Kawasaki Voyager VII....Need info on bike

[sourkraut]

I am considering trading my Connie for a Voyager XII. I'd like some info about the bike....pro's & cons. This is a "want vs need" situation. I'm 69 and thinking I'd like some more comfort and that's probably the only reason for changing rides. Not real excited about the weight gain, but that by itself may not be a deal breaker.

So any & all info would sure be appreciated. OBTW....I'm looking at a 2003 model...dlr asking 3995.00 for it??????? It has <40K miles on it. So I just don't know.

Thanks....John/Sourkraut

[Tonyvdb]

$4 grand seems a tad high given many of us have found them for under 3grand with that millage. Does the bike have any extra chrome, drivers backrest or other additions?

The XII's are solid low maintenance bikes. And possibly the nicest long distance bike ever made. Even 2Up they have more power and comfort than many other bikes on the road. Storage is ample and there are many second hand parts available if repairs do come up.

[sourkraut]

$4 grand seems a tad high given many of us have found them for under 3grand with that millage. Does the bike have any extra chrome, drivers backrest or other additions?

The XII's are solid low maintenance bikes. And possibly the nicest long distance bike ever made. Even 2Up they have more power and comfort than many other bikes on the road. Storage is ample and there are many second hand parts available if repairs do come up.

Thanks for reply. From what I can see, no Farkles of anykind. Did talk to the dealer, and he said it was in good shape no cracks or dings in plastics. I'm not gonna make in rash decisions. Like I said....it's a want vs need...and I don't need it. The Connie is doing great. I'm just thinking more comfort.

[Me Again]

$3995.00 sounds like a dealer price.Expect to pay more at a dealer ,but there are advantages ,
Most states require a dealer to inspect for safety.That means things like tires and brakes have been checked and replaced if necessary .A dealer is also more likely to tell you about mechanical issues than a private party .
40k miles is also a good thing.That means the bike has been ridden and not just sitting in a garage for the last 10 years .
Take the questions that come up on this forum and ask your dealer about them, this will help you decide if he is just selling the bike or if he really has some knowledge about it.
Also make sure he is willing to do the routine maintenance and possible repairs it may need.

[Avidrider62]

The best years are the late 90's. Carl Leo said the 02-03 years were the end of the stamping process. Now, I own an 03 and all seems well at 49k. I did have to relace ignition wires, coolant tube o rings.

[SgtSlag]

The price seems normal, to me, for my area, for such a bike as described. The engine will go 300,000+ miles, without any major work -- normal stuff will need to be done, of course! O-rings are common replacements, but these bikes date from 2003, and earlier! Expect things like O-rings to need replacement...

Ask what fluids have been changed. Ask for any maintenance records they may have from the PO. I always budget for all fluid changes, front to rear; new filters; flush/fill on the radiator. This all depends on what records, if any, can be produced for the bike. Without records, I assume all fluids need to be replaced, and I set about doing it, as quickly as I, and my budget, can afford.

Ask if the suspension is OEM, or if it has been upgraded: Progressive Fork Springs, and Rear (airless) Shocks are a common, and wonderful, improvement, as they ride better, and they eliminate the need for air in the suspension. We ride our '93, two up, 99% of the time, trading positions every two hours. It is a fantastic ride for touring two up. We started on a '79 Honda 750, circling Lake Superior on that. Then, the next year, we upgraded to the Voyager XII... Man! What an improvement!!! More power, more acceleration, more comfort, more stowage, electronic cruise control, better handling, better everything -- except mileage. Our Honda got the same mileage as the Voyager: 43 highway average, under all conditions. The Voyager is likely the last bike we will own because we won't be able to wear it out, before we wear our bodies out with old age! Love the Voyager -- hope we can keep it until we hang our helmets up for the last time... Cheers!

[trigger12]

John,
Have you looked at prices in Craigslist & other classifieds? In your city and 4 to 6 cities that surround you? I buy & sell tools & equipment and have found that way to be the best source of price information, because prices are regional.
Same goes for motorcycles. I bought my '93 Voyager, with 16K miles for 2400$. It was setting an independent bike shop. The owner (who I traded with for years) serviced that bike from the time it was new. At the time I bought it, ~4000$ was a normal price.

