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04-17-2014, 10:07 PM | #1 |
Jr. Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Abilene, TX
Posts: 12
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Abilene, TX
Greetings and Salutations from Abilene, TX. Home of the largest wind farm in the US.
I have been back in the saddle now since I obtained my first POS 1981 Virago 750 in 2005. After 2 months and a lot of overhaulin, my wife and I took our first ride up Ogden canyon and over Trappers Loop in Utah the first week of October. Since then we have relocated to Abilene, and the Virago is gone. In 2007 I replaced it with a lightly used C50T and rode to Biloxi, MS and back (1600miles). I knew I would eventually need a bigger bike for those long cruises so in 2009 I stumbled onto my current V-Star 1300T. Over the years I stripped the leather off and painted the bags, added a tour pack, Ultimate seats w/backrest, passenger foot rests and engine guard covers. Last August my brothers, both nephews and I rode the 1000 miles (one way) to Sturgis and back. I logged 3800 miles in 8 days due to a side trip to Emporia KS with younger bro. Recently my brother-in-law decided to sell his 07 Nomad 1600 for a measly $6000. I flew down to Biloxi, MS in March and rode the bike back to Abilene in 55 degree weather. A bit chilly but doable. How do I like the bike...it's different! Compared to my 1300 it's like going from a Porsche to a Buick. It took me a bit to figure out the difference until I compared the specs. 1300 has a short stroke engine and puts out 78hp and a butt load of torque. I can go from a standing start to 80 in second gear all while hanging on for dear life . The nomad on the other hand seems to think about it for a second before taking off and when the RPM.s come up it sounds like something is coming loose in the engine. At 57hp I can understand why... it just doesn't seem to have the grunt power of the V-star. Cruising is a different issue though. At highway speeds (75-80 in Texas) it's great; gas mileage not so much. I miss the 45-50 of the V. So I like the V because it's stretched out, low to the ground and packs a wallop in town or on the road. On the other hand the Nomad is more sedate, smoother ride and the engine purrs along at highway speeds like...well like a Buick. I especially like the large saddle bags and the fact that I now have a fuel gauge so I can judge distances. Problem is I get the same mileage out of the 5 gallon tank I get out of the V's 4 gallon tank roughly 140miles before the light comes on. As soon as I got the bike home I went on this forum and checked out all the mods. I already drilled out the baffle and then went right back and installed a custom baffle of my own making. I was getting a loud booming riding in town so I took a 12" piece of 1 3/4" exhaust pipe, drilled vent holes 6" up from one end (baffle), cut the pipe down so 1" was showing out the end, polished the tip and welded the pipe back into the exhaust. Now the bike has that deep rumble I was looking for without the booming. I took the steering head apart last weekend, re-greased the bearings and torqued the nut down to increase the damping on the steering. Now no more slop. I also cut new larger acrylic blades to replace the smaller stock wind deflectors. I ordered a Harley knockoff King tour pack with lights which should be here on the 21st. In the meantime I'm ordering a set of 12" progressive shocks to lower the bike so I can get both feet flat on the ground. At 67" I am a wee bit short for the nomad where the V fits me fine. I already took the front forks down 5/8" on the tree so that the overall height will drop once I get the shocks mounted. I'm a bit ambivalent about the bike...I think I was expecting more from it and was a bit disappointed which the actual results. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how a bike with a bigger engine can produce less power than my V that's 250ml smaller. I've been doing a lot of city riding to work to get used to the handling...torqueing the steering down really improved low speed handling. I think once I lower it an inch it will sit better for me especially with my wife on back. It does handle better in slow city riding around corners than the V. I have to slip the clutch a bit on the V to keep from lugging the engine whereas the Nomad just chugs along with no problem. I still like the ride and plan on keeping the bike as a long distance tourer while using my V for in-town daily work rider. Now if I could just figure out how to fit the 1300 engine into the frame of the Nomad...I'd have a Frankenstar! Check out my rides on Facebook community page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas...ation=timeline Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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04-17-2014, 10:13 PM | #2 |
Sr. Contributor
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Welcome from sunny Southern California!
