2009 Kawasaki Voyager 1700 Riding
Impression
By Duane Ash, AVA Chairman of the Board
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Overlook View of San Francisco area from Mount Tamalpais State
Park - Mill Valley, CA
Fleet of 1700's ready to ride.
First of all,
I would like to thank Kawasaki for this opportunity created to do an
extensive ride on the Voyager 1700.
The parameters of this ride were: it took place in the Mill Valley, CA
area, April 1, 2009; riding conditions: temps between 50 & 70 degrees;
area ridden was some Hwy 101, inland a short period, back towards the
coast to Bodega Bay, a lot of Hwy 1, numerous inland roads, the Mount
Tamalpais State Park, and back to Mill Valley - an approximately 300
mile loop.
For those asking about mileage on the bikes, there was approximately
1000 miles already on the Voyager 1700 when we began our ride at 9 a.m.
This article is based on my observations and opinions. I will be
truthful and factual in my reporting. I will start with different
categories on the different parameters of the 1700 Voyager. I will start
with my positive notations and end with areas that I feel need
improvements.
Shifting Feel: I felt the shifting was very positive. It was easy to shift, and the Kawasaki positive neutral finder works very well.
Handing and Cornering: I like the smooth transition into and through corners. I would compare the new Voyager’s handling with any of the best touring bikes on the market.
Stability: I was very impressed. A very solid-feeling bike.
Suspension: I thought the suspension worked very well. It handled all variations of terrain very well. It was set on very soft settings for a smoother ride and even at those settings, it was very positive through the corner. So, there is a lot to work with as far as suspension settings. On the front suspension, the front fork diameter has been increased to 45mm from what you will find on the rest of the Vulcan series, which is 43mm. The only thing I would say here on the negative side is that it needs an easier air adjustment for the back shocks. As it is now, it is a single air adjustment for each shock.
Brakes: The bike with the standard brakes worked excellently. They reacted very smoothly, did not fade, and were very positive when you put them into a hard brake. The model with the K-ACT system (ABS): I did not think I would ever be a fan of ABS braking on a motorcycle. But after doing extensive playing with the braking system, I was thoroughly impressed. I used it in all situations, front brake only, rear brake only, both together and I would say this was a very competent system. And the one thing that has been built into the braking, if the K-ACT goes into a fail mode, it would automatically revert to standard braking. Also, the ABS cuts off at 12 mph or less, which is a very good addition, especially for a parking lot or low maneuvering speeds.
Ergonomics & Body Position: This bike fits me perfectly. This was also the comment made by riders shorter and taller than me. This is probably the most comfortable touring bike I have ever ridden as far as ergonomics and body position are concerned. It was truly a joy to ride and as I said above, we basically put 300 miles on the bike and rode from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. without getting worn out.
Seat Height: It is 28.7 inches. Again, riders of all heights felt very comfortable with the seating position, as well as the ease of putting your feet firmly on the ground.
Weight & Balance: The weight of the motorcycle: Standard – 886.4 pounds; K-ACT model – 895.2 pounds. This is really not much heavier than the Voyager XII is. I did a weight with the Voyager on the local scales and full of gas and fluids, as the new evaluation scale states it must be, my Voyager XII weighed in at 880. Note: the new standard for weight measurements for specifications for a bike is that bikes be weighed with 90% full fluids in them.
To me, I really did not see a lot of difference pulling the 1700 off the side stand than I did the Voyager XII. While sitting on the bike, the bike feels very well balanced, and also, on a flat condition, if you were pushing your bike (e.g., in your garage), standing at the side of the bike pushing felt very comfortable.
Visibility of Instruments: I think Kawasaki did an excellent job here. All instruments on the dash are easy to read and the controls on the left and ride handlebars are well-positioned and work very well.
Visibility of Mirrors: Nice and clear. Good location. No vibration.
Audio: Very well thought out. Works very well. And controls are easy to access. Upgrades that will already interact with the audio system are: I-Pod ready, rider-passenger intercom ready; dual rear speakers ready; X-M radio ready, and CB radio ready. These are all accessories that can upgrade the audio system. One thing I did notice is the front speakers. The front speakers work very well, were very clear, and were pointed inward slightly, rather than flat like the Voyager XII. This creates a more directional sound to the rider and passenger and is also a lot clearer than in the past. I was very impressed with the quality level.
Throttle Response: Very crisp. No hesitation or dead spots noted anywhere in the power band. This bike does start without a choke in cold weather.
Alternator: The alternator has been bumped up to 48 amps and is water-cooled. With the thought of the touring rider in mind, knowing that we like our electric vests, extra lights, etc.
Cruise Control: Basically, the cruise control has all the characteristics of the Voyager XII, only locations of controls are slightly different and accuracy and smoothness of operation have been greatly enhanced.
