Kawasaki Vulcan S
Real ownership data from 3,241 UK Vulcan S motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Vulcan S problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | fail | 8.7% |
| Tyres | fail | 8.7% |
| Electrical | major | 7.2% |
| Lights and indicators | major | 6.7% |
| Wheels | major | 5.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | major | 5.7% |
| Chain and sprockets | dangerous | 4.1% |
| Brakes | fail | 4.1% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is frame and structure.
Vulcan S 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 183 | 3,860 mi | 1,673 | 88.17% |
| 2022 | 227 | 4,626 mi | 977 | 88.54% |
| 2021 | 411 | 5,857 mi | 894 | 90.31% |
| 2020 | 358 | 7,218 mi | 1,076 | 89.23% |
| 2019 | 437 | 7,736 mi | 1,061 | 89.59% |
| 2018 | 425 | 8,655 mi | 910 | 90.05% |
| 2017 | 432 | 9,753 mi | 932 | 89.52% |
| 2016 | 351 | 10,175 mi | 884 | 89.07% |
| 2015 | 261 | 10,749 mi | 1,014 | 91.11% |
| 2009 | 5 | 9,383 mi | 419 | 83.33% |
| 2008 | 6 | 12,602 mi | 805 | 85.45% |
| 2006 | 11 | 17,943 mi | 1,090 | 85.39% |
| 2005 | 11 | 20,637 mi | 1,002 | 89.29% |
| 2004 | 8 | 37,592 mi | 1,462 | 90% |
| 2002 | 7 | 21,444 mi | 1,002 | 85.92% |
| 2001 | 8 | 19,899 mi | 1,009 | 83.54% |
| 2000 | 5 | 25,428 mi | 467 | 83.02% |
| 1999 | 6 | 28,428 mi | 1,016 | 89.29% |
| 1998 | 6 | 7,732 mi | 55 | 89.29% |
| 1997 | 7 | 29,145 mi | 466 | 63.83% |
Vulcan S questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Kawasaki Vulcan S?
Across 3,241 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are suspension (8.7% of all recorded faults), tyres (8.7% of all recorded faults), electrical (7.2% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Kawasaki Vulcan S?
The median Kawasaki Vulcan S in the UK has covered 7,828 miles, and typically rides about 939 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 4,040 and 14,186 miles.
Is the Kawasaki Vulcan S reliable?
89.1% of Kawasaki Vulcan S 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 3,241 Kawasaki Vulcan S motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.