A few years back I bought a ‘14 Voyager with only 9000 miles. First mod was a 12”Clearview windscreen with a vent, very much appreciated riding in AZ. I also had the ECU Ivanized, a must for this beast. I’ve taken this bike on a few multi state rides, very comfortable, plenty of storage with a bag the pillion seat. Cruising ~80 with the cruise control on getting 40 MPG. I like this bike.
Thanks for sharing and what a great find on a low milage bike. I am sure mods are in my future but just now getting used to the weight and how it handles.
@@jeffmurray7448 Recently I added the Oxford heated grips (also have them on my Yamaha Super Tenere) after a trip up to Oregon. They heat up better than the OEM heated grips on the Yamaha. Amazon $100.
I just bought a 2016 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager with only 13k miles on it. I'm the 4th owner and I absolutely LOVE this bike. My only original complaint is that a former owner put LOUD Vance & Hines mufflers on it. I don't like LOUD! However, yesterday I went by Great Western of Hickory N.C. (Kawasaki dealer) to see what I could do about quieting my bike down. Low and behold, one of the service guys had just bought a Kawasaki Vaquero with stock mufflers on it. He wanted LOUD mufflers and I wanted QUIET mufflers, so we made an even swap! Now he has a LOUD bike and mine is nice and quiet just like I LIKE IT and it didn't cost me a dime! 😊Thanks Cameron!
Thank you for your story and glad you got your bike the way you want it. I guess that the OEM Vaquero should be pretty close to the voyager in terms of loudness but not sure. I don't plan on upgrading my bike as I like the sound it makes with the OEM pipes and tuning. I figure why mess with it. I am not sure about the ivans upgrade which I have heard much about and recommended. My understanding is that the ECU gets a sticker on it when they IVANs tune the bike. might be worth checking. The other way to tell is to ask if they connected the O2 sensor to the muffler. I think they unplug that with an Ivans upgrade. Best of luck with your ride.
@@jeffmurray7448 The Vaquero and the Voyager have the same 1700cc motor so the exhaust is interchangeable. As for the Ivan's ECU Flash, I can let you know more about that after Tuesday! I'm riding my bike down to Greenville S.C. to Ivan's Shop (a 2.5-hour ride) to have him Flash my ECU. He told me that "I won't recognize my bike after he's done, because I'll think that I'm riding a brand-new bike home!"
Thank you for your comment. the color does stand out amongst the other bikes out there in typical black or grey. I personally like the dark blue version they sold a while back. But this one is like a teal color and matches pretty close to my Favorite hockey team, San Jose Sharks.
Need the ECU flashed by Ivan and you'll have more power, less heat and better throttle response. The usual pips and air filter upgrades too will help. Also, sixth gear is way more useful. The difference is like a new bike. Ivan's performance flash is a must!
@@jeffmurray7448 It does make the bike run cooler. Well, he changes the programming for the fan to kick on sooner. Since I've had my 2012 done, I rarely go above the halfway point on the gauge. He also removes the decel popping that happens with factory tuning. And definitely more power in all the gears all around with getting Ivanized. I had my bike for two years on stock ECU and was leery of sending off my ECU to be programmed. But I bit the bullet and did it. Now I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. The biggest thing is that there is no delay in the throttle response at all. It is like riding a completely different beast. Slow cruises around town and long highway trips, I love this bike all around. The only true negatives I can say about the Voyager is the lack up modern things such as bluetooth from factory as well as difficult finding Kawasaki aftermarket items. Usually end up doing measuring and finding Harley stuff the fits on the bike. Definitely adding an amp to the stereo helps massively. Did that this year and was well worth the time spent doing it. Easy enough job. Just a few plastics to remove. I do wish there were more options for a stereo replacement. Would love to be able to put in a double-din radio where can have a screen and Android Auto. But hey, those things would increase the cost of the bike. Overall Kawasaki definitely did a great job. My Harley friends love the shape of the bike and with the tune, I have no problems bypassing stock 107 bikes and keeping right on 114 Stage 2 bikes.
My question would be after you get the ECU flashed would it still be a good idea to get a power commander from a company like Dynojet or would that be a waste of money because the ECU flashing has already done the same job?
If they didn’t make the paint jobs so 70-year-old-man-ish, they might sell better. That is the only reason why I ended up going Harley. I’ve been a Japanese bike fella my entire life. But to get a bagger that actually looks and sounds good, there are no other options. Bought my 2021 RGS in Snake Venom with a Stage III 122 used with 5,100 miles for $27k. I’ve been SUPER happy with it. Got more compliments in the year that I’ve owned it than all the rest of my bikes combined over the last 20 years. I’d buy a Gold Wing before a Voyager. Although, the Vaquero doesn’t look bad for what it is.
Great comment and your bike sounds amazing. I am going to give the Voyager a bit more seat time before I put money into modifications. There are lots of other options out there for sure.
