2008 Red/Black Nomad for sale $7,000

[ponch]

If I wanted a serious sport tourer, I might look at the C14 or the K1300GT (I'd have to get bar risers and peg lowering kits). The Honda has some issues like heat and coolant leaks and from what I understand, handling issues as well at speed that gets worse if it is loaded on the back. As far as linked brakes go, the good bikes have that as well as ABS and even traction control. My first choice in a sport tourer would be the R1200RT. It has the best seat to peg distance out of all the sport tourers and for me that means a lot. I don't like being mr origami when I ride. That being said, the one bike that can do it all and that fits me even better is the R1200GS Adventure. Just can't talk the wife into it.

Originally Posted by cadakawi

Ive been reading you guys accounts of several differant bikes, and all seem to be limited to either BMW or the Ultra Glide, as alternative rides. I am 58 and have been around the block as far as ridden lots of bike types.
My friends have multiple rides parked in the stable, of which Ive ridden the nostalgic, Harleys, and
several others (V Strom,etc) So I dont claim to be no expert....However..Have you folks ever ridden an
ST 1300 Honda? You talk about a smoooth , fast, handling, all around fun rocket ship, that can bring home the groceries and double as a sport bike.
And every bike out there should have linked ABS brakes. More than once Ive had to get on the binders HARD with the Nomad......nearly swapping the back end with the front...and not going down.
A very scarry situation indeed ! With the ST...Ive had my gal on the back, when an emergency situation occurred....Grabbing the front brake with all I had...she slammed into my back...the bike scrubbed off speed like a banchy....no skidding...and the day was saved. Try doing that on my Nomad..Forget it !!
Driving the Nomad is like the Cadallac tractor...Driving the ST...The Ferrari.
Seriously....Go take an ST out for a test ride....Visit STOwners.com forum....You guys are missing out on one reliable and long term machine. Setting my Brakeaway cruise control at 100mph, is like puuting along at 60, on the Nomad.
And when you get to some winding roads....The smile factor alone will tell the tale.

[cadakawi]

Its funny how some small issues get blown out of purportion.
Take the high speed issue....TOTAL MITH...Some cops in England, who most likely loaded it to the hilt, and most likely heavey on one side...get one guy in the force who reported his bad experience...and they shut down the ST"s for their force.."Under investigation"
If that were the "Real Deal".....Why would hundreds of police Depts. in California, still be ordering them AND riding them. MYTH # "BUSTED"

#2 Heat issues There are a few riders in a list of ten thousand, or more, members of STOwners.com...that complain of excess heat.
Personnally...Mine was over warm during break in, but has since been fairly mellow compared to an air cooled fire box like a Harley.
Again...Ive owned Harleys..and driven plenty of them.
More noticeable is that every portion of your legs, from the waist to the toe tips, are behind a fairing. This alows much cooler temps to be riden in.
(A BIG plus in areas where you might put your bike away at the first sign of winter) Having no air blasting cold on your legs (and rain) is a big plus,
and with that, a warmer feel to these areas gives rise to first time buyers thinking they are getting their feet roasted.
The VAST majority of ST's.....Do NOT run hot! (check the forums)

#3. Coolant leaking Blown out of purportion again.
A specific year or two...Some bikes did develope coolant leaks.
Thats what warrantys are for. Not all bikes in those specific years devel-
-ope coolant leaks. My 06 has been flawless.

In some years of Nomads...there were non metallic oil pump gears installed......If you were lucky, you got Kawi warranty to fix it.

My point here is...So many people think that BMW has a corner on reliability and handling. And so many people take one article from a
magazine author test rider, and think.."This must be gosple truth!" and
they pass this miss information on to every friend they know. Pretty soon
all of Iowa (or any area) thinks along the same lines....and it all came from
one test rider in a magazine.......Good God !

Listen to the mass owners...Some have a Concourse and an ST in their garage. Others have a GS and an ST, and wouldnt give up either one.

The ST is a phenominally capable machine. Ever try keeping up with a Goldwing on the open hyway...same deal here. And corners like a sport bike. Before you write off the ST....Read into the forums one night.
You might be surprized at how quickly those rumors disapear, and how
many thousands ( from other countrys as well).... know the secret.

[ponch]

Even if what you say is true, I wouldn't get the ST for the same reasons I wouldn't get the C14: Ergonomics. I'd have to modify it to be able to ride it more than a short distance. As far as keeping up with a goldwing on the highway, there is another tourer that can (and is faster actually) and sport tourers that can as well. That being said, for me, I have to be comfortable, and that knocks a lot of bikes out of contention and yet the search goes on...

