Kawasaki Nomad reviews

Well, I've now clocked over 30,000 miles on the bike and all have been a pleasure. I have done over 400 in a day with no effects at all. I have added a few after-market accessories now. Show less

Back in 2008 I bought a Honda Shadow Aero 750 as my first bike. I outgrew it and moved up to the 1700 Nomad. All I can say is WOW! I have had it almost a month now and have ridden almost a 1000 miles. What a difference in performance and comfort. My wife loves the ride and comfort of the passenger seat, backrest and floorboards. I love the slow speed handling, as good or better than my 750! Does the curves as well as the 750 but feels more solid. Rode 280 miles one evening and felt great. Solid, easy to ride, comfort. Great Bike! Show less

Wow! What a great bike. I have 3500 miles on it and have not been disappointed yet. The Nomad is great on country roads or interstate. The only problem that I have is when changing from 1st to 2nd gear, it's LOUD. When you are at a stoplight the heat coming up from the motor is hot. I had the heat shield that Kawasaki put on for free. Problem gone!! I ride the bike to work and long rides I would recommend this bike to anyone. Show less

I've had my new Nomad for about 10 days now and have managed to put on about 800 km so far. It's replacing a 900 Custom that I recently sold. Other than some running noises that I'm not used to hearing, it's a great bike. Lots of power and the fuel economy isn't bad (Between 45 and 50 mpg). It just purrs along when cruising on the highway and it is very comfortable. The cruise control is sweet and works great. And at slow speed the bike handles like a dream. I actually think that this 832 lb bike handles better in the parking lot than my 900. Figure that one out. The lockable saddle bags are huge and will be great for weekend getaways. And if you're into computerized displays you probably won't be disappointed. You get the regular odometer plus two trip odometers, a "what gear am I in" indicator, a variety of different fuel economy displays, a clock, and I suspect some sort of clever warning when you start getting low on fuel. I haven't gotten there yet. Back to the noise. I'm really only comparing it to my 900 Custom which was just a super bike, but not really suited for two up on the highway. I never heard any noises coming from it. Mind you, it didn't have a windshield either and that may be the issue. I rode a Victory Cross Roads and I thought it had a lot of running noises such as tranny whine. A friend of mine has a Suzuki C90T and he says he can hear all kinds of noises from his bike. I was riding an HD Heritage and I heard some scary noises coming from it. I guess what I'm saying, is that I don't care for the noises that I hear, but it's probably nothing unusual and probably nothing to be concerned with. So if you're thinking about getting a Nomad, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Show less

Very good, reliable and strong bike with a certain retro look and feeling in a modern package. I get a lot of compliments everywhere I go with her. The only thing I do not like that much is the low gas mileage, true, I ride fast... Very ergonomic off the shelf, I sat on a stock Road King and immediately wanted to change the seat, bar, etc - the Nomad feels cozy compared to a few bikes. I just simply love her - as the last year of her production I can feel that it is a well thought through bike. Show less

Upgraded from my 2007 Vulcan 900 Classic. With the 900 I always felt my arms were stretched too far out and the bike was too unbalanced in slow speed turns. WOW what a difference!!! The seating position of the Nomad is so much more comfortable and amazingly it feels much lighter than the 900 in turns, especially in slow speed turns. My turning radius is much tighter and smoother. I only notice the 200 lbs difference in weight when I first stand the bike up. The balance is awesome, the power exceptional. The seat is a 100 times more comfortable than the 900. After a long day sitting behind a desk, I ride an hour from work to home each evening. My neck and shoulders would ache from the 900, but now I don't have any of the tenseness from fighting the bike. The Nomad is a truly awesome ride. Short passengers beware... wife is only 5' and her feet don't reach the passenger floor boards...not comfortable on long rides. Bought a set of Kuryakyn off-set foot pegs to attach to the rear highway bar. Will test them out on the next long ride. Show less

I have ridden over 3000 miles on city, country roads and on the highway for a long three day trip. This motorcycle continues to perform extremely well. It has ample power, acceleration, and cruises easily at 120 km (78/mph) in 5th gear, with a 6th gear still available. Cruise control is so good that I will not own another motorcycle without it. The Nomad loves sweeping turns and handles like a much lighter bike at slow speeds in parking lots. Concerns about the bags are unfounded. They hold lots, are easy to access, and while they may appear to be made of thin material, are actually quite strong and flex a little, which is a good thing. The seat was fine on an eight hour ride, but I would like more room. The sitting position is more towards the standard ride. Overall I am very pleased. Show less

If ever there was standard for perfection, in my humble opinion the Vulcan is one to set the bar. The bike really is a fire and forget crusing platform. Handling is effortless and intuitive. Plenty of power at the top end and pulls like a tractor mountain climbing. I've never had a moment of dullness on the road. Bikes like this are the thing that made us want to ride. Think for a moment of that first time a big v twin rumbled past you as a child, and you thought...Someday! Someday! Show less

My Wife and I took a road trip from Roland OK. to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico September 2009. We had the time of our lives. Our new Kawasaki 1700 Nomad performed excellent. Show less

Only had the bike for 500 miles....but I like the ride. It is smooth and powerful. Show less