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My assessment of the 2010 Vulcan Voyager 1700 after 600 miles

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23K views 47 replies 26 participants last post by  Jarob59  
M
#1 · (Edited)
After 600 miles on the Vulcan Voyager 1700...

  1. Weight distribution. I test rode a Goldwing. The center of gravity on the Goldwing is much lower then on the Voyage. What this means is that the Voyager is "heavier" in the sense that when you center it from the side stand you can really feel the weight of the Voyager over the Goldwing. The weigh (mass) of the Goldwing and the Voyager is about the same. It’s the weight distribution that makes the difference. On the Goldwing, the weight is lower - the engine seems lower, as is the gas tank.
  2. Belt drive. I am not comfortable with this. I would rather have shaft drive on a big bike like the Voyager. That is just my bias. There may be technical reasons for belt over shaft. If they are trying to save money with belt over shaft I would say that shaft is more reliable, this is what you want on a touring bike, and any money saved with belt diminishes at least one aspect of the Voyager as a touring bike. Don't mess with the drive train. Use reliable and maintenance-free shaft drive.
  3. Transmission. I hear a giant clunk on a first gear to second gear shift. This is louder than other bikes I have owned. The drive train also seems "loose" with a lot of play. Maybe this is due to the belt drive - not sure. This is my biggest complaint so far.
  4. Radio. Seemingly weak reception on FM
  5. Valve Chatter. Sometimes, on acceleration, I hear some valves making some unusual noises.
  6. Power roll-on. My bike has only 600 miles. I have never done full throttle. But, rolling on the power, it seems there are some slight "weak spots" - meaning that there is some hesitation. On my other bikes, full throttle from 45 mph or so was smooth. Maybe this is a function of the fuel injection and DC motor operated throttle.
  7. The price is right. About $16,000 vs. $22,000 for the Goldwing. If you want a touring bike and can't afford a Goldwing then the Voyager is at the right price point. The Voyager out the door is about $5,000-$7,000 less than Goldwing and Harley touring bikes.
  8. Temperature gauge. Would be nice if there were numbers on the dial showing the temperature
  9. Fuel warning. Unexpected operation. Once it goes on, it should stay on. The fuel warning goes on and off. But, pretty consistently, at the time it goes on, there is 4.1 gals consumed. The tank size is 5.3 gals. Can you get every drop of the remaining 1.2 gal. out of the tank? Anyone run it dry? The fuel needle is erratic near 1/4 tank. From 1/4 tank the value (needle) drops non-linearly and radically. At fuel warning, the gas gauge drops to below empty very fast even though you have about 1 gal left. Does anyone know if you can really get the last gal out of there?
  10. Crash Guards. I have not dropped my bike. But others have. From a dead stop, one person in this forum said they had several thousands of dollars of damage. A video on YouTube shows a Goldwing laying on its crash bars with no damage. The back crash bars on the Voyager do not seem to fully protect the luggage. I don't know for sure - and I don't want to find out by real experience.
  11. Feels like you are riding something. Going from a Honda VTX1300, and before that a Suz. Katana 1100, riding this big touring bike, it feels like you are riding something substantial.
  12. Six speed. My Honda VTX1300 had 5 gears. At 65 mph there seemed to be some serious RPM's. Since the VTX had no tach there was no way to know the RPM. On the Voyager, 65 MPH in 6'th gear is an easy 2,700 RPM.
  13. LCD display. Lots of good info including estimated MPG calculation. Good to see fuel consumption at various speeds when estimating range.
  14. MPG. I consistently get 35 MPG. Full tank to fuel warning is 144 miles. Fill up is 4.1 gals. 1.2 gals in the tank at fuel warning.
  15. Gas. Needs Premium - Ouch.
  16. Lights. Main beam and 2 fog lights in the front. Long row of ultra-bright LED's in the back. Good.
  17. Floorboards. Better than pegs. Plus, heel shifter.
  18. Positive Neural. When stopped. You can never miss N from 2nd gear
  19. Antenna. Some say it vibrates and falls off. I check mine from time to time. Needs a lock washer. In this forum, some say replacement antenna is about $100.
  20. Needs more color choices. For 2010, only two color choices. Maybe have more choices. I wanted the red/black. Dealer #1 with red/black would not meet my offer price. Dealer #2 had gray/blue and we reached a deal. I like the gray/blue better. Red/black seems a little dark. The blue looks black under low light. In the sun, its deep blue metal-flake. Either Vulcan color is not the SCARY Yellow I see on Goldwings. No Voyager color choice is a bad choice.
  21. Exhaust sound. Pretty good. Maybe could be a little louder.
  22. Dealer Invoice (my estimate based on 2009 prices scaled to 2010 list prices)

