How Many Miles Will They Go?

[delivery58]

Like most Nomad riders, it's easy to become attached to these machines. Like most Nomad riders we install seats / exhaust/ risers / "trunks"/ ..... and we certainly will never get our labor out of these bikes and 10cents on the dollar for this stuff if we sell or trade. I have 46,000 miles on my 2003 Nomad 1500FI, but finally have it "set-up" the way I like it.. (Corbin seat, Phat Risers, Trunk....) Resale is tanked (strictly looking at the book), So how good is this Vulcan motor and how many good miles can one really expect from these engines. ex goldwing boxer engine (gotta love'em)

[audiogooroo]

Like you, I have also got mine set up just the way I like it and I'm planning on riding mine for as long as I can. I've heard of a Nomad with 200,000 miles on it. I'm hoping to get that many myself! :)

[schoeney]

One member here has 247000 miles on his....no engine work yet! Did replace the Stator and drive shaft..

Sounds like several have 100k+. I am thinking if I take care of my Nomad, that in a few years when I am ready for the home I can take the motor off the Nomad and put it on my wheelchair!

[macmac]

With proper care before things are broken, there is no reason 200,000 can't be reached before any engine overhaul is needed..

One thing I have been pondering on is the water pump drive shaft, with it's engine oil seal AND water pump seal on the same shaft.

Exactly what to do I am unsure of, but would like to find a way to lube the metal inside between the 2 seals. The point being oxidation happens in there.

What I think the cure could be is a spray can of a product made by Starrette called M1 or M-1.

Then simply pull the weep hise off the bike and with the wand on the can mist around up the fitting to the gap between the oil seal and the water pump seal.

M1 is good for seals and leaves a waxxy coating, which it turn will stop oxides from forming.

Of course re-install the weep hose.

[dogdoc]

The avg person is not going to be able to do his own maint to make it go to 200,000 miles. maybe mac can. if you spend your $$ at the dealer to make it go to 200,000 your going to spend way too much $$. most bikes will fart and fall after 50,000 miles without one or the other. of your your opinion will vary but this is my honest opinion. its just a machine and they do wear out. :-)

[jestephens]

In my opinion, Age will ruin a machine before Use will. I'd get in all the miles you can while it's young. Mine is a 2005 with 45,000 miles on it. I haven't had any trouble that a new tank of gas hasn't fixed. :) Unfortunately putting on the miles slowed down while I was going back to school and changing jobs. I did the first 16,000 miles in the first 8 months of ownership (100 mile round trip commute).

Older bikes with the same miles haven't been riden as often and probably haven't recieved much attention either. Ask a sport bike rider what the lifespan of a bike is, and they'll probably tell you 10,000, even if they don't abuse it. They just don't appreciate how much a bike can be ridden if it's comfortable. ;)

[Top Cat]

I got my 2007 the way I want it and have 40,000 miles on it now. I hope it last a long time as I don't know what I would get to replace it. It is the most enjoyable bike I have owned.

[delivery58]

So where's the balance? Engine longevity excluded, as Nomad riders, and speaking for myself, I could easily spend another $2000 adding even more goodies (list includes HD Fairing, Trailer Hitch, Misc. Chrome-won't getcha home goodies...), on a "pushing" 50,000 mile bike? Love is blind, just through more money at the relationship......she's still a good ride.
Thanks Doc for the reality check.

[trip]

I keep meticulous records on my vehicles. As of today, I have spent $3,051.11 on maintenance on my Nomad since I bought it in June of 2005. That's an average of about $678.02 spent per year on maintenance (fuel not included).

Top it off with the total I paid for the bike, $12,900.00 and that's a current grand total of $15,951.11. Currently I have 47,011 miles on it which averages to about 10,446 miles per year. Do the math further and that's a maintenance cost of about 6 cents a mile.

Kelly Blue Book puts the retail value for a 2005 Nomad at $8,250.00. So, by the book, I'm at a current loss of $7,701.11.

Now, whether you figure everything like that or not, my point is that when you buy something, it must be used to get your money's worth. In my opinion, I've gotten more than $7,701.11 worth of smiles and therapy in the last 4 1/2 years (That's about $1,711.35 worth a year).

I hope to still be riding when I turn 85.... and I hope I'm still on this 2005 Nomad.

(In that same 4 1/2 years, I've spent $3,240.00 on accessories...don't let my wife know ).

[oldbikers]

On the same note Trip how much money have you spent on your vette per mile? I know on Bea's car it works out to about oh hell I don't know I stopped counting but she loves it and that makes it all worth it.

