In 2012, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero, a custom cruiser motorcycle manufactured by Kawasaki from 2011. The bike was in its second year of production and packed the same specifications as the previous model without any modifications except for color alterations.
The motorcycle had standard features, such as a large front fairing on the front with a large round headlight, a small windscreen, a one-piece dual seat, side-mounted color-matched panniers, a black-finished engine breathing through a dual chromed exhaust system, and nine-spoke lightweight aluminum wheels.
Like other Vulcan models, the Vaquero version was built around a double cradle high tensile steel frame with a 45 mm telescopic fork on the front, delivering 140 mm of travel and two air-assisted four-way rebound-adjustable shock absorbers on the rear, offering 80 mm of travel.
The braking performance was handled by a 300 mm disc with a dual-piston caliper on the front wheel and a 300 mm disc with a two-piston caliper on the rear wheel, offering excellent stopping power.
The 2012 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero had installed a 1,700cc four-stroke V-twin liquid-cooled engine underneath its fuel tank, managed by an electronically controlled fuel injection system. As for the power figures, the engine boasted 83 hp with a peak force at 5,000 rpm and 146 Nm (108 lb-ft) torque at 2,750 rpm.