"09" 1700 Nomad, Nothing should sound this bad!

[etcthorne]

I owned a VTX1800C for three years before I went through a 750 Katana, a C50T, and a 1250S Bandit.

Shifting the VTX1800C from 1st to 2nd, it was possible to set off car alarms and break windows if you didn't do it right. Louder than any Harley shifting I ever heard. That is, until I learned a little shifting trick that I know use on anything I ride, but specifically my 1600 Nomad.


Preload the shifter! Keep a small amount of upward pressure under the shift lever just before you shift. Gets to be second nature after a while, and when you're really good at it and finding a good place in the RPM band, you almost can't hear the shift at all.


Give 'er a shot.

[rbentnail]

Originally Posted by etcthorne

I owned a VTX1800C for three years before I went through a 750 Katana, a C50T, and a 1250S Bandit.

Shifting the VTX1800C from 1st to 2nd, it was possible to set off car alarms and break windows if you didn't do it right. Louder than any Harley shifting I ever heard. That is, until I learned a little shifting trick that I know use on anything I ride, but specifically my 1600 Nomad.


Preload the shifter! Keep a small amount of upward pressure under the shift lever just before you shift. Gets to be second nature after a while, and when you're really good at it and finding a good place in the RPM band, you almost can't hear the shift at all.


Give 'er a shot.

This works really well on my FJR. Most times I won't even use the clutch when doing it, just blip the throttle closed a bit.

[DaveMc]

Originally Posted by chekako

I suspect you guys ride your cruisers like they were sport bikes, and this may be the reason why so many here complain about poor gas mileage of your Nomads and Voyagers (like low 30ies mpg), while I get an average of over 40 mpg

Well, I've never owned a sport bike, but I did have a Suzuki C50T before my Voyager 1700, and I guess I was used to having the engine revved up (the 800cc Zuk engine liked to rev high; always felt like it needed another gear).

So I took a test spin this evening and concentrated on keeping the engine on my Voyager at about 2000 rpms. I averaged 41.4 mpg according to the digital readout. My ride was about 35 miles with a mixture of speeds from 35 mph to 60 mph. I had begun to be worried because I was never getting better than about 34 mpg, but now I know.

Thanks chekako!

[etcthorne]

Originally Posted by rbentnail

This works really well on my FJR. Most times I won't even use the clutch when doing it, just blip the throttle closed a bit.

Russ, I've never ridden an FJR, although I drool over them regularly. I assumed they'd shift really quietly anyway. I'm thinking of going ST again - I do this every couple of years. I'm down to the FJR or the ST1300. What do you think of the FJR and have you been happy with it? Heat issues? How much would I expect to pay for a NON-AUTOMATIC?

Thanks much.

[rbentnail]

Originally Posted by etcthorne

Russ, I've never ridden an FJR, although I drool over them regularly. I assumed they'd shift really quietly anyway. I'm thinking of going ST again - I do this every couple of years. I'm down to the FJR or the ST1300. Thanks much.

My FJR is very quiet, depending on how you shift it. Preload the shifter, clutch and throttle operation at the same time results in a little, almost inaudible, click. It can be very clunky if shifted like an old guy on a big cruiser, i.e., release throttle, THEN do clutch, THEN drift about 10 ft, THEN switch gears.

Originally Posted by etcthorne

What do you think of the FJR and have you been happy with it?

I think the FJR is, and I continue to tell people this after 19 months and 27,823 miles, for me, the most comfortable and capable motorcycle I have ever owned. Quite zippy. Eats twisties for lunch. But a little cash will have to be spent on it to personalize it too. Things like a bigger windshield, handle bar risers, throttle lock, etc. were still needed to "make it mine".

Originally Posted by etcthorne

Heat issues?

I don't notice the heat while moving until it's >85*F. But it's even on both sides, just on the shin bones. Open your stance on the pegs by 1/2" and it's gone. In traffic, when the fans come on, just like other radiator bikes, watch out. That's some warm air! But it's directed thru the fairing and out the sides so it doesn't blow across your legs. Still, you feel it, but it's not a direct blast.

Originally Posted by etcthorne

How much would I expect to pay for a NON-AUTOMATIC?

If you shop around and are willing to travel some to get it, you can find a new '08 or '09 (both black) for $10.5-11k +tts&d. The 4 yr factory warranty (highly recommend it!!!) can be had for $389 at last check.

