Switching

[rickyboy]

Good for you OB,....I'm on the same page as "audiogooroo".... get and ride what ever you like. Me?....I have never wanted a Harley, because from what I see with some of the guys I work with that have Harleys, it's just a state of mind. Do I like the looks? You bet. The heritage look is what makes the Nomad so appealing. But I put my money on the Nomad for reliability.....and it had the style I liked. But by all means ride what you want. Stick around here at KawaNow though.

[oldbiker]

I will save money on the service because I do most all my own work. I use Amsoil in everything. It brought my oil temp. down 15 degrees and cut way down on transmission noise. It should do wonders for the Nomads. I talked to a factory rep for Amsoil when I had my Nad and he told me that Amsoil doesn't break down and I could get 15,000 miles between changes.

[kawbuc]

Nice ride oldbiker. Stay safe and watch out for the cages.
I owned Harleys years ago among other types of scoots. I say , as long as you are happy thats all that matters.
Good luck and congrats.

Originally Posted by oldbiker

...I talked to a factory rep for Amsoil when I had my Nad and he told me that Amsoil doesn't break down and I could get 15,000 miles between changes.

Well, a rep will say anything.

The truth is:

a) Everything breaks down. This is established in the second law of thermodynamics.

b)You can get 15,000 miles or 30,000 miles between changes, if you don't mind pumping dirty oil through your engine for 15,000 or 30,000 miles.

Because a Harley doesn't share oil between engine and transmission, you won't have the same breakdown rate as a Nomad where the gears are literally cutting the oil molecules up, making the oil thinner. This is a big advantage to the Harley.

In theory.

The problem is that big V-Twins tend to pollute the oil with combustion byproudcts more quickly than modern engine designs. And they all suck some dirt as you ride, no matter what air filter you have. So while the viscosity won't diminish as rapidly, the oil still gets dirty, and needs to be changed.

I'm not saying Amsoil is bad oil. It's very good oil. But it's not magic in a bottle, and still suffers the real world issues of IC engines. Also a cooler running engine should last longer, but a hot running engine is more efficient and produces less of those nasty combustion byproudcts that pollute your oil. (Assuming that the hot running is a matter of design and not mechanical defect.) How hot should it be? People say the new Harleys are way too hot, so cooler running should be an improvement. That part probably justifies the cost of Amsoil, but remember that as the oil gets dirty the engine will run a little hotter.

Also, in spite of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, I hear the new Harleys break down a lot less than the old ones. Good luck with yours, and remember that the greatest factor of all in engine life is a loose nut behind the wheel. ;)

[VulcanE]

Really proud for you Wayne, although I do have a lot of Harley stuff on mine, it wasn't my intent to TRY and make it look like a Harley. I love my Nomad, but I really liked some of the features of the HD, so I incorporated them onto my Nad. In my mind, I have my "ideal" bike. To me, all that matters is that we're on 2 wheels. Ride safe, and you, DK, and I need to get together and do some riding!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I really like that Amsoil too.

[dantama]

On two of my Nomad purchases, I could have paid cash for a Road King. The thing that keeps me coming back to Nomads is the six years of warranty.

I may have been swayed over to the RK if they would give me the same warranty.

Congrats on the Harley, OB. Just like some others have said, ride what suits you best, and what makes you happy. I'm happy for you. Hope you and the Mrs. have many,many trouble free miles. Glad you're enjoying yourself. Keep us posted.

[billmac]

Originally Posted by Dan Lund

I may have been swayed over to the RK if they would give me the same warranty.

Do what makes you the happiest. But like Dan, the warranty on the Nomad speaks volumes.

What? In California they only give you a 2 year warranty on a Nomad.

...unless they changed since 2004 that is.

[ringadingh]

In Canada its only a one year warranty.Unless you buy an extended plan of course.

[VulcanE]

Th Nomads come with a 2 year warranty (in '05 anyway ), and you could buy an extra 4 years. A friend of mine has an '07 Electra Glide Classic who's warranty runs out in December. He went last week and bought a "factory" extended warranty for 7 more years. It covers everything from roadside retrieval to staying in a motel due to breakdown.It covers everything except light bulbs, brake pads, tires and oil changes, and has a $50 per occurrence deductible. That's eight years total, and I think he said it was $1200.

[ells]

I got the Nomad over a Harley because of value and quality, not price. I know Harley has cleaned up their act considerably and I'm not talking resale value because the market is still a little confused on that, but it's what you get for the money is what is so completely obvious, unless you're buying a dream and hard to put a value/price on that.

[donoller]

what ever floats your boat .do it

[namvet]

My first motorcycle was a used 1969 Electra Glide, bought in 1973, wish I still had that one, loved that big white floating seat.
Anyway over the years I have had a number of Harley's, from low rides to the Ultras, not to mention the number of Honda's that came and went. My last was a 1990 Ultra Classic. I paid $10,900 ( out the door new) for it and thought that was just getting too high, for a motorcycle. Up till that time I had never paid more than $2500 for a motorcycle. The next one down in cost was a 1990 rebuild that I can built from a old wreck 1973 shovel head. I was a (part time) Custom Chrome dealer at that time, so parts were at my cost. I purchased new light weight frame, S&S motor kit and carb, rebuilt tranny, wide glide front end with 19 inch tire and put it all together over the winter, rode it to Sturgis that summer. Should have kept that one too, I turned every nut and bolt on that bike myself. Things happen, made my last run to Sturgis in about 95, sold the Ultra, finished raising the kids and then retired. Looked at the bikes and said there is nothing here for $2500 anymore.....25k plus for a new Ultra.....15k for maybe a used one from the dealer. The I found the Nomad 2007 with 7,000 miles on it, still has warranty till 09, rubber mounted engine and out the door for $9250. Looks like I am gonna ride to Sturgis, at least one more time.......

[dogdoc]

Its a shame every bike is based off a harley or compared to a harley. if it ain't a harley then it seems to me yours doesnt measure up. This is from contact with riders and talking to friends of course. I started to buy a fatboy once and didnt like the service so didnt. I started to look at a road king but didnt like the dealer. i bought the Nomad because I LIKED it and the price was GOOD. I'll keep my Nomad thanks. but wayne hope you enjoy that H-D its a sweet bike. Good Luck too.