List Price $17,299
Dealer Invoice: $14,858 (all dealers pay the same - no volume discounts)
Freight Charge: $275 (all dealer pay the same amount form Kaw to dealer)
Assembly credit: $-162 (kaw subsidizes assembly and prep)
Ready to sell cost - $14,971 (this is no profit to the dealer) (my estimate)
There is a 5% holdback on this bike. This means that the dealer will get 5% of the LIST PRICE back from Kaw at the end of the season if he sells this bike.


All the above observations are my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it.
 
H
#2 ·
As far as your issues in #3 "I hear a giant clunk on a first gear to second gear shift. This is louder than other bikes I have owned. The drive train also seems "loose" with a lot of play. Maybe this is due to the belt drive - not sure." I have a 07 Nomad with shaft drive. When I first started riding the Nomad it that was my complaint also. I soon learned the transmission was sooth as silk if I upped the RPM on each shift. It's always bugged me that manufactures don't put tachs on cruiser bikes.
 
M
#3 ·
I found the same, if you up the RPM on the shift, you can get rid of most of that clunk on the 1st to 2nd shift. The rest of the gears are smooth shifts.

It's been a long time since I knew anything about manual transmissions. But it could be that clunk is the syncros in the trans. Maybe there is an expert out there that knows for sure what's going on inside that trans on that 1-2 shift that is not presnt in the other gears.
 
T
#4 ·
Voyager o' Voyager

Greetings All, I read the posts and have to agree with most of what was written. When it comes to the crash bars (engine guards) and saddle bags guards, They Work! I dropped my Voyager on its right side in a parking lot while making a slow turn. I committed the mortal sin of slow riding, I used my front brake. Quicker than snail snot I was rolling on the ground and away from the bike. I wasn't hurt (my pride was in the toilet though) and luckily my riding partner was close by and helped me pick up the bike. I've watched the "Ride Like a Pro" video and know how to pick up a downed bike, but bad legs, knees and back prevented me from uprighting the bike by myself. Anyway, when the bike was back on the kickstand I inspected every inch of fairing and found zero dings; however, I did have Kuryakyn Road Pegs and the right one turned on the crash bar upon impact, but all I had to do was loosen the peg and retighten it in the correct position.

Again, all that was injured was my pride...oh, did I mention that my riding partner was my niece:)

Don't worry about the Voyager 1700, it will take you where you want to go. I like the Gold Wing, infact I looked at one at the dealers on Wenesday. A tad over 22K without Nav. I though it was kind of neat that my Voyager has Four-Way Flashers and the Wing didn't. :) I use the flashers under low light conditions to be visible for the traffic coming up behind me - rain, fog or smoke - don't need to get bush whacked by a four wheeler if I can help it.
Ride Safe,
T-Rex
 
#5 ·
Different strokes for different folks

myVoyager1700 said:
After 600 miles on the Vulcan Voyager 1700...

...........................................................................................................

All the above observations are my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it.
Click to expand...
I pretty much agree with this except item #2. I actually sought out the belt drive as I don't like the weight, feel, & reaction of drive shafts. Every Kawasaki I ever had with a shaft drive has a spot where the whine was unbearable to me and passengers. Reliability is pretty much a wash in the long run. The shaft bearings may last longer but are much harder to change out. Don't get me wrong, I can tell that the belt wouldn't be much fun either. But neither was changing endless link chains:(
 
#6 ·
I too rode a Goldwing for 40 miles prior to test riding the Voyager. I was very disapointed in the Goldwing. Probably because I had such high expectations.

