KAWASAKI VULCAN 1500 NOMAD
Unlike Honda, which simply bolted a windshield and saddlebags on its flagship cruiser, Kawasaki made significant changes from the base model Vulcan 1500 Classic when it created the Nomad.
The frame has been beefed up using larger-diameter tubing and lengthened, with an additional quarter-inch between the axles. Steering geometry has been rearranged through the use of a different triple clamp to give 7.4 inches of front-wheel trail compared with the Classic's 4.84 inches. Cast wheels mounting tubeless tires (a wider one in front) offer greater rigidity and load capacity than the Classic's wire wheels. The tubeless tires also offer some resistance to blowouts and may be easier to repair temporarily on the road. An additional disc and caliper on the front wheel supply added braking power to decelerate the additional load Nomads will presumably carry. Air-assisted shocks with rebound damping adjustments at the rear offer a half-inch more travel than the Classic's and raise the height of the deeper, fuller saddle about three-quarters of an inch. The floorboards are moved slightly rearward, and the passenger also gets floorboards on the Nomad.
Those changes plus the addition of the adjustable windshield, side-opening saddlebags and saddlebag guard rails add about 80 pounds of wet weight to the Nomad compared with the Classic, even though they both still have the same 4.2-gallon gas tank. The Nomad's exhaust system, which splits to run down each side to clear the bags better than the Classic's staggered arrangement, may also add a few pounds.
Kawasaki's 1470cc Nomad engine...
Kawasaki's 1470cc Nomad engine can trace its roots back more than a decade to the original 1500 Vulcan of 1987, which was the basis for the Vulcan 1500 Classic engine, which in turn begat the Nomad. Its classic design belies modern technological features like lquid cooling, overhead camshafts and a vibration-snubbing counterbalancer.
Although the Nomad brought a few innovations to the engine bay when it was introduced, most of them have now been adapted to the Classic. However, the heavier Nomad gets slightly more flywheel mass. Essentially, it is the same liquid-cooled, single-carb, single-overhead-cam, eight-valve 50-degree V-twin that we first saw in the Vulcan 1500 Classic in 1996. Deep finning gives the engine a traditional appearance. A counterbalancer takes the vibration out of the engine at highway speeds and reduces it to a gentle throb at low engine speeds. A large airbox runs through the V and uses round chrome covers on both sides of the engine.
These days, all the bikes based on the Classic -- which now includes the ultra-retro Drifter -- have five speeds. Shaft-drive sends power to the rear wheel. Tank-top instrumentation includes a fuel gauge in addition to the standard speedometer and an array of warning lights.
Specifications
1999 Kawasaki Nomad
Designation: VN1500-G1/L
Suggested base price: $11,999
Standard colors: Red/red, green/green
Extra cost colors: None
Standard warranty: 24 mos., unlimited miles
Recommended service interval: 6000 miles
ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN
Type: Liquid cooled, 50-degree tandem V-twin
Valve arrangement: SOHC, 2 intake valves, 2 exhaust valves, operated by hydraulic adjusters
Displacement, bore x stroke: 1470cc, 102 x 90mm
Compression ratio: 8.6:1
Carburetion: 1, 40mm Keihin CV
Lubrication: Wet sump, 3.7 qt.
Minimum fuel grade: 87 octane
Transmission: Wet, multiplate clutch, 5 speeds
Final drive: Shaft, 2.619:1
The 2004 Nomad features fuel...
The 2004 Nomad features fuel injection and a number of smaller improvements on the 1999 model.
CHASSIS
Wheelbase: 65.6 in.
Overall length: 98.8 in.
Rake/trail: 32 degrees / 7.4 in.
Wheels: Cast aluminum, 3.0 x 16in. front, 3.5 x 16in. rear
Front tire: 150/80-19 71H Bridgestone Excedra G703, tubeless radial
Rear tire: 150/80-19 71H Bridgestone Excedra G702, tubeless radial
Front brake: 2, single-action, twin-piston calipers, 11-in. disc
Rear brake: single-action caliper, 12.5-in. disc
Front suspension: 41mm stanchions, 5.9-in. travel
Rear suspension: dual dampers, 3.9 in. travel, adjustable for air-pressure, rebound damping
Fuel capacity: 4.2 gal., (1.1 gal. reserve)
Wet weight: 775 lbs.
Weight bias (front/rear): 56.7 % rear wheel
Handlebar width: 32.5 in.
Seat height: 28.3 in.
Inseam equivalent: 33.2 in.
ELECTRICAL & INSTRUMENTATION
Charging output: 588 watts
Battery: 12v, 14AH
Forward lighting: 55/60-watt headlight
Taillight: Dual bulbs
Instruments: speedometer, odometer, tripmeter, fuel gauge; warning lights for high beam, turns signals, neutral, coolant temperature, oil pressure
PERFORMANCE
Fuel mileage: 23.2 to 38.0 mpg, 34.8 mpg average
Average range: 146.2 mi.
RPM at 60 mph, top gear: 2545
200 yard, top-gear acceleration from 50 mph, terminal speed: 65.9 mph
Quarter-mile acceleration: 15.11 sec., 84.05 mph
For a more recent comparison of the motorcycles in this class, see our 2002 Baggers Comparison.
Additional motorcycle motorcycle road tests and comparison tests are available at the Road Tests section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.