The Nomad

MoJo

 

      I just picked up my new ( used ) bike and I am now in cruiser heaven. Affectionately nicknamed MoJo the bike is a 2002 Vulcan Nomad with a 1500 cc Fuel Injected V Twin engine. I admit to being intimidated by this bike beforehand and considered not buying it. I was not real thrilled at first about getting on it for my test ride before buying it because of its size. I felt the bike was just to big and had too much power for me but I finally bit the bullet and got on and took it for a short spin. I fell in love with the bike immediately and once riding I realized my fears were for nothing.

MoJo handles like a dream. It is amazing to realize that a heavy cruiser like this actually handles better and hugs the road better then a smaller cruiser like my Honda ACE 750. While my ACE was nimble it required a great deal of concentration for me to ride so I thought this big Nomad would be real taxing to the brain requiring huge amounts of concentration and skill to ride. What I found out was that big bikes go into turns or curves easily requiring little more then you leaning into them. The WOW factor is pretty high at the moment.

It came from the factory with a lot of extra goodies. It has control levers that are easily adjustable by just turning a button. ( Makes it easy to adjust your clutch and brake levers ). It also came with a full windshield and lowers ( air deflectors on both sides of the bike under the windshield ). It has a hydraulic clutch which requires less effort to pull in. It also has a built in fuel gauge with low fuel warning light, a clock, hard saddle bags that are huge, adjustable air shocks in the rear, dual front disc brakes with a rear disc brake, floorboards, heel / toe shifter, passenger floorboards and a few other goodies that makes riding easier and more comfortable.

Because our riding buddies all own Harley's I found that going through turns, curves, etc. required me to have to be heavy on the throttle after getting through each curve to catch back up with our group. I always thought they got through turns better because of my riding abilities and their massive engines. As it turns out I was partially right. But what I didn't realize is that my riding abilities was being hampered by my lack of confidence in myself and my bike. Of course their bigger engines helped them pull out of the turns quicker but I was bleeding off a lot of speed when entering the turns. I never could understand how they got these big bikes through turns faster then I did and why I was always playing catch up. But I soon learned that with this Nomad, the big cruisers just feels so much more comfortable and handles extremely well when cornering. As a matter of fact that in itself boosted my confidence levels. It also made me realize  " I really am a good rider and just needed a bike I felt comfortable with ".

Where the Nomad really shines is at highway speeds. My ACE had high RPM's at highway speeds and because of the V Twin it was anything but smooth at 60 mph. I got a lot of vibration at higher speeds on the highway and the speed effects are much greater. I felt that at 60 mph on my ACE I actually felt like I was traveling at 80 mph. I called this the "speed effect". On MoJo you feel very little of anything and hear nothing but the hum of the engine. It is a low RPM bike that is typical of all big cruisers at highway speeds and the vibration disappears above 30 mph. The faster you go with this bike, the smoother it becomes. What was really astonishing for me was the speed effect you get on the Nomad. Riding at 60 mph really felt like riding at 40 mph. You simply do not feel the speed on this big bike and because of this I have to keep a close watch on my speedo.

The downside of this Nomad is its weight. It tips the scale at nearly 750 lbs. Loaded with fuel it is a solid 775 lbs. This creates one problem - if you do dump the bike in your driveway, on a street, etc. its going to hurt if your caught underneath it. It also requires a great deal of effort backing it up or pushing it forward with your feet. It will give you a hernia if you ever have to stand it up from a down position. So the weight requires you to pay close attention when at very slow speeds or when moving it with your feet. One tip to far in either direction and your going to lose it and drop it down. One other downside, ( and that is debatable if it really is a minus ) is the bike is smooth and handles so well you can find yourself slipping into a bored mode on long stretches of open road. Big cruiser riders call it " zoning out ". On the highway this bike lull's you into your own little world because it is so smooth. When you get into this " zone ", and if you do not have cruise control, you find yourself losing speed. In traffic it is still relaxing but the traffic around you keeps your attention up. One thing I have noticed is that  you quickly that big bike underneath you and it makes you feel a little less vulnerable to cars. While I am not saying the big bike is safer I am saying that psychologically you feel less intimidated by the cars around you. I have also heard many riders who own big cruisers say they have less problem with people pulling out in front of you. It is their feeling that your more visible because of the size of the bike.  One last negative comment on the Nomad - this thing is noisy as hell. It clanks, it rattles and it vibrates at idle. But as soon as you give it some throttle the beast comes alive and it smoothes right out and quiets down. I nearly walked away from the deal because I thought there was something wrong with the engine or clutch, or both. But as it turned out, the Vulcan V twins always make this noise. Once you get used to the sounds, it doesn't bother you anymore.

Comparing my ACE and this Nomad I can honestly say the differences are considerable ( as they should    be ). Where the Nomad is a comfortable, relaxing and easy ride, the ACE is a fast paced, higher energy experience. By that I mean that you have to "ride" the ACE and because of the higher RPM's and its smaller size it creates a riding sensation ( for me anyways ) that is exhilarating. On the Nomad, the engine RPM's are lower, the ride more comfortable, the wind buffets you less, the bumps and cracks in the road are less pronounced so overall it makes it a relaxing experience. While riding my ACE was relaxing, it cannot compare to a heavy cruiser like the Nomad. If you want to ride a bike and really experience the thrill of being on a motorcycle, the ACE wins hands down. If you want to just jump on a cruiser, sit back and relax then the Nomad is the bike for you. Some even say the big cruisers produce a boring ride as compared to their smaller counterparts.

I seriously considered a Harley but I have always been a non conformist all my life. Even back in high school If my school mates went left, I went right. I have always loved being independent and my individuality meant a lot to me. I have always enjoyed cutting new paths that were suited to me rather then the masses.  I never feel the need to be part of the " in crowd " by buying something everyone is buying and I sure as hell didn't need a motorcycle to make a statement. I am what I am, I ride what I ride and have little regard for what others think of me. That's why I selected the Nomad. I am not criticizing Harley riders as our motorcycle friendship circle is almost all Harley riders and they are all great people. What I am trying to say is that I personally will not spend an extra 7 grand to have a motorcycle make me a certain rider or so I can join an elite group of riders. I consider myself a rider already - just a different non conformist type of rider. Besides, my bike has the same HP and engine size as most Harley cruisers and my bike is liquid cooled making it a much more comfortable ride in the hot summer months. :)

I really like this new " Bagger " ( term used for touring bikes ) of mine. It is a great touring bike, a great cruiser and I am excited about putting many miles on it. I think I made a smart purchase  and feel the bike is exactly what I needed to gain more confidence and enjoy my rides more. I will give ya'll an update once I get more time in the seat with MoJo.

Enjoy the pictures I have listed below and by all means, if your a rider yourself, please be careful out there.

Ride safe everyone,

Chris 

 

( Click on any of the thumbnails for a lager picture. I also will be adding more pictures in the future. )