The recipe used to make this bike excites me. My first bike was a Kawasaki VN Eliminator 250. 2001 V-Twin I believe. Great torque for a 250, and they built it so well. Very durable. What a fantastic bike that was and what great memories. The best most engaging engine and gearbox for the public streets I owned is a ninja 400. Having owned the Boulevard M109r and many ninja’s including zx14r, zx10 and now 1000sx the little 400 engine was more fun. The Eliminator was probably one of the most comfortable bikes. I must admit, cycling through all the different capacities, as I’ve grown older I’ve learnt to appreciate the smaller bikes more so than the larger.
Very cool, it'd be interesting to see how your original Eliminator would compare to the new version. There's definitely a lot to be said for the small machines!
I think there are vibration pads available to dampen the impact on the fingers. That’s something I would look into. Gorgeous bike. Not a fan of cowl on the light. But I like the splash of orange. Frankly I like so much about this bike. I’m trying to convince my wife I’m old enough to have a motorcycle! 😜 I’m only 56 going on 11, so it’s not a given….great review. I really appreciate the sizing up you demonstrated. I’m 5’7” (not r 165-170 cm in French) which I sorted out to be two inches of extra foot reach compared to you. My arms and legs would be slightly less bent compared to you. That’s it. Love it. Thanks for posting this.
I'm 71 and just bought an Eliminator SE and LOVE it. Just sold the last Harley I will ever own last fall. I wouldn't trade my Kawasaki for a dozen Halreys.
I really don't notice many vibrations on my ELiminator. Back in the 1960/s people use to lean their bikes over and fill the handlebars up with BB's. This was suppose to help deaden the vibrations of a motorcyclle. I never tried it so I don't know if it works or not.
Thank you for a really nice review on thr Eliminator. I've owned motorcycles since 1967 but sold my last one last Falll, a Harley Tri-gile which I paid $37,000 for and it broke down four times within the first year. I sold it for $28,000 and glad to be rid of it. I will NEVER own another Harley. I've been looking at several bikes, Triumph Speed Twin 900, Speed 400, Vulcan S, and the Eliminator. I'm afraid the Speed 400 with its singe cylinder will feel too much like a dual sport and I wouldn't like it. The Speed Twin cost twice as much for what I can buy an Eliminator, and the Vulcan S which cost more doesn't come with a passenger seat or passenger foot pegs. So I am leaning more and more toward the Eliminator. The Eliminator does every thing I want, a great around town bike, a great back road bike, and can cruise at 65 mph when I wan to. So I ask mtdelf, "Why pay more?" I have cossen to go with the SE because of the bright color and I plan to go to my nearest Kawasaki dealer today to bring one home. WIsh me luck. Ride safe and enjoy every journey.
How'd you go! Did you end up getting the Eliminator? I reckon the SE colour scheme looks great, so that'd definitely be my pick. I think the value for performance on these really is exceptional.
@@MotoJournoKris I did go to my nearest Kawasaki dealer and bought a new Kawasaki Eliminator SE. The sticker price is $7249 and I bought mine for $5800. It was $7000 counting freight, taxes, doc fee, title and tag. The Vulcan S was $1800 more without a passenger seat and passenger pegs. I've had more fun in the first 60 miles on my Eliminator than I had in 160,000 miles on Harleys. The only thing about a Harley is the name and it makes some people feel good that they can afford a Harley, but the Kwasaki is much more fun to ride. My Eliminator corners like a sport bike, revs like a sport bike, looks like a cruiser but you sit up right with your feet right below you. It makes you lean forward just a little, unlike a cruiser which takes your weight off your tailbone. All in all I LOVE IT. I've got a luggage rack ordered for it so I add a top box for the rear of it. I'm also going to buy a small windscreen from Puig, maybe a larger front spocket to lower the RPMs at highway speeds and better rear shocks to improve the ride. Counting all my add ons I will only have $7600 total in my bike. After I'm done I will have a great all around bike that I can run to town with, ride the backroads and even travel if I want to. I LOVE it.
Awesome reviews, thank you! I'm trying to decide between the Eliminator and CL500, what are your thoughts? Both look great to me, just a few small things making me lean towards the Eliminator, except the seat height! Fairly beginner, 178cm and 60kg 😊
Sorry for the late reply! I'm a fan of the Eliminator, that'd be my pick of the two. It's a bit sportier and lighter and I prefer the styling. The seat is pretty manageable, I'm about the same height and it was a very easy reach to the ground if you're got a 30" inseam (76 cm). I do like the more futuristic styling, the CL500 is a bit more traditional of the two.
