New Owner Reports- 2010 Voyager 1700

[Rhinestone Kawboy]

This thread for new owner reports of the 2010 Voyager 1700. I have moved the other threads that initially were here because they were off topic. See "MSF Rider Courses" and "Questions about 2010 Voyager".

Thanks
Gary (Forum Admin)

[ninjarob]

Just picked up my 2010 red/black Voyager this past Thursday, June17th. Traded in my 05 Vulcan 750 for her. First impression was great, I had looked at a silver one that was already sold the week before but it was the only one they had in stock. Sat on it, liked it but the size of it was intimidating somewhat. Throught it over for the weekend and then ordered a red one (non-ABS) for myself the following Tuesday.

Drove out to the dealer around 11AM and the bike was finally ready for me around 2PM After a thorough run through of the bike and all it's features by the owner of the dealership it was off for home. Unfortunately I had to be back at work so it was a direct 40 mile ride home, all highway. First impression was all good. Shield was very effective, was able to have my full face helmet shield up all the home. The heel shift was nice, quickly got used to that and the shifting itself was firm with a nice audible clunk into gear. Ride was smooth, great highway handling and speed all the way home. Had the radio playing on the way home, controls are intuitive for sure (at least the radio part) and it sounds great even w/only the front speakers. Had some twisties on the road to the house and the bike handles great, nothing like I expected from such a big bike. You can't throw it around like the 750 but it is no slouch for sure.

Next day I had off so decided to get some miles in. Took some time to set up the audio system and multifunction display. MF display looked more complicated than it actually was. After some reading through the manual, I was able to switch through the modes and the information they displayed. Definitely some good information to display and I went with the regular odometer on top and the range for fuel below. Now onto the audio! With the manual in hand I was able to set the presets for the radio and figure out how to switch between them. Set up the bass and treble and finally, installed my ipod. Back to the manual and in no time I was able to scroll through my ipods menu. Definitely a good idea to make playlist's rather than trying to scroll through albums, artist's, etc. Ipod back out and off to the PC. Made a few playlists to try out, reinstalled it and we are ready to go.

Bike starts right up. Left it sit for a short warm-up (30secs-minute) and I am off. Stuck to the back roads around the area today. Bike handles great all through the ride. Getting used to the gear box and trying hard not the lug the engine. The Voyager seems to like the higher (2700+) RPM's. Ipod worked great, sound was awesome. Stopped at a friends and had the only incident of the day. Due to his driveway being WAY up on a hill and banked in a bad direction, it took some work (and almost a spill due to some loose gravel) to get the bike turned and headed in the right direction. It definitely takes some serious muscle to move the bike when not under power (unless you are on a nice level paved surface) made me just that more careful about how and where I park it. Back home, same type roads and bike is feeling and handling great although some air behind the shield would be nice.

Next day it is out to PA to show the family. Took the highway out, once again, great speed and handling. Audio can be heard even at highway speeds. Finally hit 6th gear for a short while at about 70-75 MPH. You can tell right away this bike it gonna be great on those long rides. Had to carefully edge to the toll booth to pay, lot more on this bike to the sides than the 750. Pay the toll and off we go on the back roads of PA. Heard some clunking now and then I am trying to track down, not sure if it is from my fairing pockets or the trunk. Other than that, bike is 100% Stopped for fuel as I was down to 1/4 tank. $10 of premium and I am good to go. Had a good day in PA so headed home a few hours later. By now it is about 90 out and I am starting to feel some serious heat. The underside of my thighs (especially at stop lights) are cooking! Feels good to get moving enough to feel some air. As before, some venting that you can open/close through the fairing would have been a nice touch!

So far, I am totally pleased with the bike. Have to be careful of my parking choices, just requires a little fore thought but otherwise I am one happy Voyager owner!

[Rhinestone Kawboy]

Thanks Rob for your evaluation! Glad someone finally got this thread going!

[10SilverBullit]

This is my first post on the forum. I just picked up my 2010 Voyager on the 17th of August and have put close to 400 miles on her since then.

The Voyager is to be the replacement for my 1984 Goldwing. The Wing has been a great bike and if it weren't for the fact that 26 year old bikes tend to start having problems that are sometimes inopportune, I would not be replacing her.

