Kawasaki Nomad

Maybe, just maybe, the Japanese cruiser makers are getting their message through. Which is that their products are not Harley clones. The reason I say that is that my week or so with the Kawasaki Nomad was the first time I've had a big lazy Nippon twin and not have someone say, "Nice Harley, mate." The ones who did approach settled for "nice bike".

Funny thing is that the Nomad, even in this Mk II form, still carries a lot of H-D styling influences. Stand back and squint, and I reckon you'd see a Road King. Though you won't suffer any confusion when it comes to price, as the Kwaka is priced around $6000 under its American rival.

Speaking of appearances, the colour scheme and some subtle "injection" stickers on the panniers are about the only visual differences between this Nomad and its carbureted predecessor. However the mechanical differences are numerous. Let's take a quick walk through them.

Prominent bits
Most prominent among the changes is the switch from a carburettor to fuel injection with a 16-bit processor (upgraded from the Drifter) and the bike has gained a substantial increase in intake area along the way - moving from a single 40mm throat to twin 36mm items. Breathing on the other side of the head has been freed up too, with the exhaust header internal diameter going up from 29.4mm to 32.6.

Compression is up from 8.6:1 to 9:1, and premium unleaded is now the required fuel, while inlet and exhaust valve duration have been lengthened.

The front end has come in for some upgrades, with the forks gaining cartridge-style internals and modified brake calipers with a larger pad area.

Last on our list are some upgraded ancillaries such as the battery (up from 14 amp-hour to 18), headlight and speedo (now electronic). The red and grey colour scheme you see here is the only one available. All up it's priced at $19,990 - or $1000 more the carb version, which will be sold alongside the new chap.

One thing the company didn't muck around with was the styling, which is just as well. In my opinion, and that of at least one other member of the Lemmings MC, it's the best-looking thing out there - Harleys included.

We first saw the VN15 powerplant in Australia in 1988, when it was in its second model - the A2. Times were tough for cruiser sellers in the local market at the time - particularly if they were non-American - and we saw the VN disappear from the local market in 1989, only to reappear in 1994.

Something in the powerplant's favour is the exceptionally low maintenance required - much like a Harley.

Solid state ignition and hydraulic valve lash adjustment mean there's sod-all to do in the workshop, other than periodically change fluids, filters and plugs. Throw in a shaft drive on the rear end, and this is as close to maintenance-free as you're ever likely to get.

Pants dyno
We didn't get to ride the injected Nomad side-by-side with its predecessor, which is a shame. Though I'm willing to take a punt and say the seat-of-the-pants 'dyno' reckons the new fella is noticably smarter off the line. The bike launches with minimal revs - give it a handful and it will give a fair bit of performance tackle a nasty fright away from the lights.

Bottom-end breathing - particularly when cold - has been cleaned up considerably, making the machine a more pleasant thing to ride around town.

Mid-range and top-end feel about the same and only direct comparison is going to pick a difference. Basically the Nomad is happy as the proverbial porker in the garbage pile when barrelling around at 100-130 or so with a couple of punters on board. Wind it up and it will bolt to 160 without hesitation, but getting from there to the 180-ish top speed is a leisurely affair. All up, no complaints on this front. The overtaking grunt is fine, and there are plenty of other options out there if 200-plus top speeds are your bag.

One area where the Nomad scores very well is the five-speed transmission. There's the minimum of driveline slop, along with a medium-pressure clutch with a reasonably wide take-up point that's a little sudden on the last part of engagement. The changes are nice and crisp - no false neutrals - and that heel-toe shift design is a lesson to all other cruiser makers. It's simple and easily the best in the business.

Fuel consumption averages out to about 16km/lt, not exceptional but acceptable. That gives a 250km-plus range if you manage to squeeze the last drop out of the 16 litre fuel tank. Suspension is pretty good for this class of bike. The rear crashes occasionally when you hit an extra big hole - particularly two-up - but both ends are reasonably well controlled.

Something which did impress was the braking, particularly up front. We're not talking eye-popping power, but plenty of retardation with very good feel at the front lever. This puts the Nomad on a par with the best in its class in this area.

Steering is fine on the open road, though I'm less in love with it in slow corners around town. It feels a little 'muddy' in those situations and is prone to bump steer. It's not at all bad, but could be better and I suspect the wide 150 section front tyre is the main culprit.

Inside leg
The side-loading panniers look terrific and share a single key with the ignition and headstem-mounted steering lock. They won't take a helmet - that's the price of slick styling - but do come with a good-quality set of removable liners. A feature is that you cannot remove the ignition key until you have locked the pannier, so you're unlikely to ever lose a load.

Up front there's a substantial handlebar-mounted screen that can be slid up and down through a good range of adjustment. I'm about 190cm tall and found I could just peer over the shield at maximum height. It offers lots of protection from wind pressure, though I did cop a little helmet shake from wind buffetting, which could possibly be 'tuned' out with further fiddling with the adjustment. A nice touch is the sliding fill-in panel above the headlight that ensures you're not left with an annoying gap when the screen is moved up.

For those who are short in the inside leg department, the seat is a commendably low 700mm. That puts it at the lower end of the class. H-D's Road King at 684, but most other big guns are substantially higher with Yamaha's Royal Star Deluxe, for example, coming in close at 711mm. This, and the level of equipment, makes the Nomad and its equivalents realistic alternatives to full-dress tourers.

Both rider and pillion score footboards, which is a nice plus. However the rider's items dig into the tar relatively easily, highlighting the sacrifice of cornering clearance as part of the compromise needed to get a low seat and good legroom. It's about average for the class in this area.

A glaring omission is the lack of decent grab handle or backrest for the pillion, which seems silly on a bike that is otherwise ideally set-up for travelling with a friend. No doubt there'll be an aftermarket solution, though a $20,000 motorcycle should be able to manage something in the stock package.

Making sense
All up I've got a lot of time for the Nomad. The changes to the injected model make sense and come at a minimal price premium. It looks an absolute stunner, drawing praise even from notorious cruiser-haters. I'd have it very close to the top of the shopping list if you're in the market for a big touring cruiser.

Story: Guy Allen