I owned one and put 25K miles on it
Took trips and had no problems
Yes the tank seems HUGE and I had to put 4" risers on it
It is shaft driven vs Belt, I like the belt on my Ultra
It doesn't have any tunes
It's tries to be a Road King in what it offers, not an EC

For 2009 they have changed over to 1700cc (103"),
Belt driven and tightened up the tank.
I think they made the improvments they needed to

 

Put 19500 miles on my Vulcan 1600, thought it rode as good as my FLHTC except the slow speed handling was a bit more awkward.

 

Brihvac - do we "know" each other? Ex Winger here as well - came back ta HD in late '06, but used ta hang on the WOTI an' 1800 boards....

As to the Nomad - I rode one, didn't care for it personally. Others I know love 'em - an' that's the main thing - that we each ride what we like/enjoy!

 

I've owned 2 Vulcans since 97. The first a 97 1500 Classic that I stripped down and rebuilt into a street rod hooligan (before/after pics posted in that link). The next was an 05 Vulcan 2000, a true beast of a machine and handled like a dream (extremely nimble for a bike its size). If I couldn't afford my SG I'd certainly be riding one of those again. Damn fun bike, and mean as all get-out.

As someone else already stated...I ride what I want, when I want, without any consideration to what anyone else thinks. Contrary to what the 1%'er wanna-be's would have you believe, there are plenty of other fine bikes on the market, and the Nomad is one of them. I was considering one this time around before I fell in love with the batwing.

 

Prior to my FLHTC, I rode a 2006 Nomad wich I liked a lot. If back then I had the money for a Harley, I would've got one but for the money I had to spend, the Nomad is unbeatable. I even dressed it to the point that it's looks like a Electra Glide Classic. The fairing was quite expensive but the Tour-Pak was given to me. I know some people will call my bike a Harley wanna be and it probably is. Since my Nomad and my new Classic are equiped similarly, here's how they compare.

Fit and finish: The clear winner here is the Harley. Chrome, paint and parts fitting is flawless. The engine on the Harley is the center piece. The MoCo wanted the motor to be noticed unlike the Nomad wich is hidden underneath the huge fuel tank.

Equipment: Again, the Harley is the winner. The Nomad has bigger hard bags but if you over pack them, beacause they're side loading, the door is pretty big and it will let water in from the bottom rear. The Harley also have all the controls for your acc on the handlebars and they're user friendly.

Comfort: The Harley seat is better than the stock Nomad seat. I changed it on the Nomad for a Mustang seat with driver backrest. That seat is the best. (note to self, buy a driver backrest for your Harley) The passenger as more room on the Nomad. Since I'm 5'7", I had to reach for the bars on the Kawi. And the bars are a lot wider than the Harley. The floarbords are also too far. They should at least tilt them a little backward. I got more foot space on the Kawi tough. The Nomad is a BIG bike.

Power and handling: Still, the Harley is the winner. My Nomad, equiped the way is was, was heavier than my TC. Add the drive shaft and you have significantly less power to the rear wheel. The Nomad has nice torque tough. The Harley still can run circles around the Kawi. I don't know how the '08 an prior touring bikes handled but my '09 is rock solid trough bends and very stable on the highway. The kawi handles smoothly too. The wide handlebars reduce effort to lean the bike.

Value: The Nomad is the winner. If you factor in the resale value, the Nomad is still the winner but by a smaller margin. Even if the Nomad is not as well finished or as powerfull or even as desirable as the Harley, it is a lot less expensive. Like a Cadillac, a Hyundai will get you where you want to go for a lot less money but the Caddy will get you there in style and comfort.

Your brother bought a fine machine. But if he doesn't have the money to buy a Harley, don't let him ride yours too often.

Here are pics of both my bikes.

 

I believe we do. I frequented the 1800 boards and the VTX boards. I got rid of my VTX but kept the Wing.

 

Didja get the notification of the class action suit on the frames? I don't recall all the details, but it looks to me like Honda skated on it pretty good.

 

as far as a V twin cruiser, I'll take the original. BUT, competition in the market is good.

BTW, I wipe the bugs off my windshield and lights when I stop. They can be pretty thick in FL. Couldn't care less if anyone notices or not.

 

I'd rather have a sister in the whorehouse than a brother on rice!

 

With all due respect, that's a lousy 'tude IMO. Ah don't care what someone rides - ah'll tease 'em 'bout it (as they will me), but REALLY care? Nah - it's the same breeze, same road an' same love of bikes.