2011 Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero – The Remix
What do you get when you give the newest Japanese cruiser on the market, a 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero 1700 to a professional custom builder whose company is infamous for creating ground-breaking custom sportbikes?
Answer: a truly ground-breaking custom bagger. Keep in mind, the 2011 Vaquero was so new, aftermarket parts were non-existent. Oh yeah, and to up the challenge, the new custom Vaquero would have to be ready within only two weeks to be unveiled at Daytona Bike Week. Sounds like a recipe for trouble, right? Well, not for Rob Fisher and his team of Sarasota Florida’s Roaring Toyz. This is just the type of challenge they thrive on and was looking forward to for the launch of their new custom bagger entity, Roaring Twinz.
Rob is more than familiar with unleashing his talents on sportbikes including the attention grabbing T-REX, but why tackle a bagger? “Although taking on a bagger would be new territory for us, it was also an opportunity to continue to expand our brand and talents” says Rob. “We’ve been in the (bike) game for awhile and we’re all growing up, so baggers are a natural progression. They are also becoming increasingly popular and provide a new set of challenges as well as opportunities for creativity. This is definitely a market we’re looking forward to having an impact on” he continues with a sinister grin.
As mentioned earlier, the Vaquero was so new; several new custom parts were either machined from scratch or modified from other pieces in order to give their Vaquero the desired look. The team at Performance Machine (PM) came through with a set of new Paramount Platinum Cut 21” front wheels and matching front brake rotors. A custom handlebar set-up was in need, so a set of Burly Brand 13” Bagger Bars were added. In order to fit properly, handlebar risers were needed. Luckily they found a really slick handlebar riser from Roland Sands Design (RSD) to complete the look. Progressive Suspension provided a front fork lowering kit and an Air Dragger rear suspension kit for its nasty menacing look combined with the set of modified black anodized floor boards from PM.
What’s the point of having a custom show-worthy bagger if you can’t move the crowd as rap pioneer duo Erick B. and Rakim once waxed poetically? No worries, the final build features a set of 8” three way speakers installed in the rear bags along with a 400 watt JL Audio marine amplifier and a set of JL Audio 5.25” speakers on the dash. A custom installed iPod feeds the system all of which is controlled through a Kawasaki accessory switch mounted on the left handlebar. In other words, it has a sound system that thumps and pumps enough to make Rakim proud.
Given the team was working with a Kawasaki, a custom coat of Candy Lime Green paint accented with black and gray highlights was a natural color palette to work with. The final bike and effort is nothing short of amazing. This is one remix even Diddy can’t touch.
For more details and info: RoaringTwinz.com