Good luck with your choice, I agonized over it for several months. If you do an advanced forum search for "fjr"/search entire posts and use my handle/find posts by user, you can see my notes while shopping and some post-purchase reviews.

edit: FJRforum.com, www.fjriders.com, and FJROwners.com :: Home are the 3 places where I spend my time when I'm not here. Very informative, but they can be rude/vulgar.

[etcthorne]

Russ, thank you very much for the detailed post.

[rbentnail]

Originally Posted by etcthorne

Russ, thank you very much for the detailed post.

Don't mention it. I never get bored or tired talking about my bike!

[Catseye]

Originally Posted by deathwalker

I picked up my new 09 1700 last Saturday and my heart was filled with joy. Now 150 miles later I am almost embarrassed to even be seen on it, or should I say heard on it. I has an ungodly screaming whine to it, mostly when decelerating. It's worse decelerating when down shifting(even at low and moderately low speeds). Not quite as bad if you decelerate with the clutch disengaged just free wheeling but still very noticeable. To go along with this is a positive hard clunk when change gears regardless of if you quick shift or do a slow shift. I am going back to the dealer on Saturday to have them take a look at it, but I fear that I am on going to the the casual "it ain't broken in good yet" story. This is disappointing, I traded a perfectly good 2008 Vulcan 1600 classic.

Deathwalker,
I recently traded my Yamaha VStar 1300 in for a 2008 Goldwing and after some thought my wife and I have decided that we would both prefer to go back to a cruiser. I'm now looking at the 09/10 1700.

I've been reading the posts on belt whine but your description that when you pull in the clutch it goes away is a symptom that I experienced. It was caused by the main drive in the transmission being square cut. It will howl because of that. Pulling in the clutch disengages the transmission and the drive gear stops ergo - no howl. I experienced this on the Vstar and also the Goldwing.

Yamaha corrected this on the 2008 Vstar and also had a kit for the 2007 wherin the clutch basket was replaced and a new drive gear assembly included that had lower meshing tolerance (not as tight a gear fit) and it eliminated the big whine.

Not sure if it is the case for the 1700 but it seems to me the belt would still whine even with the clutch pulled in but if it was the clutch basket/main drive gear it would stop whining with the clutch pulled in.

Cheers.

[motley]

Sounds like the classic belt whine to me, if you find my original posts about this you'll see I even used the word "embarrassed" too. I'd bet money its the belt too tight syndrome. Re the clutch pulled in, the noise on mine was in a very narrow speed range peaking in the 30s, quite possible that while you are focussing on listening while pulling in the clutch you are slowing down out of the speed range. Even if you don't agree insist the dealer loosen the belt, my mech is an independant who has owned a few Nomads and he did it by test and try. Someone else on here with a 1700 talked his dealer into doing it and he said they loosened it to 8mm. All I've seen post about this solved it with a looser belt as far as I know.
Symptoms were identical to your description, gotta' be more than a co-incidence
Clunk on shifting? They all do that. Seriously! More prevalent in 6 speeds in quite a few brands. Read why once but I've got more important things on my mind, trade with China, offshore drilling, space exploration etc,etc.
don't worry about it and I wouldn't preload my shifter but thats me. Its sorta' like slipping the clutch to hold on a hill. Makes my teeth ache.

[ThomasE]

I had alot of hope for the new voyager but I have read all bad reviews on it .And many issues with it from owners. Kawasaki has many issues with their cruisers My nomad was one noisy bike. My yamaha 1300 was smooth by comparison. Yamaha makes the smoothest and best engineered Cruisers. Kawsaki just updated a already updated motor. instead of starting new.
Much as I like the look of a big cruiser they are so far behind the St bikes its sad.

I now have a dl 650 and st 1300 and they are modern bikes with modern mpg. The vstrom will run with any cruiser on a straight road , smoke em on a curved road and then I can go off road andis very comgy.. The St 1300 is in a class that no cruiser can come close to. ANd the Gold wing is what a modern cruiser should be. The sound of a vtwin with baffles is cool. But if you have to go big twin , go victory or yamaha. or your wasting your money

[motley]