My wife and I decided on the Voyager after a long decision making process comparing it to the new GL 1800. What it finally came down to was two things, overall aesthetics of the Voyager and dealer service. We bought our bike at House of Kawasaki in Oklahoma City and I had already bought two other bikes from there as well. Great dealer in my eyes. I won't go into bashing other dealers in the area other than to say I've been a Honda guy for 26 years and am now switching to Kawasaki from here on out in all probability.

Took the bike on a 120 mile journey on Saturday and it performed very well. However as was stated in the previous post, there is no airflow past the fairing. The temps topped around 106 that day and there were heat stress issues for my wife and I, I am going to look into the shorty shield for summer riding to maybe improve air movement on the road.

The ride is completely different than the Goldwing, since it is a V Twin I am having to get used to the thump of the engine. Once up to highway speeds it does smooth out quite a bit for a comfortable ride. I don't particularly care for the heel toe shifter and have only used the toe part going up and down in shifts, I may alter the shifter to get rid of the heel part. At first the floorboards were cumbersome but as I've rode more they are very comfortable and convenient.

The stereo is very nice and I am able to hear it with ear plugs and a full face helmet on with the shield down. The way the speakers are mounted gives the music a nice and understandable sound.

Overall I am very pleased with the bike so far.

Jeff

[ttracy222]

Studied up on the Vulcan, Goldwing and HD when I decidedc to go to a touring bike, read all the blogs on the pros/cons of each - Decided on a 2010 Voyager ABS. Bought it two weeks ago to replace my Honda VTX1300C before a long planned trip with my wife and five other couples. Went from Spokane, to Jasper, Banff, Calgary, Lethbridge, through Glacier Park to Kalispel, around the Flathead, through Libby, Mt, Sandpoint, Id and back home about 2000 miles. Great ride - bike performed flawlessly, often in heavy rain.

My two bits - admitting i am a novice and have only rode one other bike in my life - I am really happy with this bike. Getting to learn that they all have some quirks.
Beautiful bike - got looks and comments from everyone.
CB, iPod and trunk/saddlebag liner options were all excellent options. CB was by far the best among everyone on the trip.
Handling was terrific - in traffic, on the road and particularly on the freeway. very stable, even at slow speeds. Does have a little wobble or rattle in the front end while cornering. Felt it a little bit, but did not impact handling.
I put a mustang seat and backrest on my Honda and miss it. The seat on Voyager is very plush - particularly for passenger - but I am having trouble getting used to it - kind of causes you to slide forward.
Cruise control is very precise.
Fuel guages and displays were pretty consevative - you have quite a bit of gas left when you get the flashing warnings
I was getting 40mph +/- with passenger, bags loaded and going through mountains, etc.
The bike does throw off a lot of heat - even with the mods made following the 2009 model. Above 75-80 and gets a little uncomfortable on the right side. Vents help a lot and not an issue on the highway - just around town. Great bike -
hear a lot about ignition problems - knock on wood, I have had none - even in cold weather 35-40 degrees in Jasper, it fired right up.

R

[mike.punko]

Was in the dealership gettign ready to buy a Truimph Rocket when I spotted the Blue 2009 ABS model. Fell in love with it right there. Switched the purchase and trading in the 2009 Concours ABS. Did my first ride from Edmonton to Saskatoon to go watch Iron Madien and got cought in extreme heavy rain. Being a novice biker at the time, the bike got me back to the hotel through pouring rain. A month later did a big trip from Edmonton, Calgary, Glacier park (sunshine highway) to Kalispel, Butte, Yellowstone park, Cody, Southern pass around Bighorn mountains and across to Sturgis. Came back via Northern Bighorn pass and Cody, Calgary, and home. Over 5000 miles Never had a single issue with the bike. Have put on a total of 11,000 KM on it so far this summer and can't wait until my next ride when I get back home from work.

[vulcaniz]

This thread for new owner reports of the 2010 Voyager 1700. I have moved the other threads that initially were here because they were off topic. See "MSF Rider Courses" and "Questions about 2010 Voyager".

