Need some NOMAD knowledge!

[schoeney]

Mustangs are hit & miss...some love em some didn't notice much of a difference. They are an off the shelf seat.

I can't speak to the 1700's ...no direct experience but the 1500 & 1600's are reliable, low cost maint, and look good. We have had members exceed 200k miles on them.

Buy one and stick around. There is not much this group can't answer about Nomads.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[TS Tinker]

Good advice by all above. The only question you asked that didn't get an answer was about add on/custom parts. All I can say is if you take a used bike to a dealer with $3000 worth of add on parts they will still only give you base price trade in for it or less. Even if the custom parts make the bike more user friendly.

I have not owned a 1500 or 1600 but have ridden with several and they are very good looking dependable machines. The top opening bags, OD 6speed, and cruise control of the 1700 to me make it more user friendly. At 6'2" they fit me fine, but I will say if you are tall standard Hwy pegs will not give you that stretched out feeling you would think. The Hwy/crash bars are close in and taper in even more at the bottom. Now through January is the best time of year to buy a used bike so good luck.

[dhuttonkc]

But DDD hasn't effected your seat height capability. It may have effected your reach to the grips which can be easily overcome with replacement risers or bars with more pullback. Or, you may find a low cost drivers backrest to provide the answer for you. I think an awful lot of owners 6ft or less have already replaced risers. Very few post their vital statistics when they talk about which chrome or bars or risers that they have installed. I am shrinking too (effects of gravity), but at 5-11 with a 33 inch inseam and 33 inch sleeve length I can flat foot the 05 nomad and comfortably reach the stock bars with Phat risers. I wish I had the Phat II risers for another 1inch of pullback, but had been concerned it might require new cables and hydraulic lines. Probably would not have needed extended cables after all with the Phat IIs. Comfortably being able to reach the grips on the highway and in parking lots is a MUST on the Nomad. The thing is a heavy bike and a bit cumbersome at low maneuvering speeds.

[GIBBY]

Check out this low mile '08.
It already has the "Big 3" mods done.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/da...601741081.html

[Gypsy Dragon]

Originally Posted by HwyRider

I own a 2010 Nomad 1700. Would you care to explain the quirky engine and what work the 1700 needs? The only issue that they had was on the 09-10 that was a factory recall for the ECU. That is replaced by Kawasaki at no charge.

I was making the assumption that the 1700 in the Nomad is identical to the 1700 in the Vaquero. I was mainly referring to the intake leaks, the hole in the stock ECU programming between 1500 rpm and 2000 rpm, and the sloppy throttle response that begs for a throttle mod.

Don't get me wrong, I love this motor, and the Vulcan in all forms. I have been a Kawasaki rider for many years. One of the things I love most about Kawi motors, is the personality. Honda's and Suzuki's have always seemed boring to me. But every Kawi I have ever had has had quirks and personality...moods, even. They are also absolutely bulletproof. I had an old '78 KZ1000 LTD that I broke an exhaust valve on, took a pie shaped chunk out of it during a missed shift over-rev. Rode it daily for 2 more years before I ever fixed it.

[Gypsy Dragon]

Originally Posted by GIBBY

Check out this low mile '08.
It already has the "Big 3" mods done.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/da...601741081.html

that's prreeeettttyyy

[HwyRider]

Originally Posted by Gypsy Dragon

I was making the assumption that the 1700 in the Nomad is identical to the 1700 in the Vaquero. I was mainly referring to the intake leaks, the hole in the stock ECU programming between 1500 rpm and 2000 rpm, and the sloppy throttle response that begs for a throttle mod.

Don't get me wrong, I love this motor, and the Vulcan in all forms. I have been a Kawasaki rider for many years. One of the things I love most about Kawi motors, is the personality. Honda's and Suzuki's have always seemed boring to me. But every Kawi I have ever had has had quirks and personality...moods, even. They are also absolutely bulletproof. I had an old '78 KZ1000 LTD that I broke an exhaust valve on, took a pie shaped chunk out of it during a missed shift over-rev. Rode it daily for 2 more years before I ever fixed it.

The Nomad doesn't have those issues that I'm aware of. A lot of riders opt to go to the grips sold by Ray to improve the throttle response. I haven't seen issues with it and haven't had a need to upgrade them.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by GIBBY

Check out this low mile '08.
It already has the "Big 3" mods done.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/da...601741081.html

That's nice but no lightbar

[ringadingh]

Seems like a pretty fair price too. I'm thinking.....

