Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Nomad reviews

I had the 1996 1500 classic and the only thing was to put on the Vance and Hines 2 1/4 straight shots with no baffles, take off the bladder underneath, added a hyper charger and Mustang seats. Top speed was 145 mph. Now I have the 1999 nomad, the factory seats are great, power is an issue and I shift into 5th gear at 65mph. The gas tank should be bigger. I removed the exhaust bladder and that helped with power, getting ready to install the hyper charger and Vance and Hines pipes, which should help out greatly. I have over 50,400 miles on it with no complaints. Show less

I rode this bike for 26,000 miles. It's very reliable, has a comfortable seating position for taller riders, will cruise all day, 2 up, loaded at 75 mph. and nice big saddlebags. It is a heavy bike, but handles well for it's size. Show less

It's the most dependable bike I have had so far. I love its comfort and balance and its ability to hold the road in the windy conditions. Show less

I bought this bike in 2008 from a local dealer. The guy that owned it took very good care of it. I have only had it serviced and just bought a new battery for it. This bike is plenty fast enough, it is pwerful and has lot of torque. I have the black over red color scheme and I get compliments on it all the time. One nice thing, when you are on it for any length of time, you want to be on it longer, it's that comfortable to take on longer trips. I like the shaft drive and it does very well on mileage. I chose this one over two other bikes, both were Harley Davidsons. The Nomad has it all over most bikes this size hands down. Keep it serviced and it'll serve you forever. Show less

I bought my 2002 Nomad at an auction w/34000 miles on it. The seller had put screws on the chain tensioners to hide the engine problems so I put the bike in the shop and had the motor rebuilt. I've ridden the bike with my wife and I have to say, it's turned out to be the nicest bike around in looks, comfort and size. Harley riders criticize a lot about anything other than a Harley but being a Harley owner many times in 53 years of riding, this bike blows you away. I pass every thing on the road and the ride and look makes Harleys look like junk minibikes. Show less

Bought Nomad new in June, 2004. 33748 miles now and no problems as of yet. During winter I did preventative maintenance such as greased swing arm bearings and drive shaft universals. Next winter I plan to grease piviot bearings on front end. July, 2006 we made a 3700 mile rount trip to Grand Canyon then back thru the Colorado Rockies, the Nomad preformed great at all altitudes. Have been getting 43 to 46 mpg. Would definitely buy another Nomad if they were as good and smooth as this one. Show less

THIS BIKE IS A WORKING HORSE, THE WIFE GIVES IT THUMBS UP. VERY COMFORTABLE RIDE AROUND TOWN OR LONG DISTANCE, GETS GOOD MILEAGE ON FREEWAY OR LOCAL HIGHWAY. FUEL LIGHTS COMES ON AT 165 MILES AND COULD GO FOR ANOTHER 35 MILES, BUT PREFER TO FILL UP WHEN LIGHT COMES ON. THIS BIKE IS HEAVY BUT FAST ENOUGH FOR ME, NO COMPLAINTS - JUST ONE GREAT BIKE. Show less

I bought the 2004 Nomad from a private party through a dealer in Shrewsbury, Ma. The bike had about 6,300 miles on it and was in like new condition. Now has 13,400 and running great. Being the biggest and heaviest bike I've owned was a problem until I learned how to handle it. (a few drops in the first few months) To help the sluggish low end I installed a TFI fuel injector module and V & H pipes. Nice sound. Switching over to Amsoil full synthetic motorcycle oil immediately made the shifting much smoother. This is a great bike and I'd buy another. Show less

After riding my 2003 Nomad 1500Fi for about a year now, I'm still satisfied that I bought the best bike in this class for the money. The comfort and performance are tops. I'm pleased with the relatively high top-end gear ratios, which makes cruising at interstate speeds comfortable and easy. However, one should be prepared to stop frequently for fuel, as I have only been able to get about 100-120 miles before the low-fuel indicator light turns on. I don't know how much farther I could go before running out of fuel, since there is no reserve, but this seems a bit low considering the size of the fuel tank. Still, that's a couple of hours' of cruising on secondary roads, so it's something I've learned to live with. More than a bit annoying is the location of the ignition switch and choke knob, both down below the front of the tank on the downtune. I can only wonder what the designers were thinking when they chose such an out-of-the way and hard to reach spot. Shortly after buying the bike used with 9000 miles, I had to replace the power control/FI module, but everything else has been fine since. My wife is happy with the comfort of the passenger seat. There is plenty of room for gear in the backs and on the optional luggage rack, although the bags are a bit too narrow to stow a full-face helmet. I guess that's the trade-off for their cool, sleek look. Show less

I have returned to riding after 19 yrs. A serious crash kept me off bikes for those years. I just bought my Nomad used, had 2400 miles and found it here. I am thoroughly pleased with this machine, powerful, loaded, excellent riding single or with my beautiful wife. Can't wait to go on a long ride to flush out any real issues. Show less