Motorcycle.com

My 1st Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager ABS

I have read many reviews of many different motorcycles & have found every motorcycle has pros & cons or positive & negative issues .I have ridden several different motorcycles & owned 3 different brands .I owned a 1981 & 1989 Gold Wing for 18 years.I just got tired of the Wings w...ith no problems just wanted to try something else so traded for a Yamaha Royal Star Venture S but after nearly 3 years the cowling at windshield had been replaced due to cracking at windshield mounting screws and was broken again .Dealer said Yamaha was only going to replace once more not guaranteeing it wouldn't crack again ,I told them I thought I had bought quality ,but it seemed I hadn't even though I still had 2 years of the 5 year warranty left on it .Needless to say I got teed off & said I wanted to get rid of the Venture S ,so the dealer & I got together & made the deal with Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager ABS .I just bought it on 6-16-11 & took it out on the road the following Saturday & found it handle & performed amazingly great for me .I had lots of compliments on it also when we stopped .I'm not ging to stick my neck out on the limb about it ,but right now I'm enjoying it a lot more than I did the Venture S at this point in time .I guess the point I'm trying to make is ,everyone has likes & dislikes ,opinions ,thoughts ,& feelings ,it wouldn't do for everyone to want the same motorcycle because if so there wouldn't be enough to go around .I really believe that anything man made has a flaw/fault somewhere ,some show up quicker than others & it's that way with automobiles also .I have already found the kickstand too short to my pleasing,so I found that a kickstand from a 1996 VN 1500 Classic is 1 1/2 inches longer than stock kickstand & no modifications needed ,just put it on ,it's the same stand but 1 1/2 " longer .I really believe one bike is just as good as the other but the Venture S plastics are a lot weaker & need better designing to me even though it was a great ridding motorcycle .I just hope I'll be as happy with the K V V ABS in the future ,but time will only tell .I say enjoy your motorcycle & happy & safe motorcycleing ,be xtra careful because the life you save may be yours . Read Full Review

Voyager 1700 ABS

New this spring now 7500km. or about 5000+ miles. This is a great cruising bike solo or 2 up. Fuel mileage is as expected for a big V Twin..The distance to go computer is sometimes misleading so I depend on distance traveled as the main reference for fuel stops. During hot days in slow traffic the e...ngine heat is quite noticeable but at least the water cooled system lets me keep on going instead of pulling over. At Americade I had a set of Air Wings installed..they really do improve the airflow greatly. The bike handles well in rain and dry conditions. The ABS brakes take a little time getting used to as when stepping on the rear brake 25% is also applied to the front at the same time so I find I don't brake as hard on the front during normal stops. I had several stalls when downshifting at stops in first 1000mi. but since adjusting idle RPM +50 I have not had any issues. No rattles, belt squeaks, good sound system, and looks good. This is a very heavy bike and if your inseam is 30 inches or less you will have difficulty backing the bike up on flat surfaces never mind a slight incline. I think this bike could benefit from an electric reverse system. Overall 9 out of 10. Read Full Review

My New Pride & Joy

Just purchased my new 2010 KVV 1700 ABS & my first ever Kawasaki 6/16/11 (over stock). Had Gold Wing for 18 yrs.& Yamaha Royal Star Venture S for3 yrs .(very unhappy with quality of plastic cowlings,very noisy gear box,windshield getting lose several times.)Yamaha said no more warranty even ...though I had 2 more yrs. left on motorcycle.I got a bit teed off & traded it in on the KVV 1700 ASB.& really enjoying this motorcycle a lot better so far .I now have 1059 trouble free miles on at present.Only thing it had a serious lean to it when use kickstand,but changed to a stand 1 1/2 inches longer which made a huge difference & NO modification at all(same bolt & same spring).In case anyone interested the part number is 34024-1330 from a 1996 Vulcan Classic VN1500. We are looking for many days of riding in future & I love the way it rides & handles. Read Full Review

Buyer beware

I’ve owned my 2010 Voyager ABS for about four months now and I can honestly say I wish I hadn’t purchased it. For starters, the bike has an intermittent problem with stalling when I pull in the clutch and the rpm’s start to fall, sometimes all the way to zero and I have to restart the bike. Dangerou...s and embarassing.

Second, the heat produced by the engine can be unbearable. If the ambient temp is above 80F and you’re not cruising on the expressway you will feel the heat. God help you if you get stuck in traffic. The bike quickly heats up, the fan kicks on (doesn’t seem to help) and then you start to melt.

Third, the radio reception fades in and out. I spoke to a supposed higher up at Kawasaki who alledgedly rides a Voyager and he agreed that the reception does fade in and out but “that’s just the way it is.” Nice answer. I gave up on the radio and I only use my Ipod. BTW, you’ll need to purchase the Ipod cable for $108.00 in order to use an Ipod.

Fourth, the belt does chirp and there is a noticeable gear whine especially in third gear.

And now the dash is starting to rattle. The plasti-chrome bezels around the instruments have started to loosen up so for the time being I’ve had to install pieces of carboard to try and quiet the noise. There is also a rattle inside the dash but I’m not tackling that problem. Let Kawasaki pay the dealer to fix it.

The seat is comfortable and the engine produces enough power for me when it’s not stalling. The saddlebags and trunk do hold plenty of stuff, no shortage on space there.

My advice is to hold off until Kawasaki decides to fix these problems which at this time it looks like the only problem they are recognizing is the engine stalling.

If you are experiencing engine stalling file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Read Full Review