Kawasaki Vulcan 800
Real ownership data from 2,440 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chain and sprockets | user entered | 19% |
| Brakes | fail | 10% |
| Fluid leaks | major | 8.2% |
| Controls and cables | dangerous | 8% |
| Lights and indicators | dangerous | 5.9% |
| Suspension | dangerous | 5.3% |
| Frame and structure | major | 5% |
| Steering and head bearings | user entered | 2.7% |
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 | 89.66% |
| 2006 | 74 | 14,086 mi | 730 | 87.21% |
| 2005 | 233 | 15,698 mi | 772 | 87.63% |
| 2004 | 106 | 17,054 mi | 688 | 85.35% |
| 2003 | 236 | 16,208 mi | 791 | 84.45% |
| 2002 | 194 | 17,846 mi | 785 | 87.59% |
| 2001 | 227 | 19,888 mi | 826 | 85.09% |
| 2000 | 159 | 20,566 mi | 769 | 85.63% |
| 1999 | 239 | 20,914 mi | 800 | 84% |
| 1998 | 233 | 20,531 mi | 656 | 83.86% |
| 1997 | 278 | 21,898 mi | 673 | 83.68% |
| 1996 | 253 | 22,520 mi | 589 | 82.28% |
| 1995 | 133 | 24,131 mi | 590 | 81.82% |
Vulcan 800 questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Vulcan 800?
Across 2,440 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are chain and sprockets (19% of all recorded faults), brakes (10% of all recorded faults), fluid leaks (8.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Vulcan 800?
The median Kawasaki Vulcan 800 in the UK has covered 19,458 miles, and typically rides about 726 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 11,412 and 29,194 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Vulcan 800 reliable?
84.81% 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 2,440 Kawasaki Vulcan 800 motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.