Kawasaki Vulcan 800
Real ownership data from 2,441 UK Vulcan 800 motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Vulcan 800 problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 12.8% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 12.8% |
| Wheels | user entered | 4.4% |
| Electrical | fail | 4% |
| Frame and structure | dangerous | 3.7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | dangerous | 2.9% |
| Fluid leaks | dangerous | 2.6% |
| Other | major | 2.2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is frame and structure.
Vulcan 800 mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| YearYear | MedianMedian mileage | Mi/yrMiles/year | MOT passFirst-time pass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 11 | 15,695 mi | 651 | 86.41% |
| 2008 | 11 | 15,526 mi | 1,164 | 87.72% |
| 2007 | 33 | 21,615 mi | 1,120 | 89.68% |
| 2006 | 74 | 14,086 mi | 730 | 87.24% |
| 2005 | 233 | 15,838 mi | 780 | 87.66% |
| 2004 | 106 | 17,054 mi | 688 | 85.38% |
| 2003 | 237 | 16,213 mi | 791 | 84.16% |
| 2002 | 194 | 17,846 mi | 785 | 87.61% |
| 2001 | 227 | 19,888 mi | 817 | 85.09% |
| 2000 | 159 | 20,566 mi | 768 | 85.62% |
| 1999 | 239 | 20,914 mi | 800 | 84% |
| 1998 | 233 | 20,531 mi | 656 | 83.88% |
| 1997 | 278 | 21,952 mi | 674 | 83.63% |
| 1996 | 253 | 22,523 mi | 588 | 82.31% |
| 1995 | 133 | 24,131 mi | 590 | 81.77% |
Vulcan 800 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Vulcan 800?
Across 2,441 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are controls and cables (12.8% of all recorded faults), lights and indicators (12.8% of all recorded faults), wheels (4.4% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Vulcan 800?
The median Kawasaki Vulcan 800 in the UK has covered 19,455 miles, and typically rides about 725 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,414 and 29,196 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Vulcan 800 reliable?
84.78% of Kawasaki Vulcan 800 MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.01 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 2,441 Kawasaki Vulcan 800 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.