Buying first Drifter 800, what to look out for

[CDNRatMan]

  Ok so now I have to ask where are you located?
If you remove the item from the bike just store them and do not ruin them they are getting hard to find, windscreen and engine guard really getting hard to find originals.
Finding a 2 up seat will be difficult to find also but they do show up the odd times.
At this stage I think I would go and look at the bike and if you are well versed in maintenance on a bike or have someone you can take with you. It can not hurt to go and look at the bike check the oil look at the brake fluid, look at how things are and start from there.

[Zoar]

Thanks! Its got engine guard, saddle bags and a windshield, but honestly I will likely take these extras off as I like my bikes as stripped down as possible. Love that back fender and don't like to see it covered up by bags for me since I wont be using them. Only has a solo seat so Ill have to get another dual seat so my wife can ride too!
its tough because the guy selling it doesn't speak English so his mother is doing all the translating. She said he has had it for about 4 months and needs to sell it because he doesn't have anywhere to store it. Weird. Didn't he think of that when he bought it??

Passion makes us all do crazy things sometimes. I have 3 motorcycles. I don't have room for all of them. Geeee, you'd have thought I would have decided NOT to have 3 motorcycles until I had a garage sale OR thrown out the stuff in the other Bay so I would have room...But here it is DECEMBER with snow and ice everywhere and one of my bikes is still in the motorcycle repair shop because (quite frankly) I don't have room for it at home!

The Drifter is a straightforward motorcycle with attributes of the Japanese precision and reliability with some old school attributes and easy to work on overall.

[shaman258]

Thanks! Its got engine guard, saddle bags and a windshield, but honestly I will likely take these extras off as I like my bikes as stripped down as possible. Love that back fender and don't like to see it covered up by bags for me since I wont be using them. Only has a solo seat so Ill have to get another dual seat so my wife can ride too!
its tough because the guy selling it doesn't speak English so his mother is doing all the translating. She said he has had it for about 4 months and needs to sell it because he doesn't have anywhere to store it. Weird. Didn't he think of that when he bought it??

[CDNRatMan]

  advice...well ok and you will get a lot of info here,
what year is it?
What extra parts are you getting?
What aftermarket parts are on the bike, engine guard, front fender guard, passenger floorboards, 2 or solo seat.

Like Zoar stated, look for the obvious, oil leaks, noises, paramount , check the chain and sprockets, of course these are not deal breakers but nice to know what shape they are in, look close to the tires, and ask about the battery.
Who owns the bike, has it looked or does the owner look like someone who would abuse or not treat the bike right.
Once you decide to buy it, then get it home, change all the fluids, rad, oil, brake. Start fresh, check the miles and see how close to a valve check you are. Do that. Check the calipers new brake pads......

I have never heard of anything like they are prone to any one thing......just the normal wear and tear on a 15 year old machine.....my 99 is still running like it was made yesterday, I rode it this summer from North Bay ON to Sparta WI, then west to Billings MT, and decided that was far enough west and headed home by way of Winnipeg.......

[shaman258]

Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it. I know its a fairly open ended and wide ranging question but any help will do. I wasn't sure if there were specific known issues with these bikes or notorious leaks, etc that should be specifically looked for. Anyone else have any advice?

[Zoar]

Greetings! I will be purchasing my first Drifter 800 (hopefully) shortly. I have ridden motorcycles before (mainly Hondas) but this will be my first Kawasaki. I was hoping for some seasoned advice as to what to look for when buying a used one. Any advice on what to look out for so I don't end up buying something that is going to cost and arm and leg to fix would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

Drifters are great motorcycles.

Like any bike, you have to listen to it. Does it spew dark smoke, or smell badly. Does it rev up strongly, rapidly when you throttle it? Look it over for leaks. ...This is just common sense things.

The best thing to do (although I never take my own advice) is to have an actually motorcycle mechanic LOOK IT OVER FIRST.

Of course, they were made from 1999 to 2006 and discontinued, so you can only get a used one.

I do not know how much you know about assessing the health of a motorcycle, so it is hard to give you direction.  The fact you have owned motorcycles is not enough to go on here.

But I have owned and own Hondas. The Drifter is one of the best and coolest bikes I have ever owned. Different than my Ducati or BMW, yet for a cruiser, the best, I think for what it is.

[shaman258]

Greetings! I will be purchasing my first Drifter 800 (hopefully) shortly. I have ridden motorcycles before (mainly Hondas) but this will be my first Kawasaki. I was hoping for some seasoned advice as to what to look for when buying a used one. Any advice on what to look out for so I don't end up buying something that is going to cost and arm and leg to fix would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!