With all due respect you are comparing apples to oranges, but.....
Traded my 05 Goldwing in on my 1700, ride a Victory too. They all have issues.
But I'm very happy with my 1700. Only thing I would call an issue is settling on the proper adjustment on the belt tension. Maybe I'm missing something but the engine is "new", is no more noisy than the notoriously noisy Victory engine.
There is no perfect bike but I will come to you for advice when I decide I need a bagger that I can also take off road.
The Victory ( made the leader position on owner satisfaction list) had a couple of problems that had to be ironed out initially, including the Vision. The GL1800 Goldwing is very reliable but they had a minor problem up front. Like the frame cracking in two on a lot of them, the bikes ending up looking like a sway backed horse sitting in the middle of the road, I could live like a King on what Honda paid out on that recall, bike stripped down to the frame, specialist welder does his thing and then put it all back together. Terrible heat problems for a couple of years, eventually solved. Gear box whine. Yada yada, but a great bike. And oh yeah, about $275 labor to change the air filter.
To anyone contemplating the new 1700 in any form, its a great bike sez I and from what I've seen, the majority of new owners posting here seem to agree with that. Victory has a new bagger coming, love their raw power but I am happy enough with my Nomad to not rush to buy the first year.

[windman]

Tom,
I like the V-Twin: that's what it comes down to. But I think you're right, we do sacrifice allot for the style of the v-twin. I've never had a sport bike--don't like the look, riding posture, sound, and especially the 32 in. seat heights (I'm only 5'8"). As far as Kawasaki goes, my 1500 (2006) has been a joy to own. She'll turn 35,000 this week and I've never had an issue. I can do 500 mile days comfortably (after $3k in accessories). I took her to Virginia (from Mass.) earlier this month and I'm planning a trip to Colorado next summer. I have no doubt she'll get me there and back comfortably and without fail.

My only complaint with Kawasaki is our poor trade-in values. Our cruisers seem to lose more than 50% of their value in 2 years. Ridiculous! Not a problem if you tend to keep your bike for 10 years but it is if you don't.

I'll be moving up in displacement over the next few years but can't say if I'm going to stay with Kawi. I'm definitely staying with the V-Twin but I may be going back to Yamaha. If I had to choose today between the Stratoliner and the Nomad I'd go with the Strat. I'll probably go with the Roadliner and put on my own stuff.

windman

[silverspurs]

Originally Posted by ThomasE

I had alot of hope for the new voyager but I have read all bad reviews on it .And many issues with it from owners. Kawasaki has many issues with their cruisers My nomad was one noisy bike. My yamaha 1300 was smooth by comparison. Yamaha makes the smoothest and best engineered Cruisers. Kawsaki just updated a already updated motor. instead of starting new.
Much as I like the look of a big cruiser they are so far behind the St bikes its sad.

I now have a dl 650 and st 1300 and they are modern bikes with modern mpg. The vstrom will run with any cruiser on a straight road , smoke em on a curved road and then I can go off road andis very comgy.. The St 1300 is in a class that no cruiser can come close to. ANd the Gold wing is what a modern cruiser should be. The sound of a vtwin with baffles is cool. But if you have to go big twin , go victory or yamaha. or your wasting your money

you havn't ridden or owned a 1700 voyager have you? while I have read some posts dicussing minor issues of the voyager/1700, it is obvious that many of the owners are still getting used to them and figuring them out, or this is their first Kaw vtwin. I also noted that nearly all the riders that have noted minor issues have also stated in their post that they like them overall.

if you go to the "yamaha" boards you'll find plenty of guys asking similar types of questions about their vstar 1300s... they are commenting about little noises and things they wish were different on the vstars... in fact I could go to the "yamaha" boards and make a post about my buddies yammy vstar... on our trip last weekend the entire final drive seized up and left him stranded 90 miles from anywhere! wow, nice bike! and over 1000 bucks to get it fixed!! he really loves his vstar right now! ;o)

I was curious why someone riding a vstar 1300 would even be lurking on this thread and making the comments you made, so I read back through many of your past posts and noticed a a lot of opinionated statements and claims that have no substantiation or experience to back them up... some very uninformed opinions on the darkside especially. So from here on out, I will have to begin looking at your posts/comments with suspicion... what's your real agenda??

hope your loving that vstar as much as I LOVE my vulcan... oh; and feel free to paste this over on the yamaha boards if you'd like, I'm to busy to go over there and do it as I spend my limited time here... getting useful information about my KAWASAKI from people who know what they are talking about... have a great day... ;o) rick

[ThomasE]

Traded the Vstar for the st 1300. Was worried I would regret it> But I test road that st and had to have it. 1 year 5 months and no regrets.

