Let’s get this out of the way right up top; practically no one is going to cross-shop a Zero Motorcycles SR/F and Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT. Yet here we are, comparing two motorcycles at opposite ends of the spectrum.
I own both bikes, so I figured why not do a tale of the tape.
My Vulcan is a 2009, but Kawasaki is still making the same bike in 2022. Meanwhile, Zero’s SR/F is evolving. The 2023 model year SR/F comes with a bigger 17.3 kWh battery than my 2020 SR/F’s 14.4 kWh pack, although outside of that it is also the same basic bike.
Post your SR/F or Vulcan questions and comments here
Let’s start with handling. No surprise here. The Zero crushes the Vulcan. If you can imagine the difference between driving a new sports car and an old sedan on a curvy road, that sort of sums up the difference.
With instant torque, Bosch stability control, anti-lock brakes, dual discs up front and no gears to mess with, the Zero just blasts in and out of corners, making me feel like I’m a much better rider than I am.
Conversely, taking tight turns on city streets is a chore on the big, heavy Vulcan. It’s a porker with a wide turning radius and it’s easy to scrape the LT’s floorboards. The 2023 Classic LT has a curb weight of 657 pounds, while a 2023 SR/F has a weight of 500 pounds.
Despite the Zero’s lighter weight, it also feels more confident at interstate speeds. The Vulcan’s floaty suspension is fine if the pavement is smooth but expansion joints, rain grooves and other imperfections easily upset it.
In the city is where the SR/F really shines, especially in the summertime, since there is no heat coming from an engine or exhaust to bake you while you’re stuck sitting in traffic.
On the performance side, by now, just about all motorcycle fans know high-end EVs crush quite a few gas bikes when it comes to acceleration – and that’s especially true here.
It took me a month or so of ownership before I worked up the nerve to try the SR/F at full throttle in Sport mode. New Zeroland reported a 0-60 time of 3.12 seconds when demo riding a 2020 SR/F.
Because of all the nannies, achieving perfect 0-60 runs without lifting the front tires or losing traction is easy with the Zero.
As far as the Kawasaki goes, MotoSnax got made it to 60 in 6.9 seconds on a Vulcan VN900, which is about 40 pounds or so lighter than my loaded Classic LT.
At speeds of 70 miles per hour and below the Vulcan is perfectly happy to keep chugging along all day, but at higher speeds I find myself wishing the Vulcan had a sixth gear to quiet the revs of its smooth V-Twin.
Meanwhile, the Zero will happily and near-silently maintain any reasonable speed you throw at it.
For the two performance numbers that really count, the Vulcan has 57 lb-ft of torque, while the SR/F has a whopping 140 lb-ft.
When it comes to fuel economy, the Zero is a strong illustration of why EVs are catching on. My Vulcan’s lifetime average is just over 41 miles per gallon on regular, while the SR/F gets the equivalent of 206 miles per gallon on the interstate and a staggering 404 mpg equivalent in city riding. So think in terms of pennies instead of dollars when it comes to the Zero’s fuel cost.
After more than 14,000 miles of riding, my SR/F is using an average of just 69 watts of power per mile. To put that in perspective, that means it costs me about 97 cents to ride 100 miles based on my utility’s current per kilowatt rate of 14 cents.
Where the Vulcan crushes the Zero is range. It can go about 215 miles or so with its 5.3 gallon tank. My Zero struggles to reach 100 miles of range per charge in all but stop-n-go city rides. A new SR/F would probably see about 120 miles of range in the same riding conditions, and even more with an available Power Tank extra battery option.
In terms of comfort, as experienced motorcyclists know, what is a comfortable riding position for one rider can be agonizing as the miles pile up for another.
It’s all about the pressure points on the arms, back, neck and butt. Unlike cars, most motorcycles don’t have adjustable riding positions, so that alone can knock a bike out of consideration, depending on your body type.
I find both bikes tiring after a 100-miles but I’d rate the Vulcan more comfortable on longer rides due to its stretched-out riding position, although the posture it encourages is harder on my back, while the Zero’s more aggressive stance is harder on my forearms and legs.
I’ve added adjustable risers to both bikes to help with comfort and added Zero’s lowered footpeg kit on the SR/F. I’ve also added a Corbin seat to the Zero and a seat cushion on the Vulcan.
Whether you find the style of either bike attractive is subjective, but I’m a fan of both. The Vulcan’s retro vibe with acres of chrome is a throwback that still appeals to me, while I also like the sleek, modern lines of the SR/F.
The Vulcan has that old school charm for those of us that still enjoying shifting and a more mechanical experience. Speaking of shifting, its neutral can sometimes be hard to find at rest or low speeds. It does include a heel-and-toe shifter, which provides a nice variation on longer, leisurely rides.
Perhaps the greatest strength of the Zero is that it’s a bike that will grow with you. Because it’s relatively light, has no shifting and strong handling, it should be confidence inspiring for new riders.
The SR/F has adjustable levels of torque and stability control. So new riders can start off with the lowest torque level that will feel roughly like a 400cc bike. Then, as their skills increase, they can gradually up the performance to sport bike levels. That way there’s no worry about misjudging throttle response when first starting out.
Both bikes have belt drive. The Vulcan keeps its instrumentation simple with a speedometer, fuel gauge and one small LCD display that you can switch between the odometer, trip mileage and a clock.
The Zero’s gauge cluster is – as you would expect – fully digital and highly configurable. The one you see on my bike in the video at the top of this post is actually outdated since it hasn’t been updated yet to Zero’s latest firmware, which includes a redesigned gauge cluster.
The Zero also gives you ability to record your rides with a smartphone app that keeps track of things like energy usage and lean angles.
At this point you might be thinking, so why would I ever consider a Vulcan, or any gas bike for that matter?
The two primary reasons the Vulcan is still in the game comes down to value and range.
A 2022 Classic LT, which is Kawaski’s fully optioned Vulcan 900 cruiser option, was priced at $9,499 at the time of this video’s posting, while a 2023 model cost $9,999.
Meanwhile, a 2023 SR/F, before options will set you back $23,795. Those options can quickly add up if you want things like faster charging and luggage, easily pushing the price over $26,000.
The 2023 SR/F does include standard niceties like cruise control and heated grips that aren’t available on the Vulcan.
If you are a high mileage rider, you may find that over the life of the bike the fuel savings may be great enough to negate the high up-front cost of the SR/F.
In theory, maintenance costs should also be less with the Zero since it doesn’t use oil or coolant or have as many moving parts. Although, I have seen some Zero owners report mechanical and electronic issues, so just like a gas bike, there are no guarantees once the warranty expires.
The Vulcan does have one clear advantage that the Zero can’t come close to matching – and that’s the ease of long-long-distance touring. Refueling times are much slower on the SR/F, and in some areas, chargers can be tough to find. If you ride a 2020 SR/F Premium to near 0% you’ll spend more than an hour-and-a-half charging it back up on a Level 2 J-1772 charger.
If you’re a motorcyclist that rides less than 150 miles in a day and lives in a region with a strong charging infrastructure, you’ll likely find the SR/F a more enjoyable bike than the Vulcan 900 Classic LT, at least based on objective measures like handling and acceleration.
As for the general vibe, they really can’t be compared directly since they are going after different riding and styling preferences.
For anyone considering an electric motorcycle, you’ll find a lot more information about EVs on the evrider.tv motorcycles page.
If you’ve enjoyed EV Rider video in this post please give it a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel so I can bring you more adventures in EV motoring.