Styling, Fit, & Finish: I think Kawasaki did a great job here. I love it! Note that the bikes that many saw at the International Motorcycle Shows were just prototypes. The production models are greatly enhanced. Better location of saddlebags, a little different seats, and a more rigid plastic on saddlebags and trunk.
Trunk & Saddlebags: I very much liked the trunk and saddlebags. The trunk opens to the side, like we asked for in our survey. It has a 13.2-gallon capacity and holds two full-face helmets very comfortably. The saddlebags open from the top as was asked for in our survey. They open and close very positively and are easy to access. Unfortunately, the bag liners on the 1700 are an accessory, where on the Voyager XII they were part of the package.
Front Fender: The front fender is made of metal instead of plastic. I know many members will be happy to hear this as there were many problems with the front fender cracking on the Voyager XII.
Lights: The LED running and brake lights on the trunk and rear fender were very visible. And I liked the way they mounted the driving lights on the front fairing. That also added to the forward visibility of the bike. I did not ride the bike in a nighttime situation, so I cannot make a comment on the effectiveness of the lighting for nighttime.
Accessories: This is exciting news! There will be many accessories for the Voyager. You can see some of them on the pictures below. And more are yet to come. Most accessories will be available in early summer and more will be added later.
This Voyager 1700 was the accessory bike, many are shown here, more to come!
Exhaust Tone, Exhaust, and Engine Sound: At an idle, the Voyager is very smooth and quiet with virtually no engine sound noticed. Mechanically speaking, it is a very quiet engine. Onto low speeds, in town traveling, I find the same to be true. But when you are under acceleration, under a positive pull, like up a grade, I feel the exhaust tone and decibel level are too loud for a touring bike. Again, this is my opinion. I feel that after a long day’s ride, this could become an issue to a person who was used to the Voyager XII, Gold Wing, BMW LT, and other touring bikes. My philosophy for a touring bike: I like the more quiet tones of an exhaust.
Pulse Feeling: At an idle, on a level or negative pull, this is not an issue. Perhaps just a hair more than I would like. However, under load, rolling on the throttle, or going up an incline, I feel people that are used to a multi-cylinder touring bike might find issue with this.
Vibration: For the rider, vibration of the bike is not an issue. The seat, floorboards, and handlebars have virtually no vibration detected through them. My concern is for the passenger. The passenger floorboards and seat are vibration free – they are very smooth. But the backrest for the passenger is another issue. I feel under the situations I listed before, such as under power, going up an incline under power, where the bike is on a positive pull, there is too much vibration and pulse transmitted to the passenger backrest.
Also, one other issue I have with the passenger backrest: I feel it needs to be higher – at least 2 or 3 inches for more support and surface area. Also, for the passenger, I would like to see a little softer padding. I feel that would also help with the pulse feeling.
Engine Heat: Although I did not experience this in the riding conditions I had, some had noticed a high level of engine heat on the exhaust side under stop and go traffic and higher temperature days. But also I do not know if those individuals were using the lower louvers or not. So, I really do not have a true evaluation that I can give on this.
Gas Mileage: Under the riding conditions that were encountered on our 300-mile venture on Wednesday, which included everything from urban traffic to freeway speeds and everything in between, for the entire day the gas mileage average was 38 miles per gallon. I know this is a definite drop from what we are used to on a Voyager XII. I estimate on my Voyager XII under those same circumstances, I probably would have had an approximate 45 miles per gallon average. Gas tank is 5.3 gallons.
SUMMARY: All of their specs can be found on our website or Kawasaki’s website. So, if you want this information, please check out specifications there.
Above I have listed my thoughts, positive and negative, on the Voyager 1700. Again, these are my evaluations and I have brought them to you to the best of my ability. I truly hope that some of the issues I have stated will be corrected in the future. And it is my gut feeling that they will be. It is my hope that Mother Kaw will make these refinements available to current purchasers.
Do I plan on having a new Voyager? Yes, I do! I feel that I can work with the conditions of this bike. But there may be some of you that would not be willing to work with these issues.
I strongly suggest that before you buy the Voyager 1700, that you take it for a personal ride first to get your own opinions on this bike. If the dealer wants to sell it badly enough, he will grant you this wish.
As I stated above, the handling and ergonomic conditions of this bike are excellent. It was a true joy to ride! I am really looking forward to more time in the saddle. But, still, I want you to be aware of the issues that I stated above. I feel that all motorcycles have their own characteristics and I feel that no matter what brand or make, there simply is not a single, perfect motorcycle out there for “everybody”. If we were all the same, it would be a very boring world.
If you do have questions, or wish to talk to me personally, I will be glad to accommodate you in any way I can and answer your questions. And please continue to monitor this post as there may be changes as in the future, I may have more to add.
Duane Ash, AVA Chairman