Interesting conversation this weekend

[tkd]

I was fortunate enough to escape to a climate this weekend where motorcycles still roam free away from the confines of snow and ice and I ran into an interesting gentleman.

He was in his 70's and and ridden over 156,000 miles on bikes since retirement, always 2 up with his wife and they rode every single day even if it was just to the store and back, so I would say that the gentleman has a fair amount of saddle time.

He was riding a 2009 HD Heritage Softail, which alone is a beautiful bike. I showed him a pic of my Nomad and he commented that he had just traded a 2006 Nomad on this Harley, which he had gotten rid of at 38K due to a couple of problems and a lack of local dealer support.

I asked him how he liked the HD and he pulled me aside and told me that honestly, he didn't care for it. He said that on every bike he had owned, he always found a few things that he didn't care for but that on the HD he had a list a mile long. He also said that to be honest, he wished he had never bought the HD and that in his opinion, the Nomad was a much better bike than the HD. I found that interesting because this gentleman was totally honest and offered that unsolicited. I felt bad for him as I know the bike was at least 20K the way he had it equipped.

I asked him what the issues were on the Nomad. He said that at 38K, the clutch was ready to go, which I found to be possible. He also said he had a "flat spot" in the steering bearings that had developed from so much highway time in a straight line that it felt like he had to overcome a hump when turning. I have no clue if that is even possible, but he obviously felt it was true, so I chose to believe him. He also mentioned that he had a clutch "blow out" and be replaced by the dealer due to and overfill during maintenance that they acknowledged and replaced.

I just thought I would share another story about Nomads vs HD's

[dabull]

great story;)

[landman]

live and learn !

[watchman]

I have met 2 Harley full dresser riders with the same story. And get this: The main salesman for the Harley dealer in Columbia, MO has a full dresser and a Nomad and accoaarding to him he always takes the Nomad when he goes on vacation.

[badnomad08]

Great story. Now back to the steering issue the man was talking about, that sounds just like my wife's grandpa's bike. He had an 05 Nomad he rode constantly since he was retired. I don't know how many miles he had on it, but he had a "catch" in his steering I think when he was turning left( if I remember right). When he asked a dealer, they said all he could do was spend a bunch of money to have them tear it down and replace the bearings. Since it wasn't too bad he just ignored it. Now he has traded it off for an 08 Goldwing Trike. Maybe this is a more common problem then a person would think. Has any of you die hard riders experienced this problem?

I guess it just goes to show that "WE" have already learned what so many still need to!!! THE NOMAD IS BEST!!!

[gv550]

Yup, I've had that notch in the steering, a series of flat spots in the lower bearing cup at 50k miles. replaced the bearings and have almost 90k on the new ones with no problems.

Garry

[rlfaubion]

Originally Posted by badnomad08

Great story. Now back to the steering issue the man was talking about, that sounds just like my wife's grandpa's bike. He had an 05 Nomad he rode constantly since he was retired. I don't know how many miles he had on it, but he had a "catch" in his steering I think when he was turning left( if I remember right). When he asked a dealer, they said all he could do was spend a bunch of money to have them tear it down and replace the bearings. Since it wasn't too bad he just ignored it. Now he has traded it off for an 08 Goldwing Trike. Maybe this is a more common problem then a person would think. Has any of you die hard riders experienced this problem?

I guess it just goes to show that "WE" have already learned what so many still need to!!! THE NOMAD IS BEST!!!

I don't consider myself to die hard or to experienced but could it be the front forks weren't serviced as required? If not, that would explain the bearings wearing out....

Back to the comments: I remember a man walking out of a variety store pass my Nomad parked out front and saying, "this is a better bike than a Harley". I said I didn't know about that, (I did though). Next, he said, "I do", and walked away.......... hmmmm

Good story..............

[glwilson]

My business partner has a Heritage Softail; fully chromed and accessorized -- if you know what I mean. It is a great looking bike -- no doubt -- however he rode my Nomad and stated if he had realized there was such a difference in how a bike could feel, he would not have picked his HD. His wife does not like riding with him on the Softail; and often makes the comment that its name is deceiving -- it is not a "soft-tail" ride.

Anyway; my point is... he and his wife have both ridden on the Nomad and both have said if they wish the HD rode as comfortable as it does. I still however, get the feeling they are caught-up in the "cache" of the HD image; which will prevent them from realizing there is more to riding than image.