I own a 2005 Vulcan Classic 1500 Fuel Injected. It has over 101,000 km (about 63,000 miles) and the only thing this bike has ever cost me was tires (rear every 25,000, front every 50,000), oil changes every 5000 km and a new battery and spark plugs at 85,000 km. The battery was still doing fine but after 12 years I figured it had served me well and when I removed the spark plugs they were still like they were put in 1000 km ago but I replaced them anyway. It even has the original brakes. I am quite satisfied with this bike and will most likely replace it with another Kawasaki when this one fails (if it ever does). I get between 50-55 miles per imperial gallon (5 litres/100 km) depending on how fast I drive it, which is quite impressive for a big displacement V-twin. This bike is very comfortable for the driver but the back seat could be improved a bit. I have put 1300 km in one day more than once and wanted to keep going. For this reason alone, I would probably upgrade to a touring model (Voyager) only to improve the rear seat. The rest of the bike is perfect.
That is awesome, what a great bike. the reason that the voyage went to the top of my list is because I did own a 1999 Vulcan drifter and it was pretty flawless as well. The testament to a great bike (or car) is that the more you own it the more you like it. (not less) I think these bikes fit that category well.
Polk Audio DB521, $60 on Amazon. Great speakers. makes much louder than the stock speakers with no additional amp. Which works for me for the near future. and Simple to install. Just needed to make sure the polarity wires are correct as the connectors are not exact matches for the new speakers.
I did the Ivan’s flash and it was a good decision, number one thing I like is the bike runs cooler and only noticed any heat is when your sitting still on a hot day and it was nothing to complain about. If your concerned about warranty issues Ivan will change it back to stock, you just have to pay the courier charge
Does ivanizing make the bike faster/stronger in either top or bottom end? Im considering switching from goldwing (f6b) because of the knee sitting position but don't want to lose power or speed to keep up with my club
Nice video... just for the record when you went behind the bike you and clearly see the license plate from Texas, so if you hiding your license plate you might want to do it the whole video 🤔🤔 and your pickup too stay safe my friend.
From the factory, they come limited with only 70% throttle. You must get an Ivan Flash or similar to fix performance. Also, they turn the fans on sooner to fix the cooling, driving performance, etc.
wow. I never experienced 100° let alone 113°, I also never experienced 10% humidity here in Pennsylvania just south of Lake Erie. I have been watching these videos and I have found out a few things. I’m not crazy about on these bikes. The heat coming off of the engine it has belt drive. I have found one of these motorcycles for sale, a 2010 with 12,000 original miles. I was considering buying it here in August 20 twenty3 to replace my royal star venture which I’m pretty happy with. But when it comes to motorcycles, the grass is always greener.. So I think I’m gonna pass on that Vulcan voyageurs because of the heat .. I passed on buying a Yamaha F,JR, a Kawasaki, 1400 Concourse, and especially the Honda ST 1300 because of the heat issue pouring onto the rider.. funny comparison. There was no heat coming on me on my GO 1800 Goldwing.. And that’s a six cylinder. I had another Honda, a Honda Pacific Coast, engine, completely covered with plastic like the gold wing, and there was no heat whatsoever on the rider -none. I commuted on that Pacific Coast for 24 years, eight months year.. I am on my third Yamaha venture. My first was an 86, then I had a 2000to midnight Venture, now I have a 2008 royal star venture. I like the look, and the sound of this Kawasaki twin. I’ve had a few Kawasaki’s, make that about 12 Kawasaki. I have a Kawasaki Z 400 as my little bike for hot days so I don’t have to be behind a fairing.. Thank you for the very good presentation in the video. And it made up my mind, I’m gonna pass on the Kawasaki because of the heat.
Thanks for your great comments and your decision makes sense. I am going to stick this out and see how things go as I am already invested in it. As other comments indicate the ECU flash could be the fix here in which case I am even more happy. I am still in the early stages of enjoying this machine and its differences from my last bike. Always positives and negatives. Best of luck with your future rides and safe travels all.
When Full it will go about 220 miles I think. I usually fill up no after no more than 150. Besides by then I need a break. Thanks for checking out the video.
It does not have a quick shifter, I bet one can be added aftermarket though. I don't know the exact differences between the two bikes. They share many components though and obviously missing the tour pack for a more sporty look. I expect the exhaust and tuning to be a bit different. Thanks for watching the video.
Jeff how tall are you? I'm going to look at a 2016 tomorrow. I'm 6'2", about 280 lbs... my concern is that I'm going to be tight on the voyager. Thoughts?
Sorry, I was out of the country last week, how did it go? I am 6 feet. I have no problems with fit or reach on the bike. I know that the gold wing has more passenger room than the voyager. not sure is that is an issue. The key metrics I think about is 1) seat comfort 2) leg bend (are my legs bent too much) 3) windshield height and helmet shake at high speeds. All of which were resolved after a test drive. I was coming a Moto Guzzi Eldorado which was tighter than I thought in retrospect so the Voyager felt huge in comparison. Let me know how your visit went and what you decided.
Have not thought about that as I don't ride at night. I keep the side lights on as well as the headlight when riding during the day as well. Do you think they will help other see me better during the day?
@jeffmurray7448 100% they will..I bought some eagle lights LEDS and they light up the night with a white light..You can probably get some day makers offline for cheaper though.
I have a 2010 Voyager that I bought used in July 2015 with 1700 miles on it. The guy that bought it new in 2014 lost his job and sold it to me for $7500.00. I added a Garmin navigation system to it and now have 31000 miles on it. I have a 2019 Kawasaki Concours that I bought new to replace my 2008 Hayabusa that I let my stepson talk me out of.
