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August 12, 2017
The Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle series has a rich tradition spanning four decades. We thought it would be interesting to highlight how the Vulcan battery has changed with the bike as we explore the history of this iconic name. Continue reading to learn something about these Kawasaki bikes or to discover which battery you should buy next. Each Vulcan series is listed in order of when it was first introduced.
1985 to 2006 Vulcan 750 Series
It all started in 1984/85 when Kawasaki launched the Vulcan VN700A as its first cruiser sold worldwide. To avoid American tariffs placed on Japanese motorcycles over 700cc Kawasaki actually introduced this bike as a 699cc. The tariff was lifted in 1986 and they increased the engine capacity to 750cc. The Kawasaki VN750 remained virtually unchanged throughout its 22-year production run.
The original battery was the Yuasa YB14L-A2 conventional style lead acid with the annoying acid drip tube. If you are tired of dealing with acid you can always upgrade to a sealed AGM by Moto Classic (YTX14AHL), East Penn Deka (ETX15L) or MotoBatt (MBTX14AU).
1985 to 1990 Vulcan 400 Series
There were two series versions to the Vulcan 400 bikes. The first series was a belt driven liquid-cooled twin engine. The second series used a V-twin chain driven system produced in both the Classic and Drifter variations. The EN450 known better as the 454 LTD is considered by some as the forerunner to the Kawasaki Vulcan.
Interestingly enough the VN400 Vulcan motorcycle does not appear in the Yuasa battery application catalogue. From what we can determine from a national sales store it may use the YTX12-BS battery. That battery originally boasted 10Ah and 180CCA.
The Kawasaki 454 LTD called for the YB12A-A conventional battery. It is a 12Ah 165CCA battery.
1990 to 2010 Vulcan 500 Series
The Vulcan 500 had a 20 year production run. It was the successor to the 454 LTD and boasted an engine nearly identical to the Kawasaki Ninja 500R. The 500 series had two production runs. The EN500-A was produced between 1990 and 1996. The EN500-C or perhaps better known as the Vulcan 500 LTD ran from 1996 thru 2010.
Like many bike manufactures, Kawasaki thought it necessary to tweak the battery polarity between production runs. Yep, instead of leaving the polarity as a left side positive they flipped to left side negative for the 500 LTD. The EN500-A uses the YB12A-A. The EN500-C uses the YB12AL-A2. Of course you can avoid worrying about polarity and leaking acid altogether by purchasing MotoBatt’s MB12U sealed AGM. It was four terminals guaranteeing the correct polarity.
1987 to 2008 Vulcan 1500 series
The Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 was a beast of a machine when first introduced in 1987. The 1500 series had a 22 year production run spanning several versions. To read more about the 1500 check out MotorcycleCruiser.com and their article titled Big Twin Rumble: Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic.
To help simplify what battery you need for your Vulcan 1500 we have created the chart below.
VN1500 Vulcan 88, SE 1987 - 1998 Y50-N18L-A VN1500-C