[redeye]

All this talk about the steering bearings, from what I understand it costs the same to service the bearings as to have them replaced. My plan is to ride until replacement is necessary, add some grease (which Maw-Kaw does not do) & then the front end will last a lifetime. I might even change the fork oil at the same time...

[dantama]

Originally Posted by Redeye

All this talk about the steering bearings, from what I understand it costs the same to service the bearings as to have them replaced. My plan is to ride until replacement is necessary, add some grease (which Maw-Kaw does not do) & then the front end will last a lifetime. I might even change the fork oil at the same time...

That was the advice of the mechanic on my first Nomad, so I never had the head bearings or the swing arm bearings lubed. I sold it at 63,000 miles with no problems with either bearings. If I had kept it, at some point the would need replacing and I'd only have to spring for the price of the bearings on top of the labor it would have taken to lube them each time.

If I was a gear head type, I would have lubed them myself. I would have had to pay the dealer. No notchiness on mine that I could perceive.

[emu]

Well ... My Nomad is great. I'll be riding the heck out of her for the next few years. It's an 03 that got taken out of the crate in the Spring of 04 and has over 60,000 miles on her. That said ... My next bike when the time comes will be a Harley. Why? Because for as long as I can remember, every time I buy a new bike, I get told I really wanted a Harley. I didn't know that's what I wanted. I have been told that during the years that I'm not buying a bike and just happily riding the one I'm on. I keep telling these people who know me so well, I've got and love the bike I own. But all these people over the years seem to know me better than I do ... They say "Yeah yeah, but you really want a Harley". .... So, I guess they must be right ... Cause there sure are a lot of them ... And they couldn't all be wrong ... could they?

[goose]

Hey Emu, If enough people say that the color purple isn't really purple its really, say the color of black does that mean that sooner or later the color purple will turn into the color black? If that's the case then if we tell ourselves enough that a lie is the truth, than sooner or later, I wondering will it become truth? Makes you wonder why our (once) great nation is on the way to becoming, well what we are heading for! OK I'm off my soapbox. [GOOSE]

[mrghost]

Thats interesting an ya can just about be assured he was telling the truth!!!!!! I`d just hate to have that much invested an be unhappy!!!

[billz410]

A very interesting story about the Nomad vs. Harley. I can understand the arguments for and against either brand. My dad rode Harleys back in the '50's, my brother has a 75th Anniversary Harley (still back in the AMF days) and a 100th Anniversay Ultra Classic; I have a nephew that has both an Ultra Classic and a Heritage Softail Classic.

I could argue and say that I don't have to put Phat II risers ( or something similar) on a Heritage Softail, and tell myself the Harley is great... and then you look at the price difference of a Nomad and a Heritage Softail or Road King, etc. You can buy a lot of handlebar risers for the difference.

There are other idiosyncracies of each model that one could use to promote or condemn each bike, I suppose. As I stated awhile back when I first bought my Nomad, it's the people on this form that had a lot to do with what I purchased.

A friend of mind who rides a Kawasaki 900 LT Classic told me he has just as much fun riding his V-Twin Kawasaki as he ever had riding any HD, and he's doing it for a lot less money, and I suspect a lot of Nomad riders would say the same. There are also probably a lot of Nomad riders who could easily afford a Harley, and still chose the Nomad...

I am so glad I didn't plunk down 17+K for a Heritage, or 19-20K for a Road King. I've got absolutely nothing against HD- many of their bikes have a timeless styling that few other manufacturers can match. The Nomad just meets more of my criteria for what I want in a bike than any thing else out there.

[emu]

My problem is I love motorcycles. Some attract me more than others ... Back in the 60's the Honda 305 Superhawk spoke to me more than the Suzuki X6 Hustler ... Triumph caught my eye more so than BSA ... and I love the look of the old Beezers. The original Indians wowed me as a kid growing up ... and still do to this day. In 1982 I bought a KZ 750 LTD Twin as a stop gap bike until I found a bike I really liked and wanted ... 14 years later ... At's right ... For some reason that bike just sang to me and I never even noticed other bikes ... well not to buy anyway ... Until a 1996 Intruder 1400 caught my eye. And now my Nomad is the apple of my eye and will be for quite some time. My next bike ... Well, the "They know what I really want" reply was tongue in cheek ... although Harley has come a long way and I would not discount them ... But I never really know what bike will sing to me next ... The Voyager looks like it just might be able to sing ... Who knows.