Originally Posted by cadakawi

Its funny how some small issues get blown out of purportion.
Take the high speed issue....TOTAL MITH...Some cops in England, who most likely loaded it to the hilt, and most likely heavey on one side...get one guy in the force who reported his bad experience...and they shut down the ST"s for their force.."Under investigation"
If that were the "Real Deal".....Why would hundreds of police Depts. in California, still be ordering them AND riding them. MYTH # "BUSTED"

#2 Heat issues There are a few riders in a list of ten thousand, or more, members of STOwners.com...that complain of excess heat.
Personnally...Mine was over warm during break in, but has since been fairly mellow compared to an air cooled fire box like a Harley.
Again...Ive owned Harleys..and driven plenty of them.
More noticeable is that every portion of your legs, from the waist to the toe tips, are behind a fairing. This alows much cooler temps to be riden in.
(A BIG plus in areas where you might put your bike away at the first sign of winter) Having no air blasting cold on your legs (and rain) is a big plus,
and with that, a warmer feel to these areas gives rise to first time buyers thinking they are getting their feet roasted.
The VAST majority of ST's.....Do NOT run hot! (check the forums)

#3. Coolant leaking Blown out of purportion again.
A specific year or two...Some bikes did develope coolant leaks.
Thats what warrantys are for. Not all bikes in those specific years devel-
-ope coolant leaks. My 06 has been flawless.

In some years of Nomads...there were non metallic oil pump gears installed......If you were lucky, you got Kawi warranty to fix it.

My point here is...So many people think that BMW has a corner on reliability and handling. And so many people take one article from a
magazine author test rider, and think.."This must be gosple truth!" and
they pass this miss information on to every friend they know. Pretty soon
all of Iowa (or any area) thinks along the same lines....and it all came from
one test rider in a magazine.......Good God !

Listen to the mass owners...Some have a Concourse and an ST in their garage. Others have a GS and an ST, and wouldnt give up either one.

The ST is a phenominally capable machine. Ever try keeping up with a Goldwing on the open hyway...same deal here. And corners like a sport bike. Before you write off the ST....Read into the forums one night.
You might be surprized at how quickly those rumors disapear, and how
many thousands ( from other countrys as well).... know the secret.

[cadakawi]

Oh .....I forgot to adress the foot peg higth issue you mentioned at the top of your post.
I am 6'1"...about 178 lbs....Long in the inseam (34") Honda has three hight adjustment positions for the rider. The top one (for me) makes it so i dont have to go far to a standing position, while at a light.
This is really nice for me ! The Nomad....You have to come out of a sitting position...(like a chair)
My one piece Corbin seat is adjusted to the top...for this reason.
"Id have to get risers".....A poll was cast on STriders.com....some swear without them...some like a tiny bit
more higth and a skoatch back. Theres NOT a HUGE differance...just an adjustment.
With that said.....How many add ons have you added to your Nomad? Id love to have the ching I threw at my Nomad.
If you've got an uncle, or friend...who has one of these rocket ships without wings...ask him if you can swap bikes during a ride. Research forums before drawing conclusions based on magazines.
And above all.............Enjoy the ride you own today.....Im buzzing down the freeway today, after watching a SWATT competition, and pass three riders. The somewhat overweight lady was crusing on her VStar with just a knitted sweater over her light shirt, while her friend (or hubbie) followed on his sport bike...IN FULL RIDING ARMOUR !! To each his own. Have a good one today ! Peace Bro !

[ponch]

And for the record, I don't care what Iowans think. If I did, I'd be riding a HD. That seems to be the dominant brand here.

Originally Posted by cadakawi

Its funny how some small issues get blown out of purportion.
Take the high speed issue....TOTAL MITH...Some cops in England, who most likely loaded it to the hilt, and most likely heavey on one side...get one guy in the force who reported his bad experience...and they shut down the ST"s for their force.."Under investigation"
If that were the "Real Deal".....Why would hundreds of police Depts. in California, still be ordering them AND riding them. MYTH # "BUSTED"

#2 Heat issues There are a few riders in a list of ten thousand, or more, members of STOwners.com...that complain of excess heat.
Personnally...Mine was over warm during break in, but has since been fairly mellow compared to an air cooled fire box like a Harley.
Again...Ive owned Harleys..and driven plenty of them.
More noticeable is that every portion of your legs, from the waist to the toe tips, are behind a fairing. This alows much cooler temps to be riden in.
(A BIG plus in areas where you might put your bike away at the first sign of winter) Having no air blasting cold on your legs (and rain) is a big plus,
and with that, a warmer feel to these areas gives rise to first time buyers thinking they are getting their feet roasted.
The VAST majority of ST's.....Do NOT run hot! (check the forums)

#3. Coolant leaking Blown out of purportion again.
A specific year or two...Some bikes did develope coolant leaks.
Thats what warrantys are for. Not all bikes in those specific years devel-
-ope coolant leaks. My 06 has been flawless.

