Kawasaki Voyager XII reviews

I had the first maintenance, normally required at 500 miles, done at about 900 miles at the dealer where I bought it, R & S Kawasaki of Albuquerque. The bike leaked oil forever until I took it back (I have never had a motorcycle leak oil on me it was repaired free of charge. The oil plug washer had not sealed. I took a 900 mile plus trip up to Colorado. The gas (rubber) line, located under the seat/gas tank, leaked. I don't know if it hit something along the highway. My hand could not fit in the small space available, and fortunately my stepson was able to reach the line with a screwdriver and pull the rubber hose/line over the lip and reposition the clamp. We later bought a long pair of pliers to ensure the clamp would stay. Two days after I got back home, I went to ride the bike and it would not start. It is presently in need of repair; it must be either the alternator or the battery. I have not had this much trouble with a new bike before (this includes 3 Hondas, 1 Kawasaki, and 1 Yamaha). I am 5'9" and weigh 180 lbs. This bike is simply too big and heavy for someone my size or shorter! The handlebars were originally too wide; I had them closed/narrowed 1 " on each side, but I gave up low-speed balance. The cruise control is not very helpful since one seems to want to manually throttle anyway. Also, the cassette player/radio is useless at speeds over 50 mph. This motorcycle is really not that comfortable for the driver; my wife "loves" her seat. But this bike is top heavy, and it's my impression that the wind moves it quite a bit for a big bike. I don't like the seating position; my legs cramp up at the pelvis. I just enjoy the cruiser style of seating better. I rode a 1999 Yamaha V-Star Classic (650cc) to Washington, D.C. for the Year 2000 Run-For-The Wall ride. Unfortunately, after 3 days of riding, the vibration was too much for my body. I am thinking of selling my 2000 model Voyager XII, but I don't know what to buy. I'm thinking about the Suzuki LC1500 Intruder or the Honda Spirit (1100cc), both V-twins. I enjoy the cruiser style of seating, but I like the smoothness of the inline four cylinder. Show less

I get yery good gas mileage, about 48 mph. I am having a hard time finding sites or catalogs for aftermarket parts and accessories for my Kawasaki Voyager and I would really welcome any help I could get. This bike gives me a very good ride, and I now ride twice as much as I did before. The dealer (salesmen) did not give me much information when I bought the bike, they were not very well up on this bike. I am trying to find a book on servicing my Voyager 12 with no luck yet. I am very pleased and like this bike very much. Thank You Ed LIGHT sr. Show less

We have just received our new Voyager. After making the air adjustments to the air ride, you will not find a better handleing long distance bike. I have drove Harleys and hondas Gold Wing and would put this bike up against either and save $7000. Look before you buy, you can not go wrong. Show less

Best tour bike for the money better than gold wing more power better gas mileage Show less

When I first rode the bike I loved it with the exception of being hard to steer. I though maybe I was use to sportbikes and would have to get use to a touring bike. After 5k of getting tired of hearing the noisey front tire I installed a set of Metezler ME880 and WOW what a difference. I am laughing threw the turns now instead of fearing them. It is a strong running bike that will blow away a goldwing and with the right tires out handle it. It is smooth and comfortable and not as well finished as a goldwing it makes up it in price and perfomance. There is nothing quite as satifying as hearing a in line -4 winding up. It also gets better gas mileage than a goldwing with a range of 200+ miles per tank. Show less

No other bike made could carry the 450+ lbs of passengers and still handle the twisties of N.E. like the Voyager XII does. I have a '98 with close to 50,000 miles on it. Design gets 5* but Nebraska factory gets 3* (poor quality control) For Everything you need to know on ALL the Voyagers the #1 Kawasaki Voyager site in the Universe w/ bikes, helps & hints, rides, accessories and LINKS. http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/cyprus/500/voymypage.html Wyzard's Kawasaki Voyager Motorcycle Message Board with over 75,000 hits per month http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb645776 Wyzard's Kawasaki Voyager Classifieds and Rallies the largest Voyager Classifieds on the WWWeb http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb1302085 Show less

If anyone out there wants to know about the Kawasaki Voyager, check out www.wyzards.com and you'll find an excellent support site. Whether you're looking for technical info, maintenance tips, accesories for sale, or just plain want to brag (or occasionally whine) about the V-XII, there's no better website out there. Keith Show less

Even though I have had a few problems with the bike (at 9000 miles), I really do not think you can beat the price for the features offered. Yes, it has not been changed for 15 years, but they really did put alot of thought into this bike. I was impressed by the features that were still 15 years old. I only have two current complaints. 1. I can not believe that the Kawasaki representatives left all the new Voyager owners dry with no option for purchasing the integrated CB radio. You will have to find a used one if you want one. Kawasaki did not renew the contract with manufacturer to produce the CB radio for sales. This sucks! 2. It would have been nice to have an onboard air compressor for the air shocks (Front and Rear). That way you could perform an onboard adjustment while you sit on the bike. For instance, if you decided to ride a passenger, then you could make the adjustment. Instead, I have purchased a hand pump to make the adjustments manually. As alot of owners have said, "once you get the bugs out of your Voyager, it is a wonderful bike to ride." Show less

I own a 92 Kawasaki Voyager XII with 40,000 miles on the odometer. It failed me once when the gear shift lever broke leaving me stranded in first gear on I-80 at Truckee, Ca. Other than that, it has proven to be an excellent touring bike that I would buy again, as soon as this one wears out that is. I traveled 3500 miles on my last vacation and averaged 49 mpg. It cruises at 85 mph all day and will still average 40mpg. I don't think you could ask for more for the price. Show less

As the summary suggests I've put 8,000 miles, mostly touring miles, since I got the bike this spring. Run alot of mountain roads in the Rockys, two up, and loaded. Our partners were on a Harley touring rig and could not stay with us on most of the steep up grades. For what the machine costs I don't any see a nother bike to compare with it.You can spend several "Thousands" dollars more and get a "little" more bike but whats most important to you? I've owned several bikes since I started with a Harley in 1948. B S A, Triumph, Bridgestone, Yamaha, and some of these bikes in more than one model. I'm 70 yrs. at this point in time and still get a kick out of the ride. I'm no longer impressed by what the other guy rides, I satisfy myself. Show less