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The VN1500 Classic continues this
year, it was born in 1996 and have had some updates during it
life. In the year 2000 you could have it in two versions, with
or without Fuel Injection. The carbureted version use
two Keihin CVK40carburetors and for 2000 the colors are new.
The Vulcan 1500 Fuel Injected (Nomad, Classic and Drifter) have
dual
36 mm throttle bodies. There are new
pistons with higher compression (up from 8.6:1 to 9.0:1), power
is increased with 2hp. Some minor changes have been done to the
engine to improve noise level. Other changes are a
change from a cable-driven speedometer to
an electric unit. By eliminating the deep housing the
speedometer needed and the cable that passed through the bottom
of the tank, Kawasaki found enough room for almost an extra
gallon of fuel (from 4.2 gallons to 5.0 gallons) in the same
space. The new speedometer features a digital odometer,
trip meter and clock, and the tank is now seamless, eliminating
the unsightly external flanges.
Several updates were also made to the chassis. The frame's
main pipes have increased diameter (42.7mm
up from 34mm),
a larger diameter steering head with bigger bearings and new
gussets offer more rigidity. The steering head was moved forward
(35mm) and fork offset decreased for improved handling.
Consistent with design enhancements of the 2000 Vulcan 1500
Nomad and Drifter motorcycles, the Classic Fi's floorboards have
been repositioned to put the rider in a more upright and
comfortable position. The rear brake pedal was also redesigned
to make it easier to apply the brake that now has more power due
to a new dual piston calliper. Other items adopted from the
Nomad and Drifter are wide, five-way adjustable brake and clutch
levers for added rider comfort and self-cancelling turn signals.
Other changes include an upgrade from a 12V-14Ah battery to a
12V-18Ah unit (while retaining the same physical size), a low-fuel warning light
replaces the petcock and a new multi-pane headlight provides a brighter, more
concentrated beam. A new, self-canceling turn-signal system is now used and the
spokes have a special coating on them to make sure they stay shiny longer. |
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Left VN 1500 Classic. |
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