Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager – III

Approaching the Voyager, there’s no getting around its imposing size. Its nose is distinctive and classy, with a single headlight framed by a pair of standard driving lights. Also classy is our tester’s two-tone paint scheme (a $1000 option on an Electra Glide and unavailable on a Road Glide Ultra) with a sparkling metallic blue over a tasteful silver. The engine is nicely finished with polished and contoured cylinder fins and chrome valve covers, engine guards, primary-drive cover and airbox surround.

However, the big tourer reveals its heft during low-speed maneuvers. It feels awkward at sub-5-mph speeds, perhaps due to its wide and tall bias-ply 130/90-16 front tire that gives rubbery front-end feedback. That vague front-end feel also makes a rider unsure of which way the bike will lean when coming to a stop. I didn’t require the tip-over protection provided by crash bars at the front and around the saddlebags, but the Voyager caused a couple of tense moments at low speeds. If the bike were mine, I’d be tempted to ditch the Bridgestone Excedras and fit a set of radials with a lower-profile front tire.