In Your Opinion Nomad vs Harley

[racinfan101]

One thing for certain On any given day of the week I will likely see allot more Road Kings than Nomads. At least HD has a wider variety of colors to choose from and there is allot more bling available for the HD so you can can personalize it and perhaps make it stand out a bit.

[usranger74]

Cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

And, the bags.

[plumber63]

Originally Posted by ivan

Newer Harleys are fine bikes but they have less leg room than a Nomad. It could be a problem if you are tall. I'm 6'4" and can't fit on a Harley comfortably but I raised my seat 2" on my Nomad to be able to ride it without hurting.

How did you Raise your seat? I have the same issue you have at 6'4". Ive changed to a mustang with back rest, added longhorns to crash bars, and scootwork risers and rolled the bars down. still would like more leg room. 36" inseam makes it hard to fit on any bike.

[dale55]

I have never owned a harley but most of the friends I ride with own them. My thoughts are they sound terrific, like no other. They certainly seemed to have improved the reliability issues and they have a dealer network and support system that is second only to the government! Does that make me want a harley???????? naw I like a good value. Motorcycling to me is a hobby. Not my whole life. I spend my money on other things as well like sportscars and home theater equipment, so I want a bike that looks great is comfortable and runs forever. I found that in the Nomad. You have to make your own decision. But you will be on a motorcycle either way so its all good!!!

[cactusjack]

First of all, I want to point out I did not start this thread, I am only responding to it.

There are those who are happy driving a Hyundai and those folks who want a Mercedes Benz. Yes, both will get you from point A to point B, and for some, that's good enough. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you really want a Mercedes, a Hyundai isn't going to satisfy you.

For those who don't know, I bought a 2007 Nomad brand new in September of 2007 I lurked on Kawanow for a few weeks finding out what I could about Nomads before I took the plunge. I rode the bike for 3 1/2 years and 52,000 miles before its untimely demise on my way home from work one evening barely 2 years ago. I loved the Nomad, and even though I put thousands into it, it was never quite what I wanted in a bike. So once the insurance settled with me, I bought a 2011 HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited. Look at my signature line for a list of the standard features it is equipped with. I'll be honest, I was tired of modifying my Nomad, so I bought a fully loaded bike so I could spend more time riding and less time engineering things. In my opinion, Kawasaki screwed the pooch when they changed the saddlebags on the 1700's in 2009. I don't buy used, so when it came time to replace my Nomad, I didn't care for anything in the 1700 lineup.

I have stock features you can't get on any Nomad, like ABS, a security system and heated grips. You can buy almost any accessory you can think of for a Harley from dozens of vendors, and service is easy to find, You can run nearly any oil in the crankcase because the primary drive (which includes the clutch) is a separate unit. Same for the transmission. I have 17000 miles on my stock tires. I never got more than 9 or 10 thousand on the Nomad. The Harley handles like a sport bike compared to the Nomad. It is much easier to maneuver at slow speeds like in a parking lot. The fit and finish on the Harley is superb and the paint is the best of any production brand. I can't think of anything on my Harley that is chromed plastic.

Yes, I know I paid a lot more for the Harley than I did my Nomad, but I got a top of the line machine in the bargain, and if you factor in the mods I did on my Nomad, the price gap gets much closer.

I'm not trying to "convert" anyone here, I'm just offering my candid thoughts. I realize that an Ultra Limited and a Nomad aren't the same class of bike, but that's all I have to compare with.

One final thing...unlike Dave, I have had no problems with my bike. I did have the rear brake switch replaced under a recall, but it never caused me any trouble.

[ponch]

Nomads in the UK come with ABS. Probably other countries too, just not the US.

[BC RED VAQ]

I have owned two harleys in my day a 79 sporster and a 81 super gulide back then they had problems leaking oil and shaking. But todays bikes are a wounderful motorycle and the network is every where. I think the heritage softail to me would compare to a nomad I have never rode a nomad before but if the harley had hard bags I think they would be the same. I can't afford a harley or a victory but if you can I say go for it you will never know what your missing. Maybe the best bike you have ever owned if I had the money I would try a street gulide or a cross country. But I can't so I bought a Vaquero because it fit as good as any of the rest at $5,000 less I have had problems with my kawasaki but being persistent has paid off and kawasaki is fixing my vaquero right finale and now I can enjoy what I paid for. So the point is enjoy what you pay for if its what you want.

