Greetings from a noooob

[dsmmrm]

Hi AVA,
I just registered this morning. I do not yet have a voyager but have lusted after this bike for a long time and recently decided to go on a quest to find one. I currently ride a '96 Kawi 1500 Vulcan Classic and am tired of the short range. My commute is 60 miles each way and with only a 120 mile range I have to stop for gas both in the morning and on the way home to be sure not to run out. Definitely a pain. I have had 6 kawis in the past as compared to 2 hondas and a smattering of other brands and am partial to team green.

A local dealer has a '99 with 39k and a matched trailer that I have looked at. He's asking $4k but I think he'll negotiate significantly. The radio and cruise both do not work, however, which is kind of a big deal. A dealer in Wisconsin, about 300 miles away, has an '01 with 34k that looks to be a contender. I am waiting on more info on that bike.

Any advice is appreciated. I have been reading posts for a few days and am eternally grateful for all the wisdom you guys have shared. It certainly makes buying a relatively rare bike a lot more comfortable.

[cushman eagle]

Greetings dsmmrm.I personally like that green color,because mine is a '99 also I bought mine in November 2009 for $5000 with 22000 miles on it,and knowing what I know now,would do it all over again. .I have since added 46,600 miles to it doing winter service on a regular basis and have been very pleased with it.I just got back from the Nashville,Indiana rally,put on 1080 miles and averaged 49 MPG which with a 6.1 gallon tank give it nearly a 300 mile range.
.If you have any more questions,please ask.That is a benefit of this family!

[Jimvoyager01]

Greetings DSMMRM,,,,The 99 and the 01 are identical bikes except for the color...Your choice - depending on price and how much needs to be fixed ..lots of help on this site.

[Me Again]

I realize this is twice as far away but should help with your pricing and negotiations
https://rmn.craigslist.org/mcy/6150922082.html

[823JIM]

Sold my 2002 with 46,000 miles, this spring for $2,100.

[dsmmrm]

Hi Me again, et al.

That's a nice bike and a good price. By the time a saw it I had already made a deal for the '01 with 34k on the clock. I'm having it shipped so I don't know yet when I will have it in my driveway. I should find out later today when my overnighted paperwork and cashier's check get to the dealer (Action Powersports in Waukesha,WI, in case anyone is familiar with them or the bike).

"Lots of help on this site" is an understatement. You guys rock. Between the great tech advice, general camaraderie, and parts support you make buying an older, uncommon bike a much more comfortable option. I don't expect my 16 year old new-to-me bike to be perfect. In fact, buying from an out of state dealer when you can't see it or hear it run is a bit nerve wracking. I am confident that once I get to see what needs to be done I will have the resources and accumulated knowledge here to help me overcome whatever challenges await.

I will be becoming a full fledged paid member shortly. I'm sorry I missed the rally, I doubt next year's will be as close to home for me.BTW, I am about 40 miles west of Cleveland, Ohio in a town called Vermilion.

--
Dave

[dsmmrm]

So, my '01 Voyager is currently wandering around in a truck someplace. I am dying here. I feel like a little kid on Christmas eve only I don't know what day Christmas actually is. I should have just found a way to go get it, it was only 325 miles away or so. I have a trailer but my tow vehicle is currently out of commission so I opted for shipping it. Anyone have any experience with how long this is likely to take?

Full disclosure, they only picked it up yesterday. Yes, I am impatient, no, I'm not 11 years old. The transaction was completed last week so my anticipation level has been high as is my anxiety to see just what I bought. This will be my 7th Kaw and 10th bike overall. I have never bought one sight unseen before. The dealer had a total of 36 pics on their website which showed the overall physical condition quite well. I just hope it runs.

Thanks for letting me vent, I realize this post adds nothing to the community. I apologize if I have broken any rules.

[dsmmrm]

Here's the bike if anyone is interested. I expect the link won't continue to work for long.

http://www.actionps.com/default.asp?pag ... lInventory

[823JIM]

That is one good looking bike, congrats on the purchase. Ride Safe.

[Jimvoyager01]

The bike and price look good...i sold a 01 1200 last year for $3800 have fun,,ride safe..

[dsmmrm]

Thanks, guys. I got it for a bit less than the dealer was asking but adding shipping pushed it back up. I made an inaccurate assumption that shipping a bike 300 miles was a doddle and I would have it in a day or 2. My bad, no one ever actually said that. It might take 2 weeks or so. I still have a VN1500D1 so I'm able to ride, I just want my new toy.

Speaking of my Vulcan 1500 classic, it will be for sale as soon as I confirm the V'ger is good to go. Cheap. Just sayin...

[dsmmrm]

Good news, finally got the bike. Bad news, the shipper broke the windshield. Ordered a Cee Bailey, back to waiting. Well, not really. The way it was broke I was able to bolt it back on and ride anyway.

In the meantime, the bike runs great. The cruise does not work, otherwise no functional issues identified as yet. The CC light does not even come on so I will start looking at the basics like power to the controller and such. The self cancelling turn signals and speed sensitive volume work so it's not the speed sensor.

Other than highway pegs and an antenna extender there is nothing non-stock. The passenger remote for the radio is missing, I will be looking for that. I need to add an external power tap aka cig lighter for my phone so I can use it or GPS and pandora radio. I already moved the ram mount from my other bike and tried it out with a simple cassette adapter and was quite happy with the sound. The speakers are loud enough but could use some improvement in clarity so I will be looking at the speaker mods you guys have talked about. I may try both the A and G (triax/coax) series pioneers in front/back since I have read good opinions on both and am seriously curious as to which sounds better. That way I get to pick which one I like and the wife still gets an upgrade from stock.

[Eydugstr]

Congrats on the new ride & welcome to the forum!

Talk to this guy (Pete Franchi) about your radio issues - https://sites.google.com/site/voyagerradiorepairs/

[Mr Jensee]

Make sure the previous owner didn't unplug the CC console when they removed the fake tank for servicing the battery or filter. If they did the console lights will not come on. If the light works but it doesn't engage remember that it only works in 5th gear and above 30 mph. If it fails to engage at speed or stay engaged check the switches on the clutch, front and rear brake and throttle to make sure they are working ok. I spray them with electronic cleaner. Check the service manual in my signature if you need more references. The cruise control is addressed in the supplement manual (White Cover)

[dsmmrm]

The console lights don't even come on so I am hoping it's just not plugged in. I have not had a chance to do anything with it all week so I will be looking at that asap.