voyager or vaquero?

cndfireman · 06-02-2012, 09:23 PM

Hummm..... well i was sold on the the voyageur as the wife and i did alot of two up touring and have gone on 4 day get aways and the voyager would fit that real nice. Now that the wife has her own bike i am thinking maybe vaquero really like the look and lines of the bike but up here in canada i can buy the voyager for less money then the vaquero and has more options. We will still be going on weekend trips and the extra space in the tour pak would be great! What to do What to do. Basically looking for input from you guys out there that have these bikes and you opinion.

redjay · 06-02-2012, 09:49 PM

I have a 2010 Voyager in Ontario. If the Voyager is cheaper and has more options than a Vaquero I say go for Voyager. You wont be dissapointed.

okiecop · 06-02-2012, 11:08 PM

I looked long and hard at the Vaquero and ended up going with the Voyager. I was sold on the extra storage of the Voyager and it handles great!

Skip · 06-03-2012, 01:03 AM

Unless you need the trunk, a dressed Nomad is a good option.

highwayman2011 · 06-03-2012, 07:28 AM

I've got a 2010 Voyager, love the storage.

**bearbait** · 06-03-2012, 09:20 AM

I have a similar situation: the wife has her own bike, so there's no need for two-up riding.

I went with a Vaquero for a bunch of reasons. I thought the plastic on the Voyager was kinda cheesy (lowers, bags, trunk), whereas on the Vaquero the Nomad-style bags are solid and nothing seemed flimsy. I like the Vaquero look a lot better. Also, I got a really good deal (I thought) on the Vaquero when I bought it.

That said, when I want to take a multi-day trip in the Vaquero I wind up having to strap a Nelson Rigg bag to the "passenger seat", and I had to throw down big bucks for the quick-detach passenger backrest to make that work right. I think it is worth it for the clean look I get 95% of the time when I'm not on long trips, but your mileage may vary.

One more point: compared to my old 1600 Nomad, the Vaquero is a nimble handling bike. (But compared to my wife's Victory Cross Roads, it's a bus.)

redjay · 06-03-2012, 09:53 AM

The Voyager/Vaquero is easier to ride one or two up than the 1600 Nomad. Not as difficult to come to a stop and when taking off.
Must be the altered frame geometry.

DarkStar · 06-03-2012, 09:56 AM

I spent a great deal of time comparing the Voyager and Vaquero before I bought the Vaquero, in my case I always ride solo, rarely have the opportunity for multiple day trips and my other ride is a Yamaha R1 so I'd say style won out over storage and carrying capacity, I've ridden sport bikes for years and to me carrying capability for overnight trips means a backpack so the Vaquero seems like a huge upgrade in 'taking it with me'...

I MIGHT have considered the Voyager if I'd had the ability for long motorcycle trips but it came back to style for me, the Voyager seemed so 'vanilla' while the Vaquero gave me everything I wanted and looks great doing it...

bibendum · 06-03-2012, 10:03 AM

They're both beautiful, the voyager comes with more comforts though. I guess it really comes down to personal taste, as it sounds like both would meet your needs. If its up for votes, I say voyager.

**jestephens** · 06-03-2012, 10:04 AM

They look different, and have different auras about them. Get the one that makes you feel good.
I've bought the "cheaper" bike before, and road it less often because I wasn't proud of it. Won't make that mistake again.

gv550 · 06-03-2012, 10:14 AM

I have both, sort of.............
Have a Voyager with quick-release trunk, swap seats with the turn of a key, and 5 screws changes the windshields.
6 minutes from tourer to bagger.