I found it to be buzzy. It had a low speed slop in the steering. The rider position was cramped with my feet below me instead of in front of me. The power was twitchy and came on scary fast in the upper RPMs. The gauges were too low.

The more I ride the Voyager the more I love it. Yeah, there are some things that I compare to my Voyager XII. The mirrors could be on the fairing and further forward so I could see them at a glance. There could be a light on the fog light switch so I know when they are on or off in the daylight. Passenger grab rails make it easy to strap a cooler on the passenger seat. Vents on the upper fairing to channel more fresh air at the rider. Vent in the windscreen. Luggage rack. But those are all minor things that I can get over.
 
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T
#7 ·
Dropped the Voyager

Picked up my new 2010 Voyager yesterday and promptly dropped it in the parking lot of a restaurant trying to back it into a parking spot. Less than 10 miles on the bike. The high center of gravity did me in. The bad part is my passneger fell into the side of a car parked next to us and fractured her arm and now needs surgery.

Having said that, I love the bike now that i have had a chance to ride it after the ER visit. Great machine, just remember it is heavy, and has a high center of gravity.

T
 
#9 ·
tealkra said:
Picked up my new 2010 Voyager yesterday and promptly dropped it in the parking lot of a restaurant trying to back it into a parking spot. Less than 10 miles on the bike. The high center of gravity did me in. The bad part is my passneger fell into the side of a car parked next to us and fractured her arm and now needs surgery.

Having said that, I love the bike now that i have had a chance to ride it after the ER visit. Great machine, just remember it is heavy, and has a high center of gravity.

T
Click to expand...
Now that sucks.

I like the belt also over the shaft, I've had both and it just seems smoother to me.
 
#10 ·
Further Comments

Hello All,

This is my first reply in this Forum.
Firstly I have a Nomad and in the first 1000km the bike displayed all the characteristics you described with the drivetrain.
I prefer shaftdrive for a tourer too but a belt would have to be the next best over a dirty chain.
The engine runs lean at midrange and resists acceleration, which is where an aftermarket fuel management system is being considered.

Why does Kawasaki have crappy plastic chrome over the waterpump housing on the left. It should be METAL. so you can polish the scratches out. Same with parts of the handrail/backrest, my 1600 Nomad had more metal if I remember. As for the plastic valve covers, come on, thats just plain cheap!!!

A major gripe is the complaints from other owners is the engine heat. No wonder, the engine is encased in the stupid air filter housing. If more air was allowed to circulate and expose the engine to view the V-Twin surely that would be a better thing. The aircleaner also reduces the chance of customising the bike in my opinion.

The front wheel guard is shorter than the 1600, resulting in crap hitting the lower part of the radiator and frame. Not good Kawasaki.
I have now done close to 3000km in 3 trips in winter weather with a pillion and sidecases loaded and one thing that is an improvement over the 1600 is the comfort.

The Cruise control is great on long trips but please give us Larger buttons that can be used with gloves.

The seating in relation to the floorboards and bars are just about spot-on for my 175cm frame. My pillion loves the seating and backrest as well.

What else? A wider rear Rim to 5-5.5" at least so as to utilise the width of the rear tire. Check out how much of your rubber actually gets used on the road.

The shield is too large and affects the handling of the steering.

The rear brake pedal is to short resulting in my foot getting caught, its been adjusted as much as possible.

The gear change heel and toe should be separately adjusted like the 1600.

If this sounds negative towards the bike than I suppose it is, because it SHOULD be an improvement over the 1600, but it falls short in some areas considering the bike has a redesigned frame and engine.

Sorry if this is some home truths about the bike, I want to like it as much as my 1600 but it just doesnt do it for me as I'd hoped it would. :(
 
#11 ·
I find the belt way better than a shaft bike. Especially in a corner. Yup, all the chrome plastic is cheap cheap cheap and it dosnt wipe off as nice as metal does. The feel is missing. I like toe looks of teh air box and air filter housing. But my decal on both is already loosing its letters and inprint.... (9250km) Im looking into customer leather mudflaps for both ends. Comfort is very good on this bike. Cruise I also agree, a pain in the @$$ to use with gloves on. Rear tire on mine seems ok. I figure 2-3K left on tread. I dont find the Nomad screen affects handling at all. The rear brake has a hinge in case your foot gets caought, I had this a few times with no problems. Heal toe shifter is a cheap hunk of flat iron..... I agree... I find that the bike really growes on me each time I go out i get a bigger smile. I just wish the quality of parts was better.
 