Thanks
Gary (Forum Admin)

New member Eric, Test drove a ultra classic in july,nice bike but not totaly impressed with weight and performance.Went to the Kaw dealers a few hours later,Saw the VV It was love at first sight! What a wonderful machine.It was nice to be impressed right of the go buy its looks and then to test drive it and to see what a 103'' engine has to offer,it won me over and my wife.Were so happy with the machine and she loves the comfort.We traded in a custom 99 nomad and a 07, C90.We have logged in 10,000 miles mostly 2up and love it! We had a stallin problem and I learned to live with it,just about 500 mls ago had the ecu upgrade and the bike runs even better,runs smooth,and idles like it should, My choice of tire upgrade was the E-3 180 dunlop radial on the rear and bias on the front,what a great match. The bike rides so much nicer with the E-3 on the back! And cornering on this bike is nothin less than awsome.my upgrades are rear speakers,mp3 and the radial and shorter sheild.Soon she'll be sportin a set of vanc&hines i also want to put on a new horn,K&N filter and the shorty 6'' screen overall this is a great bike in a class all its own,no harley clone here. Nothin on the road looks like it and thats a fact

[David (N. Alabama)]

New member Eric, Test drove a ultra classic in july,nice bike but not totaly impressed with weight and performance.Went to the Kaw dealers a few hours later,Saw the VV It was love at first sight! What a wonderful machine.It was nice to be impressed right of the go buy its looks and then to test drive it and to see what a 103'' engine has to offer,it won me over and my wife.Were so happy with the machine and she loves the comfort.We traded in a custom 99 nomad and a 07, C90.We have logged in 10,000 miles mostly 2up and love it! We had a stallin problem and I learned to live with it,just about 500 mls ago had the ecu upgrade and the bike runs even better,runs smooth,and idles like it should, My choice of tire upgrade was the E-3 180 dunlop radial on the rear and bias on the front,what a great match. The bike rides so much nicer with the E-3 on the back! And cornering on this bike is nothin less than awsome.my upgrades are rear speakers,mp3 and the radial and shorter sheild.Soon she'll be sportin a set of vanc&hines i also want to put on a new horn,K&N filter and the shorty 6'' screen overall this is a great bike in a class all its own,no harley clone here. Nothin on the road looks like it and thats a fact

Welcome to the forum Eric "Vulcaniz". Check out the rest of the website also. The AVA rally next summer is going to be in Arkansas. Hope to meet you there.

[Danh]

newby here, I sold my nomad and purchased a 2010 vv and am extremely happy with the change. 5000+ miles later I have two area that could be improved. 1. the heat issue around the feet and ankles. 2. the wimpy horn, this awesome bike deserves a better horn. I put a bad boy airhorn on and am very happy with that.
dan











i

[David (N. Alabama)]

newby here, I sold my nomad and purchased a 2010 vv and am extremely happy with the change. 5000+ miles later I have two area that could be improved. 1. the heat issue around the feet and ankles. 2. the wimpy horn, this awesome bike deserves a better horn. I put a bad boy airhorn on and am very happy with that.
dan
i

Hello Danh, Welcome to the AVA forum. Take a look around the main website when you get a chance. Click on the AVA logo at the upper left corner of the page. Next summer's rally is going to be in Arkansas. A lot of great roads to ride around there.

I wear tall engineer boots when riding and they help with the heat. Also, I have a full sheepskin pelt on the seat which helps protect my upper thighs from heat when waiting at a light.

The stock horn is wimpy, but my biggest problem is the new horn button location. I have not committed it to muscle memory yet.

[MillerMan]

I've had my new Voyager for several months but just recently had a chance to do some 2 to 3 hundred mile rides. I'm 68 yrs. young and this is bike #6. Been riding over 40 yrs. and last bike was a 1500 FI Nomad. Loved that Nomad so after seeing the new beautiful Voyager, wife & I both fell in love with the beauty of this machine. I've never been more dissappointed with anything than I am with this bike and it's stall problems, engine shake and just plain comfort. 6th gear is a joke because with 2-up I get 4 mpg better mileage in 5th even at interstate speeds. What was Kawa thinking about during R&D on this bike? It's awful for a full dress tourer. Really like the idea of the belt drive because we rented a Harley for 4 days and was really impressed. My 1500 Nomad had more comfortable power than this. God, I hate to sell this beauty, but this bike definitely is not a serious tourer. At my age I'm still learning that you never get to old to learn something new.

