KAWASAKI VN900 Custom (2011-2012) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 2011, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer launched the Kawasaki VN900 Custom, a mid-sized cruiser motorcycle and a more aggressive brother of the standard VN900 Classic motorcycle.

Compared to the Classic version, the Custom model packed a larger 21-inch nine-spoke aluminum wheel on the front and a solid one on the rear, restyled fenders, forward-mounted footpegs, a drag-style handlebar, and a smaller round headlight up front.

The 2011 Custom model had standard features, such as a round headlight, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank with an integrated instrument panel, a one-piece dual seat, a dual exhaust system with two silencers on the right side, and aluminum wheels.

Underneath its fuel tank, the 2011 Kawasaki VN900 Custom had installed a 903cc four-stroke V-twin liquid-cooled engine fed by an electronically controlled fuel injection system, delivering 50 hp with maximum strength at 5,700 rpm and 79 Nm (58 lb-ft) torque at 3,700 rpm.

The power produced by the engine was transferred to a five-speed manual transmission with a wet multi-disc clutch and sent to the rear wheel through a low-maintenance final belt drive.

The motorcycle was manufactured around a double cradle steel frame with a 41 mm telescopic fork on the front and a uni-trak shock absorber on the rear, offering optimum suspension performance and handling.

The braking performance was achieved by a 300 mm disc with a dual-piston caliper on the front and a 270 mm disc with a two-piston caliper on the rear wheel, offering optimum stopping power.