[macmac]

The engine should last an easy 200,000 miles..

Now you might need to get a battery in there somewhere, brake pads, service BF, coolant, maybe buy a fyel pump, and a start motor, replace shocks and change fork oil, perhaps replace the fork springs, maybe a U joint, many swing arm seals, some tires, but all that is common wear and tear..

I haven't heard one complaint about soft cam shafts, bad rings, or seized engines yet.

In 20 years you might expect the wiring harness insulation will fail. It did on my 1985 Volvo... So i rebuilt it.

The worst job of all wear and tear, is replacing the water pump engine side oil seal from the outside. Not splitting the case like the book says.

A great deal of SB riders beat the ever living tar out of their trannys, and sometimes their engines. They ride with poor habits for a long lifed bike. Some of them will ruin a good bike in just hours. Bikes are not made to do wheel stands. If they were they would have dry sumps.

So long as I can get parts for my turbo volvo I will drive it. it might see 400,000 before I am done.

I made a black leather patch already for the drivers back rest, as i wore out the leather there. I made many body parts to replace missing rusted out ones. I have put in countless brake pads, a start motor was over hauled, a alt replaced once. Bad bearing and a bad regulator and it was cheaper to buy a new alt than it was to rebuild it.

The body paint died, so i painted the car again myself.

My 4x4 plow truck has had 5 body overhauls so far, and many other things, but it still goes fine. Body overhaul 6 is forth coming as soon as I can spare cash for some steel.

I but 4x4 sheet steel and make what ever is rusted away.

All I do is make a part like what the missing part looks like, first using manilla folders taped so large as I need to make the steel part. Then I use the paper pattern to make the missing part shapes in steel. Sometimes it take 3 or 4 paper parts to make 1 part on steel, as i don't have any way to bend out the pieces.

So if there is a fender patch and is has a edge flange like a wheel well, I cut the biggest part first and then cut another for the flange and weld iit in place.

Rusting out of cars and trucks in NH is common with 2 kinds of road salt. One kind gets rid of winter ice and snow and the other keeps dust down in summer.

I'ld ride all winter when the roads were dry and clear if ice, but I can't since there is sanded roads and ice anyway, but the salt is what stops me. I don't want to rust the Nomad so I spend all summer making fenders and fixing rust.

I already had to fix rust under the tail light stock since the factory decided no dammned body gasket was needed!

The plate mount cracked that paint and summer salt and rain got in there. That set me off.... Again I found rust under the ft fender when I swapped to a new ft tire.... I fixed that too....

That was before I hit the jeep that hit the moose, and I still need a new ft fender no matter what color it is...

I could afford to buy one right now, but need a new saw instead.

The saw is a higher priority than a fender right now. My old 1990 saw runs good, but these trees are bigger than they were last year... It will do what it was supposed to do for a change and limb and buck little stuff, while the newer USED saw will do what it should do, drop bigger trees and buck them up.

By the time I sell my 06 Nomad it will be thought of as some new proto type like my 1981 xs850 yammi is (My Liberty bike)

Kids take a look at that 3 banger and think it is a new bike of some sort... Some old school retro throw back LOL.....

[bokobob]

ok, here is the way I look at it...I bought my 07 Nomad with 5880 miles for what I think is a very fair price versus book price for stock, and mine is fairly loaded......I am enjoying it and am and will continue to add upgrades and enjoy the bike....

At age 73, I plan to ride it and hope it has a long life, adn with any luck at all I'll croak before it wears out.

[trip]

Originally Posted by oldbikers

On the same note Trip how much money have you spent on your vette per mile? I know on Bea's car it works out to about oh hell I don't know I stopped counting but she loves it and that makes it all worth it.

When it's all said and done Jim, I'll have 17,000.00 in my corvette that's worth about 14,000.00. But, it's all about the enjoyment, right?

[wantakaw59]

Originally Posted by schoeney

One member here has 247000 miles on his....no engine work yet! Did replace the Stator and drive shaft..

Sounds like several have 100k+. I am thinking if I take care of my Nomad, that in a few years when I am ready for the home I can take the motor off the Nomad and put it on my wheelchair!

What a wunnerfull thought!! I've never spied a chair with a clutch and dual brake calipers though?? You'll be a trailblazer Shoney!! Would ya have to wear a helmet when on the freeway??

[Jared]

Easily 100K! Most probably wont make it to 200K, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have.