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I love my Victory Cross Country Tour 106. Smells like Victory! Ultra's are Limited There are two types of Harley riders. Those that trailer them and those that push them. The most Interesting Man in the World "Find the things in life you don't do well and don't do those things" Member # 0005 |
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04-17-2014, 10:45 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Newmarket Ontario Canada
Posts: 35,387
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Welcome from Ontario!
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2002 Nomad aka Bountyhunter VBA #27 VROC #18951 |
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04-17-2014, 11:03 PM | #4 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Lowell,AR
Posts: 370
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Welcome from NW Arkansas.
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07 Yamaha Stratoliner (charcoal gray), 2012 Kawasaki Voyager ABS (Pearl Alpine White / Pearl Luster Beige) VBA#2460 |
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04-17-2014, 11:08 PM | #6 |
Sr. Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 3,746
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Welcome from Sin City, USA.
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Oldest Saloon In Nevada http://www.pioneersaloon.info/ "Sin City Stan" Henderson, NV VBA #01004 VROC #29365 2004 Nomad 1500L5 +100 "The Bike" 2009 Nomad 1700 (past) 2004 Vulcan Classic 800 (past) 2010 Cortez - 2011 Crescent City - 2012 Kanab - 2013 Estes Park |
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04-17-2014, 11:27 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: NW Region
Posts: 5,222
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Welcome. The Nomad is like a good ole Lazy Boy chair...enjoy!
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VBA #659 2003 Nomad 1500 (Gone but never forgotten) 2005 Honda ST1300 - Sweet and still kickin 2006 Honda Goldwing - Best Boat in the Marina |
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04-17-2014, 11:39 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: South Shore, MA
Posts: 4,629
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Welcome from MA
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VBA # 02424 VROC # 35971 2010 Nomad 1700 Metallic Diablo Black/Metallic Titanium |
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04-18-2014, 12:16 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Placerville, CA
Posts: 2,956
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Welcome from Northern California
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Jim Diebolt 2015 Vulcan 1700 Voyager ABS The Black Kaw 2005 Vulcan Nomad Sold 2006 Honda 1800 VTX (Freebie) Sold 2008 Harley Ultra Classic Sold 2001 Harley Ultra Classic Sold Hangtown, Kalifornia VBA #2625 |
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04-18-2014, 12:41 AM | #10 |
Sr. Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Concord, NH
Posts: 1,407
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Welcome from New Hampshire.
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Larry Martel 02 1500 Nomad VBA 01565 VROC4737 Patriot Guard Rider |
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04-18-2014, 06:43 AM | #11 |
Sr. Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: magnolia, tx
Posts: 1,500
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Welcome from a fellow Texan. The nomad is certainly no drag bike, but what it does, it does well. I call mine my 85 mph easy chair. I have an 07 slightly modified, and it carries the wife and me very nicely and in good comfort. Now, if you want to wake it up a bit, open up the intake, get rid of all the plumbing, and change the pipes, and install a fuel processor. Makes quite a difference. Make plans to come to the June ralley in Arkansas. And certainly make plans to come to the Antlers ralley in the fall. You can see the worlds fastest Nomad there.
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The beatings will stop when morale improves. |
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04-18-2014, 06:59 AM | #12 |
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Piedmont OK
Posts: 2,207
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Welcome from Oklahoma
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David (Framer) Marang 2018 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited VBA#02245 VROC#35311 2013 Antlers 2014 Mountain View 2014 Antlers 2015 Eureka Springs 2015 Antlers 2016 Salem 2016 Antlers 2017 Eureka Springs 2017 Lake George 2017 Antlers 2018 Custer |
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04-18-2014, 09:36 AM | #13 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Wilberforce, Ontario Canada
Posts: 455
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Welcome from Harcourt, Ontario
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04-18-2014, 01:54 PM | #14 |
Sr. Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: magnolia, tx
Posts: 1,500
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Ontario? Is that one of those far North-Texas counties?
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The beatings will stop when morale improves. |
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04-18-2014, 09:30 AM | #15 |
Member
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Welcome from Amarillo, TX
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Daniel Peatrowsky 2011 Vulcan Vaquero VBA #02024 |
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