Impressions of the 1700 Classic (No Nomads in yet)

[strobe]

I will start by saying I am 6'4" tall so that plays into every vehicle I buy. I will also say I was quite excited when I saw the first pictures of the new Vulcans.

My local dealer had a 1700 Classic LT today, which the dealer says is basically the same as the Nomad, just like the 1600's were. I decided to have a seat and see what I thought of the bike and honestly was not overly impressed.

The entire bike felt a lot smaller and lighter than the old Classic, but that could be a center of gravity change on the bike I guess. The floorboards seemed further back, kind of compressing the riding position and I seemed to be higher in the seat than before. The smaller tank and the way the seat extends up the tank are also strange to say the least. The rake on the front also seems to have decreased, though I am not positive but it sure felt that way. This will help at low speeds, but again felt very foreign.

My initial impressions are not good to be honest. If the Nomad and Voyager do follow this overall design, there is no way I will be riding one anytime soon, it felt more like I was on my friends H-D Fatboy than on a Vulcan. I just found the entire bike a bit odd for me. I have heard others say that if you are in the 5'6-8" inch range you will likely be more impressed than taller riders.

I remember the first time I sat on the Nomad, I knew that was bike I wanted. At least now I don't have to work on approvals for a new bike.

[dogdoc]

+1 Cory, I wont be buying another one.

[moenko]

That was interesting to read and, as you know, I'm just above your "altitute" at 6' 6" so I would need room, rather more than less. The one thing these new Nomads must excel at is the rear-wheel power (with a noticably larger displacement and the much lighter belt drive).
Have you ever sat on an 1800 Honda VTX ?

[voyager]

I will dido all these comments. Wife and I were at the local dealer today and I sat on the 1700 classic and found the same concerns as you Cory. I'm 6.2 with long hockey sticks for legs, and I was very uncomfortable on the bike. No way would I buy one unless I could move the controls forward. Plus, didn't like the move to black plastic, or powder coated items instead of the brushed alluminum or chrome. If Kawi had just paid attention to forums like this one and just added the extra speed, cruise and more color options then they would have had a sure winner for years to come.

voyager