Vibrations are much more noticeable on the Eliminator in that mid-range section, elsewhere I didn't find them a concern to be honest. But you'll probably spend a fair bit of time in that particular section of the rev range.
I just bougth a new Eliminator SE and at highway speeds there is no vibration, but I do feel the engine spinning at a high rate of speed. Not really annoying, just differant from the V-Twins I've been riding since the 1990's. The V-Twins rev a lot lower RPM at highway speeds. My Eliminator revs at 4000RPM at 50 MPH, 45RPM at 55 MPH, 5000 RPM at 60 MPH and so on. Even though the engine is revving at a higher rpm I really don't feel any vibration, maybe just the buzzing of the engine. However I do plan on changing the front spocket to a larger one. The factory one is 14 tooth. I am not sure if I'm going to a 15 or a 16 tooth front spocket. Either way the change will make my Eliminator more of a highway bike.
@@rajeevwx I am loving the ELiminator. It has brought me back to what riding a motorcyle should be....FUN. I've had many motorcycles since 1967, mostly Japanese models, and four Harleys. The Harley has the name everybody knows and there might even be a bit of pride when owning a Harley, but I never really enjoyed riding a Harley. I rode the Kawasaki Eliminator 60 miles and fell in love with it. It may look a bit like a cruiser, but you sit straight up with your feet directly below, and you lean forward just a bit which takes your weight off your tailbone. The Eliminator handles and revs like a sport bike. I am positive I will NEVER own another Harley. It's Kawasaki for me probably from now on. I'm only 71 so I have several more years of riding ahead of me. Let the good times roll.
@@genegoodwin8925 I'm sure you have more than several years of riding ahead of you. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the bike. I'm planning to get one for myself soon and very excited.
The recipe used to make this bike excites me. My first bike was a Kawasaki VN Eliminator 250. 2001 V-Twin I believe. Great torque for a 250, and they built it so well. Very durable. What a fantastic bike that was and what great memories. The best most engaging engine and gearbox for the public streets I owned is a ninja 400. Having owned the Boulevard M109r and many ninja’s including zx14r, zx10 and now 1000sx the little 400 engine was more fun. The Eliminator was probably one of the most comfortable bikes. I must admit, cycling through all the different capacities, as I’ve grown older I’ve learnt to appreciate the smaller bikes more so than the larger.
Very cool, it'd be interesting to see how your original Eliminator would compare to the new version. There's definitely a lot to be said for the small machines!
I love how semi-quiet it is
I think there are vibration pads available to dampen the impact on the fingers. That’s something I would look into. Gorgeous bike. Not a fan of cowl on the light. But I like the splash of orange. Frankly I like so much about this bike. I’m trying to convince my wife I’m old enough to have a motorcycle! 😜 I’m only 56 going on 11, so it’s not a given….great review. I really appreciate the sizing up you demonstrated. I’m 5’7” (not r 165-170 cm in French) which I sorted out to be two inches of extra foot reach compared to you. My arms and legs would be slightly less bent compared to you. That’s it. Love it. Thanks for posting this.
I'm 71 and just bought an Eliminator SE and LOVE it. Just sold the last Harley I will ever own last fall. I wouldn't trade my Kawasaki for a dozen Halreys.
I really don't notice many vibrations on my ELiminator. Back in the 1960/s people use to lean their bikes over and fill the handlebars up with BB's. This was suppose to help deaden the vibrations of a motorcyclle. I never tried it so I don't know if it works or not.
If I was gonna get another cruiser this would be it, I like mid pegs only.
Thank you for a really nice review on thr Eliminator. I've owned motorcycles since 1967 but sold my last one last Falll, a Harley Tri-gile which I paid $37,000 for and it broke down four times within the first year. I sold it for $28,000 and glad to be rid of it. I will NEVER own another Harley.
I've been looking at several bikes, Triumph Speed Twin 900, Speed 400, Vulcan S, and the Eliminator. I'm afraid the Speed 400 with its singe cylinder will feel too much like a dual sport and I wouldn't like it. The Speed Twin cost twice as much for what I can buy an Eliminator, and the Vulcan S which cost more doesn't come with a passenger seat or passenger foot pegs.
