WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE INTERSTATE THE MOTORCYCLE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL. I WENT DOWN ON MY LEFT SIDE AND HIT THE JERSEY BARRIERS DIVIDING HE HIGHWAY. ANOTHER RIDER JUST BEHIND ME SAW THE REAR WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCK UP TURN FOR A SECOND AND LOCK UP AGAIN. AS OF THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT IT HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED WHAT THE CAUSE WAS. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT COMMON FOR A MOTORCYCLE THREE YEARS OLD WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I SUSPECT IT MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE ECU UNIT BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS ON MY MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS A POTENTIAL LIFE ENDANGERING ISSUE. IF NOT FOR MY HELMET I WOULDN'T BE HERE TO WRITE THIS. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED VERY WELL AND THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SIGNS ON THE OUTSIDE COMPONENTS THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR THE ACCIDENT. NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN MODIFIED ON THE MOTORCYCLE NOT EVEN AN ACCESSORY ADDED. I HAVE HAD MANY CYCLES IN MY LIFE AND I HAVE BEEN RIDING FOR OVER 30 YEARS. *TR
2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900
Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsAFTER FILLING UP GAS TANK ON MY 2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN 500 IT QUITS RUNNING AFTER 20 TO 60 MILES. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. SINCE THE LAST TIME I HAVE BEEN RUNNING WITH THE FUEL VALVE ON RESERVE AND HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM. ALSO MY SISTER IN LAW AND A FRIEND HAS HAD THE SAME WITH THEIR 2008 VULCAN 500'S. *TR
2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.