It was said best ,alot is given up for the style of the v twin. I agree with that. I loved my 1500 nomad. except for the noise After my st the best looking bags stock on a bike.

Wife still owns a vulcan 500 2005. Hmm how about a voyager with concours motor...

[silverspurs]

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Traded the Vstar for the st 1300. Was worried I would regret it> But I test road that st and had to have it. 1 year 5 months and no regrets.

It was said best ,alot is given up for the style of the v twin. I agree with that. I loved my 1500 nomad. except for the noise After my st the best looking bags stock on a bike.

Wife still owns a vulcan 500 2005. Hmm how about a voyager with concours motor...

if I had the bucks and space to have a stable full of bikes, I might consider a sport tourer... I'm sure they are hell on wheels in the corners compared to a cruiser... but I'll never have more than one or two bikes and If I get a second bike that isn't a cruiser, it will most likely be something like a v-strom so I can take on more of Idaho/Montana/Oregon/Wyoming and Utah's back roads...

So now I have to ask a question; are the sport tourers comfortable after 3 or 4 hundred miles?? seems like you would to have to unflold your self like a pretzel when getting off one after several hours riding time, and what do you do for two up riding??? where does your passenger rest their back etc?? I'm always open to new info, so give us some education... ;o) rick

[motley]

Ahhh, the ST 1300. In case Thomas is not one of us "old guys", I am and I've rented one twice, both times in Switzerland, The first time killed my back, had it about 2 weeks. The second time the dealer had agreed the previous year to put on risers so I committed to a month with it and it was much better. For about 2 days . I think if you asked a chiropractor to choose your bike he would always recommend a Goldwing, thinking only of your back. Other than that, its a great bike, with the optional trunk/backrest my wife liked it too, fast as lightning, handles. That electric windshield competes with electronic cruise control as best bike add on ever. Nothing to dislike, depending on the state of your back.

[mz meanstreak]

Am I glad I found this thread! First of all - I have all the noises listed above and never having ridden a belt drive bike, you guys have provided a wealth of information for me. Shifting from first to second sounds like someone's being shot - check. Crazy whining upon deceleration, primarily when downshifting - check. And this all after putting over 8000 miles (13000 kms) on it since May 1 of this year. Yep - I doubt it is going to "grow out of it" LOL But I don't mind - I get oodles of power and torque and a super smooth ride, huge locking saddlebags, cruise control and alot of oohs and ahhs as a trade-off. My brother in law has the Voyager and all the same issues - but loves it (even after going v-twin after having the 4 cyl Venture).

One question to all of you, though - how is everyone finding the stock SEAT? I had to cut mine back a few inches as I felt like I was riding the tank (I'm 6'0) - am waiting for Mustang or Corbin to get on it (have been checking and they're in the works).

Cheers, everyone - nice to chat about this awesome bike with others!

[windman]

I contacted Mustang last week. I was told the seats will be available for the 1700 line around the holidays. The seats will all be one-piece, no solos, and no Regal Tourer (which is what I have now and love).

windman

[mz meanstreak]

Originally Posted by windman

I contacted Mustang last week. I was told the seats will be available for the 1700 line around the holidays. The seats will all be one-piece, no solos, and no Regal Tourer (which is what I have now and love).

windman

Glad to hear they're sticking with that story, windman.....just hafta tough it out til then I guess.....already have dropped a big hint to hubby about a Christmas present....haha

[Top K]

Originally Posted by WrenchTwister

I just checked out the Voyager at my local dealer about a week ago. I am not impressed. The plastic looks and feels cheap on the bags and trunk, the saddlebags are no where near as nice as my '06 Nomad, there's no aux input for the sound system and no rear speaker package. Dealer rep had no idea when and if Kaw was gonna come up with these items. I think I'd lean more towards and ultra classic or a wing with the voyager in its present state.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion - I think the trunk and saddlebags are quite sturdy, myself. Regarding no aux input for the stereo; it does have an MP3/IPOD connection (albeit you have the buy their adapter) - I have my IPOD hooked up to it. I installed their rear speakers last week, so not sure who is telling you they don't offer it - just go to their web site - it's under "accessories". Regarding the Ultra Classic; yes, it has a better suspension and tranny (IMHO, after riding one 900 miles in 3 days), but the handling of the Voyager is MUCH superior. What's important to you? For me, I'll take good handling over anything else.