Stratoliner vs 1600 Nomad vs 1700 Voyager
 

Any and all input about the likes and dislikes of the above bikes.I was all set to get a 2012 Voyager but now am not so sure. I have a chance to get a new 2009 Stratoliner "S" for a lot less than the Voyager. I have always been impressed with Yammy's fit and finish but thought $17000.00 was a lot for a bike without a trunk and a fairing. I like my 1600 Nad but want to get something different and my best friend wants my Nad in a bad way. Thanks for everyone's time.

The strat is fast and the voyager has all the bells and whistles. Except for power, I think your Nomad has everything and more then the strat .

What is your Nomad lacking that causes you to want to lve on?

I am very familiar with the Strat S. Neighbor has one. We ride together alot.

Pros to the Strat.

Power to burn.
Lots of Chrome with the "S"
Detachable windshield
Reliabilty

Cons

Crappy passenger seat/pegs not floorboards
Small gas tank
Loud (if you like it quiet)
Not water cooled (but has not been an issue )
Belt drive (if you prefer shaft)
Fugly bags (IMHO)
I can't remember but his air filter or oil filter is a PIA to get to

He loves his Strat, this is his second one...totaled his first one. He paid $14k for new 2010 "S" just a few months ago.

What is it that you want that is different? Define the requirements and it will be easier to make a decision.

IMO, three different rides. I love the Yamaha Raider. If I ever replace my Mean Streak it will be with a Raider.

The Strat for me was too large a bike for serious riding. Great for the "look at me" aspect of riding.

The 1700 lineup are very nimble for being large bikes.

For touring you can't beat the electronic cruise control. One less thing to think about so you can focus on your surroundings instead of having to look down at the speedo every few seconds.

I would say you need to go sit on all three bikes and definitely take all three for a ride. I never use the full power of my 1700s so more power with the Yamaha would be a mute point for me. I have other bikes for the go fast thrill.

Motorcycles have a large emotional component to them so get the bike that every time you park it and walk away from it you just have to turn around and admire it. Get the bike that every time you take a ride you can't help but smile.

Good Luck.

I originally was looking for a bike that could pack a lot of gear for longer trips ---- Voyager appeared to fit the bill especially with all the goodies. I took the wife down to the dealer to sit on the it and she didn't like for these reasons;
1.Her backrest makes squeaky noises when she leans on it.
2.Did not like the looks of the fairing but she is not a fan of any bike that has a fairing.
3.Thinks the radio is annoying, we had a Voyager XII and we were always arguing over the choice of music and couldn't hear it on the highway anyway.
4.Too much plastic and felt flimsy. I did feel the trunk lid was flimsy.
I also noticed the brackets for the trunk mount are all covered in chromed plastic. The salesman said "at least plastic doesn't rust" I said that's true but neither does polished or chromed aluminum.
That being said, if the wife doesn't like it she probably wouldn't ride that much which negates the logic of having more ways to pack stuff. That's when she saw the Strat and immediately said " I really like the looks of this bike, clean lines and looks and feels beefy, vey well finished." She also like the looks of the speedo and the Burgundy color.
The bottom line for me is even though I have loved riding the 1600 Nomad it is 5 years old now and have done and modified everything I can I just want a new and different bike. What else can I say?????

Have you considered other touring rigs, like HD or Victory? They offer everything the Voyager does, but are better executed and your wife might like them better. With the pricing difference narrowing, the cost differences man less. The 2012 Voyager lists for 18,999, which is basically 19K. For a few thousand more you could have a better executed bike that has better range and possibly a few more goodies, like the QD top case on the XCT as well as heated grips and seats too.

Rode an Ultra Classic and the Victory and did not like either one, especially for the price. I can get the new in crate 2009 Strat for $11000.00

BTW, insurance is way cheaper than the Voyager. Strat is only little over $100.00 more per year than the Nomad where as the Voyager is over $400.00 more per year.I have shopped around and that is the best rate out there.

I have a good friend with a Strat. The passenger seat sucks, but He did replace the stock seats with an Ultimate seat combo with a driver's backrest, and now the passenger seat is is very nice. I have ridden the new (2011) Voyager and Vaquero and they are considerably more cramped than the Strat. The Strat has A LOT more power, and it handles better than either the Voyager or Vaquero (IMHO). I love my 1600 Nomad, but when it comes time to replace it, 1st on my short list is the Stratoliner Deluxe. If I do go that route, I would keep my HD Ultra Classic trunk, and put it on the Strat. Here's a photo of another guy's Deluxe, it still has the stock seats, and a VIP trunk on it, but it does look pretty darn good.


http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...tratDeluxe.jpg

Well it sounds like you have already convinced yourself what the next bike should be. I'd say go with your gut feeling, and the happy wife, happy life philosophy.

I'm still in love with my Nomad, and plan on ridding it for a few more years. The Nomad is an awesome "all around bike". Like I tell people when they ask how I like it, "It don't do any one thing better than other bikes, but it does everything well".

If money is the limiting factor, you will have a limited outcome. While the strat is a good deal for the money, it doesn't compare feature wise to the other bikes and as someone said, it has limited range as well. It wouldn't be my first or second choice for a touring bike because it wasn't designed to be a touring bike. Just saying. You really need to make up a list of requirements in the next bike you want, rank them and chose accordingly. That way you'll make a decision you'll be able to live with.

I had looked at the Strato also when I was shopping around for bikes, what made me go for the Nomad was the exhaust pipe set up. With the Nomads pipes being one on each side rather than stacked two on one side it seems the passenger floorboards are lower, giving the passenger more legroom. My wife has long legs so the Nomad gave her more room. JMHO
Bruce

I was reading one of my magazines last night and they compared a Strat S to a Road King and a Victory (I can't remember which mag because I get so many). All the testers said the Strat had the most power, but it doesn't have ABS (the others did), no cruise control (the others did), 5 speeds (the other have 6) and it was the loudest of all 3 and had the smallest fuel tank.

It just doesn't sound to me like it's ideal for touring. I don't consider any of the 3 bikes tested to be true touring machines.