06-02-2012, 09:23 PM	#1
cndfireman Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: long sault ontario Posts: 113	voyager or vaquero? Hummm..... well i was sold on the the voyageur as the wife and i did alot of two up touring and have gone on 4 day get aways and the voyager would fit that real nice. Now that the wife has her own bike i am thinking maybe vaquero really like the look and lines of the bike but up here in canada i can buy the voyager for less money then the vaquero and has more options. We will still be going on weekend trips and the extra space in the tour pak would be great! What to do What to do. Basically looking for input from you guys out there that have these bikes and you opinion. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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06-02-2012, 11:08 PM	#3
okiecop Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: SW Oklahoma Posts: 189	I looked long and hard at the Vaquero and ended up going with the Voyager. I was sold on the extra storage of the Voyager and it handles great! __________________ Brent Y. / SW Oklahoma 2015 Indian Roadmaster 2011 Kawasaki Voyager (sold) VBA #01900 VROC #25609 F.A.I.T.H. Riders (Central Baptist Church, Lawton) MSF Rider Coach
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06-03-2012, 01:03 AM	#4
Skip Jr. Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 19	Unless you need the trunk, a dressed Nomad is a good option. __________________ Skip Mustang, Oklahoma 2009 1700 Nomad VBA #02048 "Life is what happens while your busy making plans."- John Lennon
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06-03-2012, 07:28 AM	#5
highwayman2011 Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: N Las Vegas, NV Posts: 364	I've got a 2010 Voyager, love the storage. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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06-03-2012, 09:20 AM	#6
bearbait Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Greene County, NY Posts: 143	I have a similar situation: the wife has her own bike, so there's no need for two-up riding. I went with a Vaquero for a bunch of reasons. I thought the plastic on the Voyager was kinda cheesy (lowers, bags, trunk), whereas on the Vaquero the Nomad-style bags are solid and nothing seemed flimsy. I like the Vaquero look a lot better. Also, I got a really good deal (I thought) on the Vaquero when I bought it. That said, when I want to take a multi-day trip in the Vaquero I wind up having to strap a Nelson Rigg bag to the "passenger seat", and I had to throw down big bucks for the quick-detach passenger backrest to make that work right. I think it is worth it for the clean look I get 95% of the time when I'm not on long trips, but your mileage may vary. One more point: compared to my old 1600 Nomad, the Vaquero is a nimble handling bike. (But compared to my wife's Victory Cross Roads, it's a bus.) __________________ VBA #00794 2011 Vaquero (Ebony) replaced 2008 Nomad 1600 (Blue/Silver)
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06-02-2012, 09:49 PM	#2
redjay Top Contributor Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ontario Posts: 6,930	I have a 2010 Voyager in Ontario. If the Voyager is cheaper and has more options than a Vaquero I say go for Voyager. You wont be dissapointed.
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06-03-2012, 09:53 AM	#7
redjay Top Contributor Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ontario Posts: 6,930	The Voyager/Vaquero is easier to ride one or two up than the 1600 Nomad. Not as difficult to come to a stop and when taking off. Must be the altered frame geometry.
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06-03-2012, 09:56 AM	#8
DarkStar Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Central Michigan Posts: 108	I spent a great deal of time comparing the Voyager and Vaquero before I bought the Vaquero, in my case I always ride solo, rarely have the opportunity for multiple day trips and my other ride is a Yamaha R1 so I'd say style won out over storage and carrying capacity, I've ridden sport bikes for years and to me carrying capability for overnight trips means a backpack so the Vaquero seems like a huge upgrade in 'taking it with me'... I MIGHT have considered the Voyager if I'd had the ability for long motorcycle trips but it came back to style for me, the Voyager seemed so 'vanilla' while the Vaquero gave me everything I wanted and looks great doing it...
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06-03-2012, 10:03 AM	#9
bibendum Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: central virginia Posts: 124	They're both beautiful, the voyager comes with more comforts though. I guess it really comes down to personal taste, as it sounds like both would meet your needs. If its up for votes, I say voyager. __________________ Keep the shiney side up!
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06-03-2012, 10:04 AM	#10
jestephens Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Fairview Heights, IL (StLouis) Posts: 1,601	They look different, and have different auras about them. Get the one that makes you feel good. I've bought the "cheaper" bike before, and road it less often because I wasn't proud of it. Won't make that mistake again. __________________ Jay Stephens, Former National Vice President (2013-2015) 2006 Yamaha FJR1300 formerly 2011 Vaquero- Black formerly 2005 Nomad - black/silver
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06-03-2012, 10:14 AM	#11
gv550 Advanced Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Listowel, Ontario Posts: 642	I have both, sort of............. Have a Voyager with quick-release trunk, swap seats with the turn of a key, and 5 screws changes the windshields. 6 minutes from tourer to bagger. __________________ Garry 2009 1700 Voyager KACT, sold at 679,465 kms 2011 1700 Nomad Improve handling, suspension and tire life with Garry's Fork Brace. PM for details.
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