[wooly88]

Originally Posted by RadarContact

What better place to go than to the experts!

I am thinking about buying a bike, which means I'll be buying a bike. After a few months of looking at everything, I keep coming back to the Nomad! I just really like the look.

I'd like to bounce some questions off the forum members...

1) are any years/models especially better/worse than the rest? Iow "look for..." Or "avoid...", etc.

2) anything in particular I should be wary of when looking at a used Nomad? Any "trouble spots?"

3) I'll be a fall and spring weekend warrior...won't be putting huge mileage on the bike. That said, what would be considered "high mileage" on a Nomad?
Saw a 2007 with 43k yesterday and that made me a little nervous. ??

4) since I'm new at buying bikes in general...what kind of value, if any, should be given to aftermarket parts?

I think that's it. I'm really excited, but always worried I'm gonna screw up.

Thanks for any info, and I'm looking forward to becoming a REAL member of the forum!

V/r
Darrin/RadarContact

I have been riding Kawasaki since the 90's never had a problem just got a 2008 1600 Nomad with 5000 miles on it and love this bike, also have a 900 class LT great bike also.

[RadarContact]

(I'm still listening and learning...)

Price wise, net, I'd like to get a stock bike for $5k or less, or maybe if one had a lot of things done already (assuming I like them!) for no more than $5500.

I am starting from scratch...no riding gear, helmets, boots, etc., so I need a little cash left over to get me on the road. 2007 seems to be in the sweet spot...

[RadarContact]

Originally Posted by wooly88

I have been riding Kawasaki since the 90's never had a problem just got a 2008 1600 Nomad with 5000 miles on it and love this bike, also have a 900 class LT great bike also.

How much harder is it to handle the Nomad than the Classic 900?

You're probably a very experienced rider so I'm guessing it's not an issue...so let me rephrase the question...
-- How much harder do you think it would be for an average rider with average experience to handle the Nomad than the Classic 900?

[HwyRider]

If you can comfortably ride an 800 or 900 cc bike you shouldn't have a problem. The slow speed maneuvers with the 1500 and 1600 take a little practice. Just take it to a parking lot and practice.

[R_W_B]

I ride a 2011 Nomad 1700. I'm 6'-1", 220lbs and the seat pushed me into the tank. But I liked the bike, so I pulled the seat cover and took a 4" grinder to the foam on the back slope of the seat. Took out a good inch or more of the stuff. That allowed me to slide back some into the seat instead of sliding down the slope into the tank.

The throttle lag was disconcerting so I bought Ray's throttle dia enlarger and that increased throttle twist response. That forced the ECU to have more throttle in it's face quicker so you get through that area where it attempts to do nothing to appease the EPA low rpm muffler CAT performance. The engine wasn't real strong when it was new with the stock mufflers. So I bought some cobra slipons and that helped some. I bought a PCV with ignition and that helped some too. Especially after I experimented with several map changes over time.

I have long arms so I put drag bars on 9" buffalo risers, now the bike fits me good. I love the bike now. It's comfortable and runs plenty strong for me. The bags are roomy and they lock. The cruise control is nice on long runs with no traffic. It's my 5th bike I've owned (one at a time).

[Netnorske]

I had a 2008 1600 Nomad and loved that bike. One other thing most have to do at around 30k on the 1500/1600's is a cam-chain tensioner mod (lots of info here about it). Other popular mods are fairings, stereos, trunks, handlebar risers (you will want those), auxilliary lighting, aftermarket seats, etc. Due to emmision laws, these bikes (or any bike for that matter) come somewhat restricted and run very lean in the stock configuration. The fix is what's called the "big three". Open up the intake, add a fuel processor and add aftermarket exhaust. Chances are decent you can find a good used bike with much of this stuff already done to it...saving you time time and money. Ask about them when bike shopping.

You say you won't be doing high mileage rides, but if you don't, you are missing the best part of motorcycling. These bikes were made for the road. I bought mine new and put 54k on it....all over the northern and western US. It never let me down anywhere. Adding the trunk and luggage rack allowed my wife and I to travel anywhere. Nothing better than a 7-10 day ride to places you've never been or seen. Best of luck and there are no dumb questions. You might want to avoid asking about oil or tires...just sayin'.... FYI..."Darkside" refers to bikes equipped with cars tires on the rear wheel instead of MC tires. Tons of discussion about that here too. People do it for the improved mileage they get out of the rear tire...little other reason. Find a good 2007 or 2008 with low miles and enjoy the heck out of it!