In some years of Nomads...there were non metallic oil pump gears installed......If you were lucky, you got Kawi warranty to fix it.

My point here is...So many people think that BMW has a corner on reliability and handling. And so many people take one article from a
magazine author test rider, and think.."This must be gosple truth!" and
they pass this miss information on to every friend they know. Pretty soon
all of Iowa (or any area) thinks along the same lines....and it all came from
one test rider in a magazine.......Good God !

Listen to the mass owners...Some have a Concourse and an ST in their garage. Others have a GS and an ST, and wouldnt give up either one.

The ST is a phenominally capable machine. Ever try keeping up with a Goldwing on the open hyway...same deal here. And corners like a sport bike. Before you write off the ST....Read into the forums one night.
You might be surprized at how quickly those rumors disapear, and how
many thousands ( from other countrys as well).... know the secret.

[Loafer]

I've test ridden the ST1300 on two occasions, at Americade '08 and '09. I have a friend who bought a '05 last year. I've ridden his numerous times. I think it's a great ride, easy to use switchgear. But when I look at it, it doesn't make me feel like I have to own one. If your heart doesn't race looking at it, don't race to the shop to buy one.

[cadakawi]

It funny how prudent...and somewhat one sided we get, when talking ergonomics.
I went on an 8 day cruise, with four others.....all differant bikes. I couldnt believe that one rider rode his
GSXR, loaded with soft bags...his wrists were killing him after the first few days.
One guy rode his BMW sport touring bike...nice bike.
Another on a Hyabusa and the last a Honda 650 scooter (little guy) I was shocked at how well that scooter did...never lagged...In fact he led most the way...shooting his camera backwards, with no clutch to deal with. This guy has been on trips all over the canyon states....and never missed a beat.
I suppose there are magazines that expound on the minus's of this rig as well.
DONT TELL RUSS>.....................He's out in Glacier Park
And yes there ARE quite a few bikes out there that hang with the Goldwings and ST's on the high speed
interstates.............My point is...Most cruisers...(RoadStars,Nomads,Harleys,Etc.) ...Are coming in around desert time.....at the end of an interstate haul....stopping for gas twice, or three times as much.
(And WE Nomad owners know that to be a truth.....and not a myth)

[ponch]

I am 6'5 with 34" inseam. My problems are tailbone, ischium and a bad knee. As far as the Nomad I had, the only extras I bought were a mustang seat, cobra driving lights, and inexpensive cup holder. that's it and the mustang was a waste of money.

Originally Posted by cadakawi

Oh .....I forgot to adress the foot peg higth issue you mentioned at the top of your post.
I am 6'1"...about 178 lbs....Long in the inseam (34") Honda has three hight adjustment positions for the rider. The top one (for me) makes it so i dont have to go far to a standing position, while at a light.
This is really nice for me ! The Nomad....You have to come out of a sitting position...(like a chair)
My one piece Corbin seat is adjusted to the top...for this reason.
"Id have to get risers".....A poll was cast on STriders.com....some swear without them...some like a tiny bit
more higth and a skoatch back. Theres NOT a HUGE differance...just an adjustment.
With that said.....How many add ons have you added to your Nomad? Id love to have the ching I threw at my Nomad.
If you've got an uncle, or friend...who has one of these rocket ships without wings...ask him if you can swap bikes during a ride. Research forums before drawing conclusions based on magazines.
And above all.............Enjoy the ride you own today.....Im buzzing down the freeway today, after watching a SWATT competition, and pass three riders. The somewhat overweight lady was crusing on her VStar with just a knitted sweater over her light shirt, while her friend (or hubbie) followed on his sport bike...IN FULL RIDING ARMOUR !! To each his own. Have a good one today ! Peace Bro !

[cadakawi]

Exelant point Loafer !

Thats what its mainly about anyway!!

Steve McQueen happened to love the old school way he had to execute timing on his left twist grip, while shifting the tank shifter and operating the foot clutch.
When I ride my Nomad....its allot like that.....You get into this WW II bomber feel...with its agricultural
technology...and it wonderfull. You know you ngotta do corners way easier than a sportier bike.
You compensate for the longer time it takes to stop.....you know if you applie the brakes too hard..you could skid......Hell....I just put the thing in the garage...caus its dangerous....comparitavely speaking.
On a sunday drive ....along a wide, fast flowing stream....a cool breeze flowing past the two of us......
....The Nomad IS....the convertable Cadallac....that why mine has 59 caddy tailights.

