1999 Kawasaki Nomad from United States of America - Comments

My 99 went out at 51k east of nowhere, finally the dealer paid a real mechanic to put the back together with all new cam chains etc. Funny, that was back in 03, the mechanic (not the dealers janitor) said he could've figured a way without splitting the cases. Throw that stock clutch pressure plate out, go with six spring billet.

I am looking at buying a 1999 Nomad 1500. It has 10,000 miles; is there a recall, or how can I check that the bike has had the plastic oil gear replaced?

Please email me at jackwhitley10@yahoo.com

Just had my 1999 Nomad into a repair shop because the oil light went on. I have always owned Kawasaki dirt bikes and Honda street bikes.

I told the mechanic that I suspected that the oil pump was plastic and probably broken, even though the dealership where I purchased the bike told me that the pump had probably been changed.

My conclusion was right, gear was plastic and stripped. I contacted my local dealer, Kawasaki Canada, who sent me to Kawasaki USA, who sent be back to the dealer, who sent me back to Kawasaki Canada. Needless to say no luck, they told me this was my problem not theirs, even though everyone seemed to know exactly what the problem was. When I asked to speak to the manager, they flat out told me "he does not want to talk to you" and besides the answer is still the same, you are on your own. The mechanic has quoted 20 hours of labour to replace a $90 part, all because they made the 'c' clip completely inaccessible without completely disassembling the engine... nice design Kawi.

I have never been treated in such an insulting way. I love my Vulcan, the comfort, the look, but this incident has told me not to ever consider Kawasaki again, and I will be more than happy to tell anyone else I meet. I have drafted a letter to Kawi to send. This is so obviously their issue, they changed the gear and replaced then subjectively for so long. If anyone knows an email address I can use to contact their senior management, if not only for the issue, but also the way their customer service is, I would appreciate it.

Dan Whall

tellmey_911@hotmail.com

I’ve owned Kawasaki’s since January 1974 when I bought my first 900. I’ve always had a Kawasaki, and I’ve always loved them. I’m now it the process of getting rid of the last Kawasaki I will ever own, a 1999 Nomad. Last week the oil pressure light came on, and my research has brought to light that Kawasaki was well aware of the problem, and chose to burden all of their loyal customers with the expense and inconvenience of replacing a known defect. Add my name to the list of once loyal customers who will never own another Kawasaki again.

I have seen a few comments similar to this, I hope someone can answer my question. I am looking at a 99 nomad and I am worried about the oil valve. I looked at the JOG and it seems simple enough. Any input would be great to aid in my decision whether or not to buy. Thanks.

kvfire51@yahoo.com

I just experienced a complete oil pressure failure on my 1999 Vulcan Nomad. I was doing 75 in the fast lane of a six lane highway. I was about 5 feet away from going under the vehicle following me. This is a serious safety concern. Anyone else who experiences something similar should file a complaint with the NHTSB. It takes about 10 minutes. Shame on Kawasaki for not recalling these bikes. They make Toyota's recall issues seem tame. No way I would ever recommend someone else to buy Kawasaki after this.

Two dealers stated there is no recall, but the web shows dozens of riders who have got warranty repairs. 1500 hundred bucks was quoted to replace a 50 dollar part. Now I have an 800 pound useless bike.

Any offers?? And this is not the scary part. Wait till you lose power in the middle of an interstate!!!

I have a 1999 1500 Vulcan Nomad I bought used. I put 8,000 miles on it with little to no problems. LOVE my big green bike.

Recently (about 24,000 miles) the dreaded plastic oil gear stripped out, and I was absolutely relieved to find that there IS a metal gear available from a guy I found through forums. Search for "Judge Oil Pump Gear" and you should come up with it. This has been a lifesaver for me -- instead of the 12 hours of labor that the dealer wanted, this kit allows it to be done in about 2-3 hours. Made my day, believe me! http://www.vroc.org/faq/jopg/jopg.html

Not an ad... just a good result that I'm happy with.