#12 ·
Hi DrNO,

Good to hear your honesty, if Kawasaki receives feedback from honest opinions like you and others they would stop making their bike for LOOKS and put some more thought into their bikes. As it is I enjoy riding the bike and yes it does grow on you the more its ridden. The basics are good to build on and hopefully improve the quality of the materials used:)
 
R
#13 ·
Hello MyVoyager1700,

I agree with most of your assessments especially #1, since I bought the Voyager for my wife as a Mother's Day gift and she cannot handle the weight, I had to give her my '03 GW which she now rides. I will just have to suffer the consequences and ride the Voyager :D

Richard
 
M
#15 · (Edited)
Bought your wife a Voyager for Mothers Day - very Romantic, as you say. I wonder what her other options were for about $17,000?

Here is another observation of GW vs Voyager.

Seating position. On the GW I found myself sitting straight up with my feet underneath me on pegs. On the Voyager, you are sitting back at bit with your feet in front on you on floorboards. On the floorboards, you can adjust your seating position by moving your feet across the length of the floorboards. So, it provides flexibility of seating position.

To me, the seating position was more confortable on the Voyager.

I think maybe have your wife try to get used to the weight distribution. That is, anticipation of how it reacts to certain movements. It took me about a week of riding to be able to anticipate with weight under different circumstances (turning, stopping, etc).

Of note is that on the Voyager the gas tank is up high. Gas is about 6 pounds per gallon. A full tank, 5 gal, is about 30 pounds on the voyager.

So maybe let your wife try with 1/4 tank and see if that makes a difference and if she can get used to wrangling the weight starting out with less.
 
#16 ·
I just returned from my first multiday trip on my 09 Nomad with the optional trunk. It has the most important things covered very well in my opinion:

- When buying a touring bike to travel with a passenger, I feel that the comfort of the passenger accomodations is the most important part of the bike. If your passenger is uncomfortable, forget it. She wont quit complaining, or she will quit riding. The driver comfort is the second most important. The Nomad is extremely comfortable for us both.
- Third most important thing is luggage capacity. We fit (9) days worth of stuff with no problem. No luggage rack needed if you pack right. Bags and trunk work great.
- Next is reliability. Too early to tell, but so far so good.
-Handling is excellent. Power is good, not great. Cruise control is perfect, best I've had. Excellent fit and finish, overall, a beatiful machine.
-Oil/filter changes are a snap. Battery access is great.


A few nitpicks:

-When I reach "Low Fuel Level", the "Range" goes away. If you didnt happen to be looking at the fuel gauge when it began to flash, you dont know how far youve gone since it began flashing, hence you dont know how far you can go. Dumb.
- Air shocks not tied together for even pressure and one inflation point.
- No way to clean bugs under the "adjustable" portion of the windshield.
-The (12) second rule. They should come out with a fix for this.
-Gas mileage OK. Not great.
-Tire life is not good.

Overall, I am very happy with the bike. Not as comfortable as my 98 Wing, but more fun to ride.
 
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#17 ·
I've ridden my 2010 Nomad for about 2000 km. You ask if you can get all of the fuel out of the tank, and I believe that you can. I ran it quite low and was able to put over 20 liters in a 20 liter tank. And I'm actually surprised at how good the fuel economy is. I was expecting poor, but have been surprised to be getting between 45 mpg and 50 mpg depending on how I ride. I also find the on-board computer is a little optimistic when it comes to fuel economy. Not off a lot, but it is a bit. I've calculated mine the old fashioned way.
 
#18 ·
Tomdez, if you toggle the odometer and trip meter you can get the low fuel warning to go away and the miliage to empty will show again and the warning lamp will stay lit.

