Nomads not popular?!

[Nubbs]

Went to my local dealership today to inquire if they could get me a price on a set of Apes and the needed cables and such. While I was talking with the parts guy he said said the Nomad was a nice bike and questioned why I was not riding it. I explained to him the shoulder surgery and my hopes to be set free to ride within the next week.
I then made a coment about them not stocking much in the way of aftermarket parts from MAKAW for the Nomad. He then told me that was because the Nomad is not a very popular modle................
I thought to myself "really?? then why is there this great website with so many Nomad riders?"

[Top Cat]

Is your local dealer a Harley dealer. ;)

[Nubbs]

Top Cat, saddly no, it is a Yamaha/Kawasaki dealer. Thats what made it all the more shocking.

[Mad Kaw]

Hmmm, I find that hard to believe. Out here in my end of the world, the dealers can't get enough of them. :(

Then again, it does give the Harley dealers an opportunity to unload some of their stock to the unsuspecting.

[kenb]

How old was the parts guy? Was there off road and sport bike gear everywhere? The parts people at my dealer are 20ish, and the off road, sport bikes dominate the show room floor along with the accessory aisles. Cruisers have their niche. But not with most of the younger generation.

[Nubbs]

Parts guy is in his 40/50's. There is a tone of off road gear and sled stuff. He has a wall dedicated to Star MC parts. The only Fire and Steel parts he has in a windshield, some tank bibs and a few bolt covers.
I but the same is true for the other Kawa dealers within an hour ride from me. Very little in the way of afermarket stock

[cactusjack]

There's few accessories because someone at Kawasaki decided it would be that way.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Guess it all depends on what part of the country you are located. As Scott stated there just isn't a lot offered by Kawasaki.

[dandantmm]

Did you by chance ask what the popular bikes are? I'd be willing to bet it is sport bikes. Kawasaki still believes in the stealth marketing approach and their financing is basically a credit card. I know several people who looked at a Vulcan because of my Nomad but bought Honda because there is a dealer that sells at wholesale just across the state line in Mississippi. They offer great discounts and financing with good rates through Honda. That's where I bought my Goldwing. They have a very nice facility with a good accessory section.

Just be glad you still have a dealer. Mine went belly up when the economy crashed. They were still trying to run the place like it was 1990 and the internet didn't exist. Everything was MSRP and they gouged you on junk like tire mounting. They quoted me almost $450 for a set of metzlers installed back in 04. A Cycle Gear opened up down the road and took all their accessory business away which was the nail in the coffin.

[billmac]

My dealer is competitive in prices on both bikes and parts. He told me he has to order his bikes prior to the model year and therefore is guessing on how many he may sell. Sometimes they get stuck with a model but not Nomads. The dealer does have a new 2007 V2K Classic LT still sitting on the showroom floor.

Another dealer near me has an obviously used 2007 Nomad, bone stock and he wants $9k + ttl. I figure he will have it for awhile and would tell me Nomads don't sell.

[Loafer]

The dealer where I purchased my Nomad,has friendly staff. I went there to see if they had the color Nomad I was looking for. They had just put it on the showroom floor. The salesman Chris and I had a long talk about the Vulcan Classic and the Nomad. I bought mine, and I stopped back two weeks later, to tell them that my friends with their Vulcan Classics were all wishing they bought Nomads. That is when he showed me his new Nomad, said after talking with me, he had to have one. He is now on his third Nomad. He doesn't tell people it is not popular, he tells people they have everything you need. Go ride.

[flavor]

I believe that the nomad isn't a money maker for the dealers. It's one of the bikes that people ride for miles. So many other bikes average so low miles on them before they're sold. The average crotch rocket is lucky to have 2,000 miles put on them a year. The local dealer in my area stocks plenty of those. He's also into BMW's of all kinds (a big money maker as well), and small cruisers as well which don't get as many miles on either (good for women or guys starting out). They also stock a sport touring of all kinds as well. (You know 1 st1300, 1 Kawaski concours, 1 Yamaha FJR).

[trip]

It is possible that Nomads are more popular in certain regions of the US and the world due to population. Maybe that salesman is telling the truth....for his region?

At any rate, I've never heard from Kawasaki that the Nomad is not popular. I'm sure it's not at the top of the sales chain tho.

[dank]

My dealer said the same. He used to order Nomads, but they sat on the floor a year or two. Mine was an 06 that I bought in 07. Good deal for me but not him. He occasionally gets a C14 in. I had him order my ST1300. Last year he sold a ton of Vulcan 900's. But then he ordered a ton of 900's. Six or seven at a time in the showroom. He said he sell a few cruisers, and mainly sport bikes and off road. This year I noticed he cut back on off road. No touring or sport touring bikes on the floor. He's in the business and probably knows what he's doing. But at times I wonder. I bought my connie, Nomad, and ST there. However, were I walking into his shop for the first time today looking for a bike, I'd simply go elsewhere. He doesn't have4 nay I would buy. I ordered the ST because I knew him and we worked out a deal AND I had already tested one. Never would have bought the Connie sight unseen from someone I didn't know. SO What he is doing may be a self fulfilling prophesy: No Nomads on the floor, and ow and behold they don't sell. But then I can speculate for free. He has money on the line every year when he does it.

[ndbigfish]

I have never been in a Kawasaki dealership that had more than one Nomad on the floor, but they always have 6 to 10 900s or sport bikes out your you know what. No one likes only one choice and you had better like the paint scheme offered for the year, cuz there ain't no choice there either.