[cadakawi]

Hey Ponch,

I had Polio as a kid.....Surguries every other year (from a two yr old) untill my junior year in high school.

Then I hitch hiked to Ca. in 1970....and laid carpet for 25 yrs plus.....( I know....Dumb ass!)
Then started with down hill mountain bikes (with my son) at ski resorts like Mammoth, progressing from small displacement dirt bikes, to full on 650 dual sports...flying high in the air..to hill climbs in the woods.

Ive got a curved spine and extremely weak ankles...twigs for legs...with atrified calf muscles.
Knee replacements are in the doctors future sights. But hell......theres only 1 life right.
That ST is as smooth as highly polished glass.
Come to think of it...My 2000 liquid cooled 650 XR...never missed abeat either.
Everyone said they are a bitch to kick start (no button) Never had an issue myself.
Of course I owned a 49 panhead, with 12" over front and no rake...suicide clutch and all.

Ride em and love em..........

[Loafer]

I think it's the BMW K1300GT. I like that bike and I would own one, but it's out of my price range. I found the C-14 is big enough for me but I would definately have to put 4 inch risers on the bars. You know what surprised me was the ZX14. It was not bad for the ergos, but it would cost a fortune to try and match the BMW. You should buy what catches your heart.

[ponch]

So...If I am in pain after a half hour, there's nothing to love anymore. I have my own requirements based on my experience riding bikes and specifically after the Nomad. It ended up not working for me for various reasons. May be I never had polio, nor as many surgeries, but I know I am not enjoying myself when I have to get off after 60 minutes. Pain tolerance is not a medal I have to wear if I don't want to.

Originally Posted by cadakawi

Hey Ponch,

I had Polio as a kid.....Surguries every other year (from a two yr old) untill my junior year in high school.

Then I hitch hiked to Ca. in 1970....and laid carpet for 25 yrs plus.....( I know....Dumb ass!)
Then started with down hill mountain bikes (with my son) at ski resorts like Mammoth, progressing from small displacement dirt bikes, to full on 650 dual sports...flying high in the air..to hill climbs in the woods.

Ive got a curved spine and extremely weak ankles...twigs for legs...with atrified calf muscles.
Knee replacements are in the doctors future sights. But hell......theres only 1 life right.
That ST is as smooth as highly polished glass.
Come to think of it...My 2000 liquid cooled 650 XR...never missed abeat either.
Everyone said they are a bitch to kick start (no button) Never had an issue myself.
Of course I owned a 49 panhead, with 12" over front and no rake...suicide clutch and all.

Ride em and love em..........

[Loafer]

[quote author=ponch board=forsalewanted thread=18812 post=298650 time=1284686938]
So...If I am in pain after a half hour, there's nothing to love anymore. I have my own requirements based on my experience riding bikes and specifically after the Nomad. It ended up not working for me for various reasons. May be I never had polio, nor as many surgeries, but I know I am not enjoying myself when I have to get off after 60 minutes. Pain tolerance is not a medal I have to wear if I don't want to. [quote]

Ponch, I hope you find a ride that is both comfortable and draws your eye to it. Good luck.

[ponch]

Me too Loafer.

[quote author=glmvt board=forsalewanted thread=18812 post=298717 time=1284722189][quote author=ponch board=forsalewanted thread=18812 post=298650 time=1284686938]
So...If I am in pain after a half hour, there's nothing to love anymore. I have my own requirements based on my experience riding bikes and specifically after the Nomad. It ended up not working for me for various reasons. May be I never had polio, nor as many surgeries, but I know I am not enjoying myself when I have to get off after 60 minutes. Pain tolerance is not a medal I have to wear if I don't want to.

Ponch, I hope you find a ride that is both comfortable and draws your eye to it. Good luck.

[redjay]

I think there are only 2 new bikes that would be comfortable for me looking at what is available.
The Nomad I own or a Yamaha Venture. If I cant get my right leg out straight and slightly elevated the pain from poor circulation and sciatica would cut short every ride. I sat on a new Gold Wing and the ergonomics are all wrong for me or it would be my first choice, but they are just too cramped. The foot pegs feel like they are directly below me. Because of the flat 6 configuration they have no choice but to put the footrests where they are. I am 58 and the next new bike big bike I own will probably be my last. If I have to trike it one day so be it.