As for the rest of the pros and cons, the pros far out way the cons. My other bike is a Valkyrie, shaft drive and heavy. Like the GW's the seating postion is more of a straight up postion. The VV is far more comfortable to drive. I could throw the Valk into turns and it handled very well. The VV for me is just as easy to throw into turns. The heat issue for me is not an issue as the Valk was like riding on a toaster.:D The belt drive of the VV is smoother than that of the shaft on the Valk.
 
#19 ·
Jarob,

I have tried to get the "Range" reading back after the Low Fuel starts flashing . All I get is dahed lines instead of digits. I can get the tripmeter back, but no Range. And even the trip meter goes back to flashing low fuel after a few miles.
 
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P
#20 · (Edited)
Vulcan Voyager 1700

I first saw the Vulcan Voyager at a motorcycle show in DC in early 2009 and wanted it right away. I left my name with a number of dealers trying to get the blue and black model with ABS. Unfortunately when you want a hot new bike then you pay list.

My feedback after 9600 miles - 2009 Vulcan Voyager 1700 (Blue and Black)
I love this bike so don't confuse any of my negative comments to mean I wouldn't buy the same bike. Bang for the buck, this is a great value.


The bike is higher than my Vulcan 1500 Classic so my 32" inseam is about maxed out. I love the feel and the greater clearance is preferable since I've scraped the footrest on my 1500 several times on turns.

The 2009 have a faring chatter around 25-30mph that I really didn't like, but it seems to happen less frequently now. No explanation. Kawasaki had a recall to make a couple adjustments for air flow to reduce the bike heat. It's a good and bad story since when it cools you'll love the heat and when its 90+ you'll be cursing at it. Kawasaki still needs to work on airflow through the engine area. The engine is very smooth and shifts comfortably. Other bloggers noted some clunking to shift to first gear. That is true, but the shifting is very smooth and back to Neutral at the lights from 1st or 2nd is very easy. I rent Harley's on occasion when I travel and they don't shift nearly as smoothly.

At 1500 miles I switched the oil to Mobile 1 Vtwin. I do hear some valve noise for the first few minutes of a ride even though I typically let the bike warm 2-3 minutes before accelerating. I've heard similar comments from other Voyager riders.

Fuel tank
I agree with other comments about the low fuel indicators not ideal. The gas gauge will be slow on the top half and fast on the bottom half, plus will show E when you have 1.5gal and eventually drop the needle under 1gal. I use the range indicator more, but that won't help you at really low gas amount. I've been in spot where I couldn't get to gas and was running with the needle at E and range at 0 for 15 minutes. I put 4.94gal of gas. No way to know how far you can go at low gas levels.

Seat
My wife loves the seat much better than our Vulcan Classic 1500. I've thought about getting the gel seat for the longer rides, but am typically doing weekend riding of around 2-4 hours which is fine on the stock seat.

My biggest complaint is the amount of plastic on this bike. I am really surprised at the low quality of the air cleaner cover and even the Kawasaki emblem is looking worn after just 2 years (garage kept). I polish the bike frequently so to keep the plastic chrome pieces looking like chrome. The one big draw to the Harley for me is great chrome and NO plastic. I'd buy chrome metal after market pieces if they were available, but none are available to my knowledge. I sent email to kuryakyn who confirmed they were not building a air cleaner replacement. V&H and Cobra both building slip on exhaust which are due out at end of Aug 2010. I have the Cobra exhaust on order. Also ordered the Commander V since I've heard nightmare stories from others who have changed pipes and not had the electronics tuned to them.

I'm getting new tires put on this week (9600 miles). Decided on the Metzeler MD 880 after hearing good reviews. Metzeler makes a 180/65-16 which they say is compatible with replacing the rear (stock 170/70-16). The wider back end sounded good to me. I purchased from motorcyclesuperstore which delivers to a preferred installer only 3 miles from my house. They were the best pricing and no shipping charges. Tires ordered on Friday and will be here on Tuesday with replacement on Wed and I'm back to riding for the weekend.