So I am leaning more and more toward the Eliminator. The Eliminator does every thing I want, a great around town bike, a great back road bike, and can cruise at 65 mph when I wan to. So I ask mtdelf, "Why pay more?"
I have cossen to go with the SE because of the bright color and I plan to go to my nearest Kawasaki dealer today to bring one home. WIsh me luck.
Ride safe and enjoy every journey.
How'd you go! Did you end up getting the Eliminator? I reckon the SE colour scheme looks great, so that'd definitely be my pick. I think the value for performance on these really is exceptional.
@@MotoJournoKris I did go to my nearest Kawasaki dealer and bought a new Kawasaki Eliminator SE. The sticker price is $7249 and I bought mine for $5800. It was $7000 counting freight, taxes, doc fee, title and tag. The Vulcan S was $1800 more without a passenger seat and passenger pegs.
I've had more fun in the first 60 miles on my Eliminator than I had in 160,000 miles on Harleys. The only thing about a Harley is the name and it makes some people feel good that they can afford a Harley, but the Kwasaki is much more fun to ride. My Eliminator corners like a sport bike, revs like a sport bike, looks like a cruiser but you sit up right with your feet right below you. It makes you lean forward just a little, unlike a cruiser which takes your weight off your tailbone. All in all I LOVE IT.
I've got a luggage rack ordered for it so I add a top box for the rear of it. I'm also going to buy a small windscreen from Puig, maybe a larger front spocket to lower the RPMs at highway speeds and better rear shocks to improve the ride. Counting all my add ons I will only have $7600 total in my bike. After I'm done I will have a great all around bike that I can run to town with, ride the backroads and even travel if I want to. I LOVE it.
Awesome reviews, thank you!
I'm trying to decide between the Eliminator and CL500, what are your thoughts? Both look great to me, just a few small things making me lean towards the Eliminator, except the seat height! Fairly beginner, 178cm and 60kg 😊
Sorry for the late reply! I'm a fan of the Eliminator, that'd be my pick of the two. It's a bit sportier and lighter and I prefer the styling. The seat is pretty manageable, I'm about the same height and it was a very easy reach to the ground if you're got a 30" inseam (76 cm). I do like the more futuristic styling, the CL500 is a bit more traditional of the two.
How is the engine vibration compared to Rebel?
Vibrations are much more noticeable on the Eliminator in that mid-range section, elsewhere I didn't find them a concern to be honest. But you'll probably spend a fair bit of time in that particular section of the rev range.
I just bougth a new Eliminator SE and at highway speeds there is no vibration, but I do feel the engine spinning at a high rate of speed. Not really annoying, just differant from the V-Twins I've been riding since the 1990's. The V-Twins rev a lot lower RPM at highway speeds. My Eliminator revs at 4000RPM at 50 MPH, 45RPM at 55 MPH, 5000 RPM at 60 MPH and so on. Even though the engine is revving at a higher rpm I really don't feel any vibration, maybe just the buzzing of the engine.
However I do plan on changing the front spocket to a larger one. The factory one is 14 tooth. I am not sure if I'm going to a 15 or a 16 tooth front spocket. Either way the change will make my Eliminator more of a highway bike.
@@genegoodwin8925 Are you liking the motorcycle overall after these many years of riding?
@@rajeevwx I am loving the ELiminator. It has brought me back to what riding a motorcyle should be....FUN. I've had many motorcycles since 1967, mostly Japanese models, and four Harleys. The Harley has the name everybody knows and there might even be a bit of pride when owning a Harley, but I never really enjoyed riding a Harley.
I rode the Kawasaki Eliminator 60 miles and fell in love with it. It may look a bit like a cruiser, but you sit straight up with your feet directly below, and you lean forward just a bit which takes your weight off your tailbone. The Eliminator handles and revs like a sport bike. I am positive I will NEVER own another Harley. It's Kawasaki for me probably from now on. I'm only 71 so I have several more years of riding ahead of me. Let the good times roll.
@@genegoodwin8925 I'm sure you have more than several years of riding ahead of you. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the bike. I'm planning to get one for myself soon and very excited.
Nice bike. Cheap bars and fitments for them. Nice bike, though. Better than the Rebel.