[blowndodge]

Whatever Scott said.. My Nomad served me well. I wanted more in a long distant bike like Scott pointed out and the Victory was it. That I tease my friends on here about it should not discount the fact that the Nomad served me well and Kawasaki had nothing that interested me.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by BC RED VAQ

I have owned two harleys in my day a 79 sporster and a 81 super gulide back then they had problems leaking oil and shaking. But todays bikes are a wounderful motorycle and the network is every where. I think the heritage softail to me would compare to a nomad I have never rode a nomad before but if the harley had hard bags I think they would be the same. I can't afford a harley or a victory but if you can I say go for it you will never know what your missing. Maybe the best bike you have ever owned if I had the money I would try a street gulide or a cross country. But I can't so I bought a Vaquero because it fit as good as any of the rest at $5,000 less I have had problems with my kawasaki but being persistent has paid off and kawasaki is fixing my vaquero right finale and now I can enjoy what I paid for. So the point is enjoy what you pay for if its what you want.

You are talking about 30 year old AMF era Harleys. Those were junk.

[davidhollinger]

I attend 8-10 motorcyle rallies per year and they are almost always dominated by Harleys. I have posted pics of a few of the nicer ones but inevitably there will be dozens of the same bikes there. I have never seen another bike like my Nomad. In the club I ride with there are mostly Harleys, a couple of Gold Wings and my Nomad. Last weekend we took a ride into Mississipi and not one bike outperformed or left me behind. As far as staus quo is concerned I think everyone would like to have a good old American made Harley sitting in their garage for everyone to see and admire but if I were to ride any distance, I would prefer my Nomad. If something happens to her I am far less likely to freak out over my $6000 bike than I would if something happened to my $20K bike. All that being said, I reserve the right to buy a Harley when I win the lottery!

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by davidhollinger

I attend 8-10 motorcyle rallies per year and they are almost always dominated by Harleys. I have posted pics of a few of the nicer ones but inevitably there will be dozens of the same bikes there. I have never seen another bike like my Nomad. In the club I ride with there are mostly Harleys, a couple of Gold Wings and my Nomad. Last weekend we took a ride into Mississipi and not one bike outperformed or left me behind. As far as staus quo is concerned I think everyone would like to have a good old American made Harley sitting in their garage for everyone to see and admire but if I were to ride any distance, I would prefer my Nomad. If something happens to her I am far less likely to freak out over my $6000 bike than I would if something happened to my $20K bike. All that being said, I reserve the right to buy a Harley when I win the lottery!

Go to a Nomad rally and you'll see lots of bikes just like yours. I have only seen one other bike on the road that's just like mine.

[davidhollinger]

CJ, I went back and looked at some of the pics from previous VBA rallies to see how cool it would be. I still didnt see a lot of beige bikes. I feel like this model must be really rare. Only saw about 3 members with it. I do like looking at the pics and getting ideas for the future.
Now if anyone wanted to DONATE one of these to my cause, I wouldnt be opposed!

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by davidhollinger

CJ, I went back and looked at some of the pics from previous VBA rallies to see how cool it would be. I still didnt see a lot of beige bikes. I feel like this model must be really rare. Only saw about 3 members with it. I do like looking at the pics and getting ideas for the future.
Now if anyone wanted to DONATE one of these to my cause, I wouldnt be opposed!

Yes, you're probably right. That is a rare color combination. I had a black Nomad and it was one of many at any Nomad rally.

[davidhollinger]

Glad I didnt paint it black a few weeks back. I kind of talked myself out of it. Hey do you know if all Nomads have the Kawasaki emblem on the side covers. I see the pics on here of them but mine does not have them. Just wonder if they were on there at one time....?

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by davidhollinger

Glad I didnt paint it black a few weeks back. I kind of talked myself out of it. Hey do you know if all Nomads have the Kawasaki emblem on the side covers. I see the pics on here of them but mine does not have them. Just wonder if they were on there at one time....?

Mine had one, I think it was on the right side cover.