1700 impressions

[dhomoney]

Congrats on the purchase MrClean.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

When I bought my '08 Nomad I could have purchased the '09 for almost the same dollar amount. I preferred the shaft drive in the '08. For some reason I just don't trust a belt. They did chop some off of the front section of the '09 and was told so you could get to the air valve easier. The bags open from the top rather than the side and I think that may be better. Both are great looking bikes. I just wanted shaft drive.

[coachrgraves]

I have the 1700 Nomad, got about 3000 miles so far and really like the bike. I have been on the 1600 for several hundred miles, I liked it as well, but the 1700 has all the things I wished the 1600's had. The 6 speed (I never hunt for another gear), top opening hard bags (wife can get in them at a stop light), Shorter wheel base (handles better at low speeds & no need for risers), belt drive (smooth), Seats (more comfort rider/passenger), Less vibration (handle bars/floor boards dampened), Cruise (works just like your car), Odo, A/B trip, Avg.MPG, Miles in tank (very nice on long trips), stronger motor, combine these to the already long list of good things the 1600 brought to the table. What's not to like??
It was an easy choice for me at least, just hope they are as bullet proof as the older nomads!!

Ride Safe.............

[dhomoney]

I like the idea of belt and cruise as well. I would love to ride one for 300+ miles one time to see if the seat really is that much better. I like the 6 speed as well and the updated electronics on the display.

I love my side opening bags though. I can stuff so much sh*t into them it is hard to believe. I just got bag liners and never have to worry about spillage and if I can't get it into the liners I know I can't get it into the bags. My previous bike was a 900 Custom and I loved the belt drive on it and I am not a fan of the lash you feel with shaft. I think they are both great bikes though and would be proud to own either.

[schoeney]

I love my 1500, I am sure I would love the 1600, and I can get over my concerns regarding the belt and bags on the 1700.

I just want to wait until a year or two have gone by to get any bugs (if there are any) worked out.

[billmac]

Originally Posted by coachrgraves

I have the 1700 Nomad, got about 3000 miles so far and really like the bike. I have been on the 1600 for several hundred miles, I liked it as well, but the 1700 has all the things I wished the 1600's had. The 6 speed (I never hunt for another gear), top opening hard bags (wife can get in them at a stop light), Shorter wheel base (handles better at low speeds & no need for risers), belt drive (smooth), Seats (more comfort rider/passenger), Less vibration (handle bars/floor boards dampened), Cruise (works just like your car), Odo, A/B trip, Avg.MPG, Miles in tank (very nice on long trips), stronger motor, combine these to the already long list of good things the 1600 brought to the table. What's not to like??
It was an easy choice for me at least, just hope they are as bullet proof as the older nomads!!

Ride Safe.............

Good points. And I was happy till I read this stuff Coach.

But twice, I bought a new vehicle the first year of a new model. The next year they came out with a bunch of improvements. Hope the 1700 doesn't turn out the same way.

[coachrgraves]

I was caught up when buying the 1700, could have saved $2,000 with the 1600 both new of course. In the end, the 1600 would have been the best value. I have talked to no one who has the 1600's who didn't like them, I just couldn't get past the feeling I had after thinking about it long and hard that I'd always wish I had the 1700. Don't get me wrong, the 1600 nomad is a sweet bike! I bought a 900 a few years ago, turns out it wasn't enough bike for my wife and I. Probably should have bought the 1600 Nomad then, but wasn't sure I'd like riding again. Anyway, I remembered what an old man had told me in a conversation we had a long time ago at a motorcycle shop. I was looking at 2 bikes, trying to decide which to get. He was sitting in a chair, watching me maul it over. He finally said "Buy the one you can't live without, and hope your wife can live with the both of ya". That's what I tried to do, although I am sure we could all live with a lot less!!!!

[waterman]

I have seen both the voyager and 1700 Nomad up close. Both are nice bikes. I do like the looks except for one thing. The side opening side bags are really what drove me to the Nomad. I love them. Can't say that I really like the new top load bags. Belt drive would be ok for me but I do like the shaft drive.

The tour pack on the voyagers are nice. They seem a bit flimsy but I think that the material is strong enough to handle that. If I ever decide to upgrade (doubtful for a while), the voyager would probably be my next bike.

[drno]

The top opening bags work great. Yes they flex a little but thats good, I can really cram it full, way more than my friends 1600 and just like an aircraft wing, a flexing material will handle the stress better than a rigid one and in reality, they arnt that flimsy at all. Just a departure from the previous model. The lids and bag move no better or worse than the 1600. However the 1600 bags are a bit easier to organize as he can get at things that are packed in sideways like a shelve and mine are on top of each other, but, and I know none of you ever had anything fall out before, but he does and I dont lol. I was a shaft drive lover. But my belt dosnt jack in a corner, or at acceleration, or shock the bike under a hard deceleration, and under a hard accel from a stop or on the go, no what I used to call shaftlag. Not really lag, but alot more mechanical motion to be put into work especially through the torque spring. (I dont know if Kawa use's that) And at least on my bike, the belt is so much more quiet than past shafts ive owned, not that they were that loud, but if you pull in the clucth on this bike, and kill the engine, there is nothing, no noise other than the tires on the road. Really quite amazing. Yes at new the belt was very noisy, but a small adjustment and it was corrected. No extra bearings, no crown and pinion, no oil, no torque anti jack spring assembly, no splined shaft, just a big rubber band lol. To date, no bugs. 3100 miles. Power is increasing, mileage is increasing, it handles so nimble, I cant belive it weighs over 800lbs. Slow parking lot turns are very easy, you can bang it through the curves well, no handle bar slap at all, I tried to induce it under decel, different loads, speeds, different air PSI in the rear and different dampning settings, solid as a rock. That is absolutely amazing. Ive never had a bike I coulndt get to oscillate, cept this one (so far). I do this so I know at what point the bike is going to start telling me to cool it, It didnt take very long at all to feel the bike and have it "talk" to me when Im going into a corner to fast or braking too late ect. Now a week or so ago I managed to get her into a corner fast and hard enough to scrap my first running board and it banged hard and the floor board came way up, lol, I felt it pretty hard through my boot, but man it went around nice. I guess in only 3100 miles and two months on this particular bike, Im feeling that confidence you get from riding a steed a long ways, and yes its a very respectfull confidance, as any bike can bite you hard if your an idiot. Brakes work very well too. I can feel right to the milisecond where the tires stop breaking and begin to loose traction. Great feel in the brake system. So far no regrets and I hope they dont make it any cooler next year lol. Anyways, all this preaching has got me geared up to go for a boot. Ill catch yal later.

[cdneh]

I bought the new 900 in 2006 and there were no bugs to work out. I now have 2000 km on my 1700 Nomad and so far everything is great. At first I was concerned about going to a bike that weighed 300 pounds more, but can honestly say I have not noticed the difference. In fact, I am amazed at how well it handles in tight slow speed situations, better than the 900, and have also leaned it over so far on a turn that the floor board scraped. The extra gear is nice but you do have to be motoring to need it. I am just starting to use the cruise control and it gives relief to the right hand. I also love the look of the 1600 and can understand why the reluctance to embrace the new model. There were no 08s in my area when I was buying.
Having said all this, I think it is not about comparing or lamenting, but enjoying the ride you have chosen and can afford.