Trunk space:
The side bags are the best I've used on a bike. Easy access and more room than others like Harley. The Harley's main trunk is better designed since I have fit 2 large helmets where I can't in my Voyager. I recently switched to an open face helmut which can fit in with 1 full face helmut with some careful positioning.

Sound system
I ordered the iPod adapter which came after months of delays, but I do love it. If you have a bluetooth headset (BlueAnt or Chatterbox) then you can use your iPhone and listen to music which will automatically lower the volume when a call comes in. I really wanted to find someone who had figured out the Voyager intercom pieces, but there are several pieces to order and very confusing on what it can and can't do. I originally purchased the BlueAnt which I loved, but wanted to have 3 riders talking so purchased the newer Chatterbox XBi2. The XBi2 are great for 3 riders, but the volume output on the stock headsets is weak and my wife is getting very frustrated with me asking her to repeat herself. This could be bad since I still have the stock exhaust. I am desperately trying to find a replacement headset to use with the XBi2 since it's an 1/8" plug that is an open standard connector.
My friend got the rear speakers on his 2010 Voyager which sound great. The added 2 speakers in the back are really nice. (part # Part #: K10400-039) list price is $314.95, but you can find them online for around $267.
 
#21 ·
Thanks for taking the time to provide a detailed review of your bike. I only have a couple of comments where I my results were a little different than yours.

Proud50 said:
The bike is higher than my Vulcan 1500 Classic so my 32" inseam is about maxed out. I love the feel and the greater clearance is preferable since I've scraped the footrest on my 1500 several times on turns.
Click to expand...
I have a 32" inseam and have the heated pillowtop seat and a sheepskin pelt on the seat and have no problems touching the ground with my legs spread a little. Are you sitting back on your tailbone or upright when you are on the bike? With the seat and sheepskin I can actually see over the stock windshield when I am sitting upright.

Proud50 said:
Trunk space:
The side bags are the best I've used on a bike. Easy access and more room than others like Harley. The Harley's main trunk is better designed since I have fit 2 large helmets where I can't in my Voyager. I recently switched to an open face helmut which can fit in with 1 full face helmut with some careful positioning.
Click to expand...
I put both my XL full face and my wifes SM full face helmets in the truck with no issues. I lay them on their sides with the openings facing each other and the face shields facing the back of the bike. I believe I could put two XL helmets in there. Ours are HJC bluetooth Modular helmets.
 
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#24 ·
Fuel warning. Unexpected operation. Once it goes on, it should stay on. The fuel warning goes on and off. But, pretty consistently, at the time it goes on, there is 4.1 gals consumed. The tank size is 5.3 gals. Can you get every drop of the remaining 1.2 gal. out of the tank? Anyone run it dry? The fuel needle is erratic near 1/4 tank. From 1/4 tank the value (needle) drops non-linearly and radically. At fuel warning, the gas gauge drops to below empty very fast even though you have about 1 gal left. Does anyone know if you can really get the last gal out of there?


This is my biggest complaint also. Yes you can, but dang it, it scares the living crap out of me to try it more then the twice I did because I barely made it to a gas station the 2nd time, I literally coasted into it and it died 4 feet from the pump. The first time it took 5 gals right on the button. So while I say yes, driving conditions and style could affect that also. I'm with you on this, that needle needs to be more in tune with the actual gas in the tank in my view.
 
A
#25 ·
1700 Voyager

I just bought a 2010 1700 Voyager. traded my 08 900 LT Classic. My wife took a ride with me one day and that was it, she loved it and now my 900 was too small for the two of us. I live in Brookhaven, Pa. and we rode to Leesburg, Virginia for our first ride on the Voyager. Aside from the heat that this machine puts off, I felt like I was sitting on a toaster over, The bike was a pleasure to ride. The radio was not what I expected as it would fade in and out of the stations and the speakers could be upgraded but the seat was as good as I hoped it would be. Never had to stop for a break, the seat is very comfortable, Wife never complained once the whole trip. Wish I could find a way to deal with the heat as I do enjoy ridindg on those hot days of summer. Ride Safe ................
 
