2006 Kawasaki VN900B6F: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
7 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
750 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2006 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 7 complaints (14.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 3 | 42.9% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 14.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 1 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 1 |
| Structure | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 |
Electrical System: 1; Engine: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 1; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 1; Structure: 1; Vehicle Speed Control: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 5 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 5; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
2007: 3; 2008: 2; 2009: 1; 2017: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10193810 · 2007-06-20 (June 20, 2007)
THE ENGINE SOMETIMES STAYS AT SPEED IN 3RD GEAR AT AROUND 40 MPH. THIS HAPPENS WHEN SPEEDING UP AND GETTING TO 40 THEN LETTING GO OF THROTTLE TO SLOW DOWN. IT ALSO SOMETIMES HAPPENS WHEN ENTERING AN EXIT RAMP OFF THE INTERSTATE. *AK THE QUICK FIX IS TO PULL IN ON THE THROTTLE. ALSO, ON TWO SEPARATE COLD DAYS, THE BIKE HAS ALMOST STALLED WHILE GOING UP A HILL CLOSE TO MY HOUSE. I PULLED OVER, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, RESTARTED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE AFTER THAT. THE BIKE WAS WARMED UP PROPERLY AND HAD ALREADY TRAVELED ABOUT A MILE BEFORE THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10193810 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10200352 · 2007-08-21 (August 21, 2007)
THE THROTTLE ON MY 2006 KAWASAKI 900 MOTORCYCLE WILL PERIODICALLY STICK WHILE IN THIRD GEAR WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 25 MPH. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS OCCURRED TO ME FOUR TIMES IN A TWO HOUR PERIOD ON 8/19/2007. THIS IS VERY TYPICAL AND HAS HAPPENED TO ME DOZENS OF TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE IS A VERY DISCONCERTING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS EVENT, PARTICULARLY ON ROAD CURVES OR IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AREAS. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO THE MANUFACTURER AS WELL AS THE MOTORCYCLE COMMUNITY. (FOR EXAMPLE, NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THI…
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10200352 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10209388 · 2007-11-19 (November 19, 2007)
PREMATURE HEADLIGHT FAILURE OCCURRED---LESS THAN 12 MONTHS FROM ORIGINAL (NEW) PURCHASE. THE PHYSICALLY LARGE HEADLIGHT HOUSING IS ATTACHED TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME IN ONLY TWO LOCATIONS, BOTH ON THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING. THIS ALLOWS THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING TO VIBRATE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM NORMAL ROAD VIBRATION. THIS VIBRATION IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE DURING NIGHTTIME OPERATION, SO MUCH SO THAT THE SHAKING OF THE HEADLIGHT BEAM ITSELF IS VERY DISTRACTING TO THE RIDER AND COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD. SINCE THE LAMP WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT H…
Owner-reported narrative. 8,626 miles reported. Look up ODI 10209388 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10230649 · 2008-06-06 (June 6, 2008)
2006 KAWASAKI VN900B6F WITH SEAT SUB-FRAME BROKE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SEAT SUB-FRAME BROKE AT A WEAK POINT WHERE THE TUBULAR METAL WAS STAMPED FLAT AND CURVED DOWNWARD. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HE NOTICED THE REAR FENDER SHAKING AND MOVING WITH AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF PLAY.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10230649 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10243458 · 2008-09-25 (September 25, 2008)
1. IN THIRD GEAR AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WILL MAINTAIN SPEED AFTER RELEASING THE THROTTLE. 2. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH, MAYBE 5-6 TIMES A MONTH EVER SINCE OWING THE VEHICLE. THE TIME BEFORE LAST, I ALMOST RAN INTO A CAR THAT WAS BREAKING HARD IN FRONT OF ME. 3. PULLING IN ON THE CLUTCH IS THE PRIMARY WAY TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. ONCE I TESTED IT BY GOING UP A FAIRLY STEEP HILL. THE ENGINE ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE THE SAME THROTTLE AMOUNT UNTIL THE BIKE SLOWED TO AROUND 15 MPH. IT THEN FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10243458 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10254223 · 2009-01-08 (January 8, 2009)
MY MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TO LOSE BATTERY POWER IN MID-DECEMBER 2008 AND I THOUGHT THE BATTERY MAY BE FAILING. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE MOTORCYCLE STARTED EASILY FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. ON NEW YEAR'S DAY I WENT OUT TO RIDE AND THE MOTORCYCLE STARTED SLUGGISHLY. I GOT TO THE FIRST STOPPING POINT AND IT FAILED TO START. I RECEIVED A JUMP START AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND DISCOVERED THAT ON 2006 MODEL KAWASAKI VULCAN 900 CLASSIC, THE STATOR HAS A HISTORY OF FAILURE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 27,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10254223 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10969372 · 2017-03-29 (March 29, 2017)
STALLING: BIKE STALLS WHEN HOLDING CLUTCH AND STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT BUT CRANKS BACK UP. ALSO WHEN I WARM IT UP IT RUNS HIGH UNTIL ITS WARM AND THEN MISSES AND SOMETIMES CUTS OFF WHILE BEING STATIONARY. ALMOST GOT RAN OVER AT STOP LIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENED ONCE.
Owner-reported narrative. 35 miles reported. Look up ODI 10969372 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
07V215000 · Electrical System:Ignition:Module
Reported: 2007-05-17 (May 17, 2007)
CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES MAY STALL UNDER DECELERATION DUE TO AN IMPROPER SETTING OF THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (ECU).
Consequence: THIS COULD CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH, RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ECU WITH ONE THAT CONTAINS REVISED SETTINGS THAT WILL ADDRESS THE ENGINE STALLING. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KAWASAKI AT 1-866-802-9381.
NHTSA campaign record ↗08V114000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Reported: 2008-03-11 (March 11, 2008)
KAWASAKI IS RECALLING 31,789 VULCAN 900 CLASSIC, CUSTOM AND CLASSIC LT MODELS, MY 2006 VN900B6F, VN900B6FL, VN900D6F, VN900D6FL, MY 2007 VN900B7F, VN900B7FL, VN900C7F, VN900C7FL, VN900D7F, VN900D7FL, MY 2008 VN900B8F, VN900B8FL, VN900C8F, VN900D8F AND VN900D8FL MOTORCYCLES. THE FUEL HOSE MAY NOT BE PROPERLY CONNECTED TO THE FUEL INJECTOR DELIVERY PIPE.
Consequence: CONTINUED USE OF THE MOTORCYCLE CAN RESULT IN THE FUEL HOSE COMING OFF, CREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUEL LEAK WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE OR EXPLOSION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL HOSE CONNECTION AT THE FUEL INJECTOR AND FUEL PUMP AND WILL REPLACE THE FUEL HOSE IF THE JOINT LOCK IS FOUND TO BE DAMAGED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KAWASAKI AT 1-866-802-9381.
NHTSA campaign record ↗