[MillerMan]

I've had my new Voyager for several months but just recently had a chance to do some 2 to 3 hundred mile rides. I'm 68 yrs. young and this is bike #6. Been riding over 40 yrs. and last bike was a 1500 FI Nomad. Loved that Nomad so after seeing the new beautiful Voyager, wife & I both fell in love with the beauty of this machine. I've never been more dissappointed with anything than I am with this bike and it's stall problems, engine shake and just plain comfort. 6th gear is a joke because with 2-up I get 4 mpg better mileage in 5th even at interstate speeds. What was Kawa thinking about during R&D on this bike? It's awful for a full dress tourer. Really like the idea of the belt drive because we rented a Harley for 4 days and was really impressed. My 1500 Nomad had more comfortable power than this. God, I hate to sell this beauty, but this bike definitely is not a serious tourer. At my age I'm still learning that you never get to old to learn something new.

[Me Again]

I've had my new Voyager for several months but just recently had a chance to do some 2 to 3 hundred mile rides. I'm 68 yrs. young and this is bike #6. Been riding over 40 yrs. and last bike was a 1500 FI Nomad. Loved that Nomad so after seeing the new beautiful Voyager, wife & I both fell in love with the beauty of this machine. I've never been more dissappointed with anything than I am with this bike and it's stall problems, engine shake and just plain comfort. 6th gear is a joke because with 2-up I get 4 mpg better mileage in 5th even at interstate speeds. What was Kawa thinking about during R&D on this bike? It's awful for a full dress tourer. Really like the idea of the belt drive because we rented a Harley for 4 days and was really impressed. My 1500 Nomad had more comfortable power than this. God, I hate to sell this beauty, but this bike definitely is not a serious tourer. At my age I'm still learning that you never get to old to learn something new.

This really surprises me.The stalling should have been corrected by the new ECU.Most say the 1700 Voyager is the most comfortable bike they have ever riden.Never heard about the overdrive ,but I'll bet there are a lot of owners that will check out the 5th gear thing for extra mileage. I've only heard minimal complaints about the vibrations.
I'll be interested in what others will say and suggest to bring your ride up to the level others seem to have.

[David (N. Alabama)]

I've had my new Voyager for several months but just recently had a chance to do some 2 to 3 hundred mile rides. I'm 68 yrs. young and this is bike #6. Been riding over 40 yrs. and last bike was a 1500 FI Nomad. Loved that Nomad so after seeing the new beautiful Voyager, wife & I both fell in love with the beauty of this machine. I've never been more dissappointed with anything than I am with this bike and it's stall problems, engine shake and just plain comfort. 6th gear is a joke because with 2-up I get 4 mpg better mileage in 5th even at interstate speeds. What was Kawa thinking about during R&D on this bike? It's awful for a full dress tourer. Really like the idea of the belt drive because we rented a Harley for 4 days and was really impressed. My 1500 Nomad had more comfortable power than this. God, I hate to sell this beauty, but this bike definitely is not a serious tourer. At my age I'm still learning that you never get to old to learn something new.

Mmm. I think you might want to check and make sure the ECU recall was performed on your bike. I've had mine 10 1/2 months and have 14,000 miles on it. Did you perform break in procedures or are you just riding it? If you are just riding it you will need a few thousand miles on it before it breaks in and loosens up.

How much weight are you adding to the bike with you, your wife and gear? What RPMs are you running? Unless you are on a flat road you want to keep the RPMs at 2500 or above. Otherwise you are lugging the engine and dumping to much fuel into it to maintain speed at that low RPM.

when I tow my travel trailer with my pickup truck I have to run in 3rd gear instead of overdrive because I am pulling near the max for my truck and need the higher RPMs to do that. Being in too high a gear for the circumstances will hurt fuel efficiency.

coming from another V-twin, I am amazed at your comments because I found the new Voyager to isolate the rider from vibrations a lot better than the 1600s I have ridden.

[Mr Clean]

With over 40 years in the saddle I think it's safe to say this isn't David's first rodeo. I bought my 09 as a leftover last April and I've logged over 12k miles last year. I do agree that, at first it had a little more vibration than I would of liked but I don't know if it (broke-in) or I just got used to it. Dave says he thought it was uncomfortable. I did too till I picked up a Mustang seat, best thing I ever did! I noticed that when I ride 2-up with a full complement of luggage I get better fuel milage on the highway in 5th gear. thats even more true on My Roadglide. Over drive is a fuel saver at constant speeds in the 70's

[David (N. Alabama)]

Actually Mr. Clean both 5th and 6th gears are overdrive gear ratios. Millerman is the first person I have ever heard complain that their bike had too many gears. The 1600 revs kind of high at interstate speeds so Kawasaki probably decided to add an extra overdrive gear.

