I RODE A 1700 NOMAD (and lived to tell about it)

[cactusjack]

This is AZ Bike Week 2009, so this morning my buddy and I rode over to Westworld in Scottsdale to visit Cyclefest, the vendor and music venue for the event.

My goal was to ride a Voyager, but I was disappointed to learn that Kawasaki didn't bring any for demo. So I signed up to ride a 1700 Nomad. They had 2 there, a black and a red/cream colored one.

I drew the fastest one, the all black. I sat on one before, last November at the International Cycle Show in Glendale, but I had forgotten how much more compact the 1700 seems compared to my 1600. I turned the key and fired it up. It was in neutral, so I kicked into first - clunk! My first impression was that Kawasaki had successfully cloned a Harley (not that there's anything wrong with that). The floorboards seemed oddly placed and hit my ankles when standing still.

So we started off on a fairly generous demo ride that took 20-25 minutes. Once we got on a somewhat open road, I worked the gears, tested the cruise control (NICE!) and noticed an annoying whine coming from the drive train somewhere. I don't know if that is a characteristic of the 1700, or just this particular bike. I liked the exhaust sound, but this bike felt and rode surprisingly like my friends Road Glide I rode last fall. It seemed lighter and more nimble than my 1600, but it also didn't have that rock-solid feel to it that is the trademark of the 1600 Nomad.

All things considered, it is a nice bike. It is different, however, from the 1600. The 6 speed tranny is nice, as is the digital MPG display and gear indicator (1-N-2-3-4-5-OD). I don't care for the less cavernous saddlebags, but only because of the reduced capacity and oddly shaped back panel - I don't think they seemed cheap or flimsy. There wasn't much room front-to-back on the seat, although it did feel comfortable.

Would I buy one? No, but only because my next bike will be a true touring machine like a Voyager or a HD Ultra Classic. If I was moving up from an older or smaller bike? Sure. The 1700 seems to have a lot of zip, and I'm sure some of the comfort issues could be addressed with some adjustments.

I should say that conspicuously absent from the demo area were Honda, Suzuki and Victory. No trailer, no bikes to demo. HD, Kawi, Star, Kymco, Triumph, Boss Hoss, and BMW were there.

So there you go, my review of the 1700 Nomad I rode this morning. I saw Markg there riding the red/cream one, it will be interesting to see how his comments compare with mine.

[strobe]

Great review. I find the different opinions of the bike interesting. I think it may be one of those bike that you either fall in love with or move on, not a lot of middle ground.

[rflnomad]

Glad you rode it and told us how it was. A few questions though. How was the seat?
The MPG calculator; does it work in 'real time'? ie, a steady hand show you at 40 mpg and when you nail it , it shows 10mpg?
Glad you got to ride it.

[blowndodge]

The power compared to a 1600?

[rflnomad]

Originally Posted by Blowndodge "Darksider"

The power compared to a 1600?

Right BD. Torque in the same rpm range?

[cactusjack]

Glad you rode it and told us how it was. A few questions though. How was the seat?

The seat was comfortable, albeit short from front to back. I didn't spend enough time in the seat to be able to truly assess the comfort over a long ride.

The MPG calculator; does it work in 'real time'? ie, a steady hand show you at 40 mpg and when you nail it , it shows 10mpg?

I don't know about the mileage computer, I seemed to display 35.6 the whole time I rode it. I was watching the road, traffic, and the other riders around me, not the gauge.

The power compared to a 1600?

I didn't get to open it up, it was an escorted ride, and there was a Kawi representative right behind me, so no funny stuff. Although I did happen to find myself lagging behind the group at a couple of spots and felt compelled to catch up to them. It has great throttle response and seems to have a lot of torque.

[pirate]

Great report, thanks for sharing! It will be interesting to read owners' reviews once the 1700 becomes more available.

[rlfaubion]

I appreciated your in-depth report Jack. Great write-up!

[coacha]

Nice write up CJ. I wish they would have had a couple at Bike Week.

[audiogooroo]

Thanks for the report Scott.

[billz410]

And then he tells us his next bike may be an HD Ultra Classic. Oh the humanity!!!

[MarkG]

So here I spent the whole day looking for CJ and he didn't even say hi when he saw me! :'(

I was first out with the red / creme Nomad this morning. First impression is that everyone that has been using risers will no longer need them. Debaffling the pipes most likely will be a thing of the past, too. A deep rumble at idle and throughout the ride. I noticed a vibration shake in the wind screen going down the road, then again it wasn't set up for me either. It is slightly more cramped for a rider my size. Unlike CJ, I did not notice any whine during the ride.