SgtSlag,
I enjoyed your story. We have a '03 Honda Nighthawk 750 that my wife could no longer ride on. Since retiring last Feb., I found our '93 Voyager (last April), which she can ride. It was a great investment. I like the Voyager because it needs no major work outside of preventative & routine maintenance.

[sourkraut]

John,
Have you looked at prices in Craigslist & other classifieds? In your city and 4 to 6 cities that surround you? I buy & sell tools & equipment and have found that way to be the best source of price information, because prices are regional.
Same goes for motorcycles. I bought my '93 Voyager, with 16K miles for 2400$. It was setting an independent bike shop. The owner (who I traded with for years) serviced that bike from the time it was new. At the time I bought it, ~4000$ was a normal price.

SgtSlag,
I enjoyed your story. We have a '03 Honda Nighthawk 750 that my wife could no longer ride on. Since retiring last Feb., I found our '93 Voyager (last April), which she can ride. It was a great investment. I like the Voyager because it needs no major work outside of preventative & routine maintenance.

Thanks for all the replies...keep em coming. The dealer I talked to, apparently has no records for the bike. I can find the previous owner, and maybe see what he'll tell me. I'm pretty well locked into trading unless someone wants to buy my 05 Connie outright. So we'll see what happens.

BTW.....I'm having a little problem finding my way around here. How can I post a reply without having to quote previous post? New guy....you know how that works.

[voyager55]

click "Post Reply on the bottom left of the message

[Mr Jensee]

I have a friend with a 2001 Connie, the same year as my Voyager. I find the Voyager a much more enjoyable ride, the weight though sits much lower than it does on the Connie. I have a 30" inseam and find that on the Connie I am on my toes. I prefer the 5 speed transmission of the Voyager to the 6 speed of the Connie as well. Both are great bikes but to me the Voyager has the most advantages, with lower maintenance, easy access to components and the carrying capacity is incredible. You have to decide at your age what you actually need in a motorcycle and go with that. Both bikes are fun to ride when set up properly. If money is an issue in the long term then I would say stay away from any motorcycles. They love to make you spend money on them.

[sourkraut]

I have a friend with a 2001 Connie, the same year as my Voyager. I find the Voyager a much more enjoyable ride, the weight though sits much lower than it does on the Connie. I have a 30" inseam and find that on the Connie I am on my toes. I prefer the 5 speed transmission of the Voyager to the 6 speed of the Connie as well. Both are great bikes but to me the Voyager has the most advantages, with lower maintenance, easy access to components and the carrying capacity is incredible. You have to decide at your age what you actually need in a motorcycle and go with that. Both bikes are fun to ride when set up properly. If money is an issue in the long term then I would say stay away from any motorcycles. They love to make you spend money on them.

I find, at least from the Connie perspective, that what you say is true. Money....although that is an issue....not drowning in it...Your last sentence is sooooooo accurate. Been there....spent that.

Just did a RTE yesterday, and practically the whole time, I was thinking about this. Also, visualizing myself in comfort. I think this may happen soon, whether this bike or another.

Thanks for the reply....and I see the the bottom left NOW.

John/Sourkraut

[trigger12]

+1 on money and motorcycles. No different than golf, antique automobiles, machine shop equipment, or anything that's interesting and fun.
However, if a rider is able to do a lot of his own work, and try not to keep up with the Joneses when buying gear, it won't empty the wallet so bad.
Sorry for riding off topic.

[pasam]

Hi,
My son in Pensacola has a 05 concours and a 2003 Voyager. They both are good reliable bikes. The connie is a little lighter and taller. We did a lot to change the handlebars to make the sitting position more upright and more comfortable. The Voyager is comfortable as stock. He rides one or the other to work daily 50 miles each way as much as the weather permits. The Voyager has hydraulic lifters that is a plus. Recently he had a problem finding a rear tire for the connie. In general there is a lot of similaries in the design of the 2 bikes. The 03 Voyager is a good comfortable bike and 40,000 miles and the price sound great and any passengers will appreciate it. Your neck will also feel better.

Sam in central PA

[cushman eagle]

+1 on money and motorcycles. No different than golf, antique automobiles, machine shop equipment, or anything that's interesting and fun.
However, if a rider is able to do a lot of his own work, and try not to keep up with the Joneses when buying gear, it won't empty the wallet so bad.
Sorry for riding off topic.

trigger12,Add antique tractors to that list as well.I bought my 1st antique tractor,a John Deere G,in 1986 for $700,figuring,I would have a total if $1500 in it when done When done,I had $5500,not counting my labor. But,I still have it and am not sorry did it.

