Back in 2015, Kawasaki dropped a bombshell by introducing its first supercharged offering, the H2 which was based on the popular Ninja lineup of bikes. The H2 lineup has grown since then, with the Japanese manufacturer introducing the Z H2 hypernaked four years later. We got a chance to take a glimpse of the H2 lineup for ourselves when we traveled to Cleveland to check out the IMS Motorcycle Show, and we came away largely impressed with what we saw. But with the development dollars that are needed to create a new engine these days, it would only make sense for Kawasaki to build the H2 family further. While Kawasaki has preferred to not comment on the subject, a new round of rumors from Japan appears to suggest that the Vulcan will be the next model to benefit from the H2 treatment.
If this is true, this would be a bold step for the H2 brand since the Vulcan is not a formal sport bike, but prefers to wage war in the power cruiser segment. The report comes from the folks at Young Machine who allege that Kawasaki is indeed working on an H2 Vulcan deep in the bowels of their engineering department. The model would naturally used the same 998 cc supercharged inline four cylinder engine as the Z and the Ninja H2s, and the timing here is rather interesting since the alleged appearance of this model is linked to a broader rumor that appears to confirm that Kawasaki is planning to overhaul all Vulcan models. This would make sense to us since the proposed chassis revisions would go hand in hand with the introduction of the H2 sourced engine to the Vulcan.
While no images of the updated Vulcan have made their way to the internet as of this writing, A trip to the Thai site MotoRival does reveal a lone rendering of what the next generation Vulcan H2 would look like, with the silhouette of the Vulcan H2 possibly sharing some DNA with the Vulcan S. This is apparent in the tear drop shape of the tank, the single rider saddle, as well as the elongated handle bars. However, the headlight cluster is borrowed from the Z H2 which creates a rather odd blend of modern and retro cues.
As mentioned prior, Kawasaki is neither confirming or denying the rumors, but if the firm is indeed working on a new lineup of Vulcan models, we could not see the end results for a couple of years according to Indian publication Indian Autos Blog. Along with the time needed for development, the current Vulcan is also doing pretty well for itself out on the marketplace, so it would only make sense for Kawasaki to hold off in order for them to get the full profit potential of the current model before it begins to prepare a radically updated replacement. While some buyers might scoff at the idea of a power cruiser offering, the thought of a supercharged engine powering the festivities is certainly a very welcoming and inviting temptation, and we look forward to hearing more soon.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.