 2011 | 86 | 18,283 mi | 1,116 | 91.96% |
| 2010 | 85 | 24,135 mi | 1,618 | 87.43% |
| 2009 | 172 | 21,260 mi | 1,085 | 90.87% |
| 2008 | 153 | 21,156 mi | 1,287 | 89.79% |
| 2007 | 213 | 21,794 mi | 1,033 | 88.47% |
Vulcan questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Vulcan?
Across 6,901 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (4% of all recorded faults), other (2.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (1.8% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Vulcan?
The median Kawasaki Vulcan in the UK has covered 22,055 miles, and typically rides about 837 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 14,020 and 31,985 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Vulcan reliable?
85.9% of Kawasaki Vulcan MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.69 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 6,901 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.