The controls and handling felt a little lighter. The clutch did not have as heavy a feel as it does on my '08. Everything is intuitive. Because it is a little shorter on the frame it seemed to me like I had to dip my head more to see the speedometer, etc. The '09 has a lighter feel overall. I agree with CJ that it did not seem as solid, still it handled quite well. Plenty of get up and go when opening the throttle.

I pointed out one annoyance to the Kawa lead rider. The air cleaners stick out about a 1/2" or so too far on each side. When I held my right leg where I wanted it for the brake and comfort for riding, the calf of my leg was pushed into the air cleaner. Demonstrated it for him so he could see for a rider my size. Notes were taken because they want just that type of information feedback from us. Since we ride Nomads those details are going to be fed back for review. I got the impression they may still make some changes to make it better.

Will I buy one? No, I like my '08 and it fits me just perfectly. If I didn't have a Nomad already? Yes, you could pick a lot worse.

The HD tour is a self guided solo run, except for the sport bikes, just follow the arrows. I rode the Ultra Classic Electra Glide after the Nomad. HD's top of the line with everything you could imagine. It sits a little high for me. I could still flat foot it, however it was a stretch. As long as the Ultra is kept at highway speeds it really is quite smooth. Low speed and idle, as expected, is a shaking machine. With the slower road sections toward the end of the ride, my left hand got numb from the vibration. I like my Nomad and even the '09 better.

Most notable annoyance was the turn signal, throttle combination. Turn signals are on each handle bar. However, when I went to turn on the right turn signal I had to move my hand a bit to reach it. Oops!!! I also rotated the throttle without realizing I did it. Instead of slowing down to make the turn I found myself instantly going about 15 mph faster. Got my attention real quick. Mentioned it when I got back from the ride and they told me about the electronic throttle. Has very little spring action so it is super easy to turn. (I was told by the Kawa guys that if you lay the HD down on the throttle side it is going to cost about $800 or so to fix it. So always drop the bike to the left.) I can believe it after HD told me about the electronics. Just a tad bit too touchy for my tastes.

After the last motorcycle show and this one, I have ridden most of the other touring bikes. While it is always nice to have bike envy, the grass is not always greener on the other side. All things considered; the older Nomads, even the new one, is a better ride overall. The others are just not that comfortable, especially at the prices they are asking for them. It will be interesting to see how the Voyager rides when we get the chance to test it.

I'll go back out to the show again tomorrow. What the heck, it is a nice way to spend a weekend.

[pirate]

Thanks for the review, Mark. It was nice to read your review and compare it to CJ's.

[cactusjack]

In answer to Markg's statement about not saying hi to him, he was climbing on the Nomad and I was a fair distance away. He rode past me at a distance of roughly 20 feet. I didn't want to distract him by hollering or waving at him. He went on the demo ride and my friend and I went down to the vendor area. I did look for him until we left at about 1:00pm and never saw him again. Sorry I missed you, Mark.

I agree with what Mark said though. The 1700 Nomad is a decent bike. If you already have a Nomad, I see no compelling reason to trade up to a 1700, unless you just gotta have one or your current bike is due for replacement. Like I said in my review, if you are making the jump from another brand or smaller displacement bike, it would be a great move. I think I am just spoiled (probably most of us are) by riding a pre-1700 Nomad. When you ride something else, you really realize what a well-engineered bike the Nomad is.

I am in no hurry to replace my Nomad with anything else. There aren't many bikes in the large cruiser/touring class of machines. You have your Harleys, your Victory Vision, the Venture and the Voyager. I consider the Goldwing a sport-touring bike, not a cruiser and the Vision is close to that, but the seating position is more "cruiser-like".

[moenko]

Very interesting read! Sounds like tall riders will find more room on the 1600s than on the 1700s. I have to admit to my liking of the 1600's solid feel, yet I wish it had a bit more top-end grunt (the Vulcan 2000's engine feels like a rocket compared to the 1600). In MHO, the 1600 is somewhat underpowered for its weight and profile.

I will also hang on to my VN1600 but I know the next cruiser will be a large-bore, 110+ c.i. at minimum. Tried a friend's Yammi Stratoliner with over 1800 cc and man, these bikes move to 110 mph without even trying (the aluminum frame takes a lot of weight off the bike), but the ride gets very jittery at that point. I think I just like the available torque to propel the machine to speeds not usually cruised at, but useful in certain situations. If money wasn't an objective, I would probably opt for the 2009 HD Road Glide, one of the most comfortable seating positions I have ever experienced.