#26 ·
aeromax4 said:
I just bought a 2010 1700 Voyager. traded my 08 900 LT Classic. My wife took a ride with me one day and that was it, she loved it and now my 900 was too small for the two of us. I live in Brookhaven, Pa. and we rode to Leesburg, Virginia for our first ride on the Voyager. Aside from the heat that this machine puts off, I felt like I was sitting on a toaster over, The bike was a pleasure to ride. The radio was not what I expected as it would fade in and out of the stations and the speakers could be upgraded but the seat was as good as I hoped it would be. Never had to stop for a break, the seat is very comfortable, Wife never complained once the whole trip. Wish I could find a way to deal with the heat as I do enjoy ridindg on those hot days of summer. Ride Safe ................
Click to expand...
Hi there, I'm from Pa too. Wilkes-Barre. I too have the 2010 Voyager Grey/Blue. I have the rear speaker and they make all the difference in the world for the sound system. As far as radio reception, when I first got my bike it sucked, after ten days of ownership it spent 7 weeks at the dealer, I got hit by a truck. Long story, but when I got the bike back the radio reception was much better, and there was someone here that had the same complaint and his dealer fixed it, he said something about the antenna wire was grounding out under the fairing somewhere. Maybe that is the same issue with yours?
If you don't have an I-Pod I would highly recommend one with the I-Pod cable....sure the cabe is 100 bucks but to me also worth every penny. Just make sure that you get a nano I-Pod because the larger ones with a hard drive will lock up.
Heat......yeah it's there, but I do not think it's all that bad. We are on a trip in connetitcut and when we left Pa it was 90 deg. I keep the lower vents open and I was ok.......and I'm the type of person that sweats when it's above 60....lol

Enjoy the new ride
 
#29 · (Edited)
myVoyager1700 said:
After 600 miles on the Vulcan Voyager 1700...

Temperature gauge. Would be nice if there were numbers on the dial showing the temperature
Click to expand...

TEMPERATURE GAUGE TICKS IN FAHRENHEIT
C=120
1=140
2=160
3=180 Middle Tick
4=200 Fan on at 203
5=220
H1=240
H2=250

Just remember there is a 20 degree difference between each tick and the middle tick is 180 and you can do the conversion on the fly while riding.
 
R
#30 ·
2009 1700 Nomad

After 8000 miles on my 1700 Nomad I love riding more every day. On some of your comments:

Belt drive - absolutely bulletproof so far.

Transmission - same clunk on 1st to 2nd. Had the Service Manager ride the bike, he says it seems normal to him. Tip about higher revs works for all other changes but not between 1 and 2 (up or down).

Power roll-on - this is my first year after two on a 900 Vulcan so I am still very impressed by the power the bike has.

Price - compared to the competition Kawasaki has got it right. But I would pay more for switching fome platic to crome.

Fuel warning - I agree with all comments, most I have ever put in was 4.5 gallons.

Ride safe!
 
E
#44 ·
robd said:
After 8000 miles on my 1700 Nomad I love riding more every day. On some of your comments:

Belt drive - absolutely bulletproof so far.

Transmission - same clunk on 1st to 2nd. Had the Service Manager ride the bike, he says it seems normal to him. Tip about higher revs works for all other changes but not between 1 and 2 (up or down).

Power roll-on - this is my first year after two on a 900 Vulcan so I am still very impressed by the power the bike has.

Price - compared to the competition Kawasaki has got it right. But I would pay more for switching fome platic to crome.

Fuel warning - I agree with all comments, most I have ever put in was 4.5 gallons.

Ride safe!
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I love the VV just got back from the 2nd trip to shady valley,this bikes handling is a winner most guys cant or wont ride big bikes like this like I do 2up I have 16000mls on my 2010 and find it to be one hell of a bike its power,its torque,its ability to take the curves is unreal This large bike handles like a small bike while under speed. And I dont baby it at all, I really think some points have merit and some are just nitpicking this bike overall is very hard to beat, talk about more bang for the buck this bike does it all and in style!!!:)
 
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A forum community dedicated to Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, Vulcan 1500, Vulcan 2000, Vulcan 500, Vulcan 1600, Vulcan 900 and all other Vulcan motorcycles.
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