[ekap1200]

Doesn't sound like a bad price as things go here in the northeast. As long as its been taken care of and in great mechanical shape. And the members here on the AVA have so many spare parts , one could build a 1200 from scratch with all the parts we have. So we can keep them rolling should you need anything. I paid 7k for a 2000 back in 2002 , it looked as if it was brand new with only 2050 miles on it and stored in a climate controlled shop. We didn't think that was too much and had not even checked out dealers. May have been a bit too much but we fell in love with it. The air suspension and front springs are junk but 'progressive shocks and fork springs' fix that issue. It has 79,500 on it now and never had the carbs off. You will have the normal items to replace such as wheel bearings and such , but if you keep up on maintenance, they will go the mileage in comfort. Very dependable bike and at any given time I would just take off and run four tanks of fuel a day nonstop without issue or concern. These guys here on the forum know about all the little bugs they have and what you have to do to keep them from letting you down out there on the road.
Good luck in making your decision.... Gene Kap

[sourkraut]

Hi,
My son in Pensacola has a 05 concours and a 2003 Voyager. They both are good reliable bikes. The connie is a little lighter and taller. We did a lot to change the handlebars to make the sitting position more upright and more comfortable. The Voyager is comfortable as stock. He rides one or the other to work daily 50 miles each way as much as the weather permits. The Voyager has hydraulic lifters that is a plus. Recently he had a problem finding a rear tire for the connie. In general there is a lot of similaries in the design of the 2 bikes. The 03 Voyager is a good comfortable bike and 40,000 miles and the price sound great and any passengers will appreciate it. Your neck will also feel better.

Sam in central PA

Thanks for the reply. I have spent mega dollars on trying to get the handlebars & riding position to my liking. Never achieved what I was trying to do. So, I just put everything back to stock and just live with the hand problems. Will be putting that stuff up for sale on the Concours Owners site soon. That's one of the, if not main, reasons this has all come about.

I solved the tire problem with Shinko's, in the GL1500 size and I love them so far. Already have surpassed OEM tire mileage. The Shinko's came recommened by a friend.

[sourkraut]

One of the things I'm concerned about, is the windscreen. I prefer to look over the windscreen and it appears that the stock screen requires looking through it.

I have yet to sit on one of these bikes. Was gonna take a ride today and go check one out, but haven't gotten off my "donkey" yet.

[Tonyvdb]

If the windshield has been taken care of it should be as clear as glass. Use only non alcohol based cleaners on it (I use Lemon pledge) and it will look new for a long time.

[Wahrsuul]

I traded a 99 Concours for the Voyager. Right now I wish I had my Concours back.

Not to blame the V or take anything away from it. If you're planning on 2 up or have back or hip issues, the V is a good choice. I traded for the V because the wife had expressed an interest in some 2 up riding. But since getting the bike and spending much of the winter fixing the problems left by multiple POs, she can't ride for the time being. And for a solo bike for myself, I prefer the Conc.

The V is very smooth, has plenty of power and even with stock suspension and a Corbin seat it's pretty comfy. But I miss the handling and power of the Conc when riding alone.

At the moment, it doesn't look like she'll be able to even try riding this season. I've got a few more minor issues to fix, then who knows? I may not have it by next spring, but then again, I might.

[kjsett]

As an owner of a 2003, I love my bike. The main thing with the 01 to 03 seems to be the U-Joint in the drive shaft was not factory lubed well enough and may fail prematurely (mine did at around 40k). Carl Leo recommended getting one from a salvaged late 90's as the new stock is likely to be from the same supplier with this issue also. I picked up one for less than $50 on ebay and now have 20k on it (was a from a 35k bike).
If I were to buy one from this era, I would start looking for a replacement to be on the shelf for when needed (even maybe be proactive at next tire change). I also took advantage of the situation to replace my rear shocks to progressives (love them).
I prefer to look over the shield also (there is about 1 to 1 1/2 inch adjustment). The progressives allowed to see over even better (6'1").
Enjoy,
Ken