[raw6464]

I too am surprised. Stalling? The ECU recall should have solved that problem... take it back to the dealer if it still stalls... there has to be something wrong.

Vibrations? I guess this is in the "eye of the beholder"... I wouldn't call it vibrations or engine shake as compared to an unbalanced Harley. If you can see the engine shake there certainly is something VERY wrong. I do feel every power stroke but wouldn't call it vibration per se. It's not a Wing when it comes smoothness but that's not what Kawasaki was shooting for from conception. Kawasaki wanted to make a Harleysaki Dresser... and that's what they got.

Comfort on a motorcycle is a compromise born from all the design specs chosen by the engineers... compromises the engineers make based on the demographic target. There will be people who like it and those who don't... that's what makes the motorcycle industry... competition and lots of models to choose from does. It's something that is neither good or bad... it's a personal appeal bike by bike.

Millerman what I can totally agree with you and is not a personal opinion is the fuel mileage issue. It really is dismal. I've had bikes with bigger engines and weigh the same and get 10 MPG better. As for 5th and 6th gear I would have preferred they made 6th the same ratio as 5th and tighten up the 4th to 6th with a different 5th gear... really how many overdrive gears do you need.

[MillerMan]

Well, I'm finally back with some very good news. I've been so dissappointed with this bike & was ready to ditch it so I decided to try some fixes before lossing thousands of dollars. I took the fairing cover off, loosened all of the fairing mount bolts, pulled up on the front of the mount and took all the slack out in the upward direction and tightened all the mount bolts back. Then I cut 4 inches off the top of the 18 inch windshield and reinstalled it. Had to readjust all lights downward. I am totally shocked at the improvement of the ride. First and foremost the handling at interstate speeds was improved tremendously with much less sensitivity on the steering. Wind gust from the side now is practically unnoticible, gas mileage went up about 2 mpg. and 6th gear is now usable with just the rider onboard. Still have to use 5th gear when riding 2-up but wind resistance is cut down tremendously. I was able to raise the front of the fairing about 1/2 in. at the front end but it made the bike so much more stable at high speed. Wish I could raise it up another 1/2 in. but that would take some bracket redesign. I can finally feel the power increase of the big twin over the last 1500cc Nomad that I traded in. I'm finally "In Love" all over again with the bike as I was the first day I looked at it, LOL.

[David (N. Alabama)]

Thanks for the update Millerman. So, when you adjusted your fairing how does it now line up with the lowers? Does the gap get wider toward the front or is it now lined up with the lower fairing which would mean it was mounted low by the factory or possibly the dealer worked on it.

The reason I ask is because my bike rides well and is not affected by winds at all. I will look this evening to verify that mine is lined up with the lower fairing.

Glad you sought out a fix instead of dumping it.

[MillerMan]

Thanks for the interest David. I'm now like a kid with a new toy & I've had the bike for 7 months. The rear of the fairing above the lower leg shield is about 1/2 in. less now than what is was. The fairing was pointed down and was causing way to much downforce. I don't know any way to check this but I'll bet the front forks were being compressed way to much at interstate speeds (70-80) and causing the fork rake angle to be less and that is how they got the bike to handle like it was 500 lbs. less. I don't like the new geometry change they made because a full dress tourer is not supposed to handle like a crotch-rocket, lol. Before the change I made, the bumps and pavement gaps just got more and more harsh the faster I rode. Now the same roads feel like they resurfaced the pavement; very smooth and almost as comfortable as a new Goldwing I rode. I also readjusted the belt to have 6 to 7 m/m of deflection instead of the 3 to 4 m/m as stated in the service manual. Many others have done the same belt readjustment with success. Now the engine can move on the rubber mounts without transferring the shake through to the frame. That change was almost as good as the fairing change. Now I feel like I'm riding a full dress touring bike like what I expected when I bought it. I also went out this morning and rode 80 miles on state 2 lane roads with a topped off fuel tank at about 65 mph and got 43 mpg as apposed to 41 mpg that I had been getting on the same route using 5th gear. I still get about 3 mpg less using 6th gear at that speed, but maybe someone will come out with a new belt gear change that will help that. Thanks for the feedback and interest. I'm a happy ole man now, LOL.