Kawasaki Nomad Reviews from United States of America

Warning to do-it-yourself types: Do not over torque crankshaft oil drain plug. Case is aluminum and the bolt is steel.

This motorcycle has very good ergonomics. At 5'9" I feel very comfortable. Even though I have highway pegs, I hardly use them due to the bike's inherent ergonomics. It is very well thought through, and you'll discover this even more if you do maintenance yourself. I had a 1999 (yes, with the plastic oil gear), and the tweaks Kawasaki performed to make my 2006 are noticeable.

Rubber boot on drive shaft was torn when I bought the bike - the part was $6.00.

Starting problem - replaced the battery (original lasted 7 years!), checked charging system - working good, but sometimes it requires a boost or recharge.

On the second set of brakes, and the third set of tires.

This bike is a joy to ride and to own. No leaks, no squeaks, no shakes, just good riding fun.

The seat is not the best for me - but I have back problems. My wife loves the back seat and the large backrest and floorboards make her feel secure.

Gas mileage averages 40 mpg - pretty good for a touring bike with windshield dragging the wind.

Maintenance is easy - buy the manual and do it yourself - you will save a ton of money.

Vance and Hines pipes make it rumble sweetly without being obnoxiously loud. (Loud pipes do not save lives.)

Coolant leak at 26 miles - fixed by dealer in about 1 hour. No other mechanical issues.

Does wear the rear tire - a lot of two up riding, but replaced the rear at 8,400 miles.

Great acceleration, great looks, handles like a 400 pound motorcycle. Good braking.

The driver's seat is very comfortable, even after 6-7 hours riding. The passenger seat and backrest are the widest, thickest & cushiest I've ever seen. That and the passenger floorboards cause my wife to love it - she's ridden this bike with me in 6 months more than my other two bikes combined in 4 years.

Add-ons - I suggest the highway pegs, and I also added a light bar.

Front piston and rings went bad at 17000.

Plastic oil gear failed at 30111 miles.

Excellent bike, comfortable, handles well, runs out nicely, good cruiser on interstate, nimble in town.

I'm unhappy with Maw Kaw's stance on Plastic Oil Gear. They say (Maw Kaw) they will replace oil gear, right side gasket and rings if necessary. Any other damage I'm on my own. So if crank, cam, lifters etc are damaged they accept no responsibility. I consider this an engineering flaw. If Maw Kaw is as proud of their product as they claim, they wouldn't take a satisfied customer and leave them hanging out to dry. They should stand behind 100%. My opinion, but not theirs.

Larry Turner

Kawasaki owner since 1988

No debilitating breakdowns on the road, ever.

Had a cam-tower oil leak - cured by using different weight oil.

Stock headlight on the 1999 Nomads is notoriously weak, cured with a stronger H-4 bulb.

1999 Nomads had a plastic oil-pump gear which are prone to failure - mine did not fail, but I replaced it with a steel gear prophylactically. Later models all have steel gears.

The Kawasaki Nomad is a great road bike... long-legged, able to carry large amounts of cargo, and comfortable. Has probably the best factory saddlebags out there, period. And with a low center of gravity, floorboards, windshield and the usual over-the-road cruising stuff, my Nomad will haul with anything from Marysville or Milwaukee.

The 1999 Nomad is carbureted and very simple to work on, but could use a tad larger gas tank, which was cured in the later models. But that is not a critical area for me, as it will pretty easily run 115-130 miles on regular 87-octane gas before hitting the reserve -- and usually gets about 36-39 miles per gallon, whether on the long-pavement or just puttering around.

Change the oil every three thousand miles, and the rear tire about every 15-18K miles, and she runs right down the road. I ride about 12-16K miles a year, last year 19K, and think nothing of logging 500-1000 miles in a weekend on my 1999 Nomad. Have done several 700-mile days on the Nomad, and one run of slightly over 1000 miles in about 20 hours... no strain, no ordeal, just get on and enjoy the scenery.

I've looked at newer bikes, but find I always come back to my ol' faithful Nomad as it's stayed trustworthy and reliable. Even thought there is no perfect bike, this is by far the best I've had in almost 40 years of riding.