Floor Boards

[Slider]

I'll get you some pics, but just to get the thought processes going, here is this.  After checking out my co-workers' Vulcans, and comparing to my Drifter, I found out some things.

Generally, what works for the 800 Vulcan Custom works for the 800 Vulcan Drifter.  Not always, but mostly.  The 900 Vulcan Classic is a little more different, but is still similar.  You have to look at pictures to get a feel for what is the same, and what is different between the 800 Drifter and the others.  I also found that a lot of aftermarket part suppliers do not even list the 800 Vulcan Drifter any more, but they will list the other Vulcan models.  That is why you have to visually check these out and decide what will work and what will not.  If you have a question, ask the supplier and ask here on the forum.

That's the best I got for now.

Slider

[CDNRatMan]

    at last  a voice with a meaning behind it.....thanks i'll have to check out that info and if you could spare some time pic's would be greatly valued.....Thank you Slider......

[Slider]

Gotta throw my 2 cents in.  Hope that it is not a day late and a dollar short.

I work with a couple of guys that ride Vulcans.  One is an 800 Classic and the other is a 900 Custom.  For both bikes, I noted that the part of the frame with the foot peg mounts was identical to my 800 Vulcan Drifter, once you take the mount cover off.  I installed Kuryakyn boards with the splined adapters.  I needed to tweak them a little to get the splined adapters to be completely rigid against the frame, but they are very workable.  They cost a bit more, but I was trying to get passenger boards to match my front boards.  I did not get a exact match, but it is pretty close.  Between the Kuryakyn boards and the Corbin dual seat, I am fairly satisfied with the mods, including the new look.

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[pcarrell]

I'm not a "give a man a fish" kinda guy, but I'll teach you to fish!

[CDNRatMan]

 ok can not out do you....I surrender.....

now give up your floor boards for me..........

[pcarrell]

I lived in Cheyenne, WO for a while, and it gets cold in the winter there.  One night, admittedly with wind chill, it got down to -75F........let me tell ya what, THAT'S CHILLY!

I know cold!

[CDNRatMan]

lol   I would love to see some of you out on the ice for a day in -40* weather........ but enough about my clothing......

[pcarrell]

......if only you'd wear them..........

[CDNRatMan]

you guys are hung up on clothing...must be a thing with you all down south. My seal skin pants and coats are more then warm enough in all weather..........

[pcarrell]

....let's work on the next one....fabrication of that snow shovel,so your not whistling why you work

Forget that....lets work of fabricating some clothes!

[pcarrell]

This is the link to the boards I used: http://www.jcwhitney.com/emgo-universal-highway-floorboard/p2006697.jcwx?filterid=c14701u0j3  (They've gone up a bit in price sice I bought them)  They are aluminum, so you could paint them black or have them anodized (powder coating wont stick).  I dressed mine up with some leather trim, but used the stock mounting points with my custom brackets.  http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Drifter/Pipes.jpg

At the very least, it's cheap enough that you could try it and if you want to later invest in something more you'll know if it's worth the investment.  Those $200+ dollar ones do look nice though.

[Drift1]

Think PC's rout is the way to go,RATMAN.That's easy enough to do,plus Realy the only real cost your looking at is the floor boards...now that you have that fabrication solved let's work on the next one....fabrication of that snow shovel,so your not whistling why you work

[CDNRatMan]

well here is a thought, for all oyu 1500 riders who have the solo seats and ride alone take of you rear floor borads and mounting hardware and send it to me to adapt for my 800....

$200.00 for them does sound like a lot, so it is somehting I will wait till I win the lottery as I have removed 3 people from my list of winners I will have more then enough money to spend on the boards......

[49Reo]

Forget the floorboards, you sitting on the bike makes it look so much different than the norm! Save the money, man!!!

Regards and such,
49Reo

[pcarrell]

$200+ dollars seems like a lot to spend for something used so seldom.

[CDNRatMan]

  tHanks Phil, this is just an idea right now because I normally ride alone, so it is not  ahuge issue, but I just think it would make the bike look so much different then the norm. Starting this weekend on my lift for the 800, and going to be in the back room with an angle grinder and chop saw to do the work. I'll have to post pic's for 49 to follow along.....

[pcarrell]

You know, I don't have a lot of metal shop type tools available to me either, but I've found you can do a lot with a hand held angle grinder, a few good grinding disks and a few good cut off disks.  I made new custom mounts for some generic floorboards using just those tools, and they've been on the bike for 4 years now with not a single issue.  I used 1/4" Aluminum bar stock, shaped into a "T" shape with my $30 handheld grinder, then drilled a couple holes, added a couple bolts and some $50 generic highway bar mounted floorboards that I just left the back half of the bar clamp off of.  A little black paint (that needs touched up after 4 years of use now), and that's it.  I don't have $75 wrapped up in the project, and they're strong enough I can stand all of my weight on just one of them and they don't move a bit.  And yes, they fold up.

Here's a link so you can see what I did: http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Drifter/Passenger%20Floorboard%20Brackets/IMG_2467.jpg

Something lick this may open up a lot more possibilities for you........food for thought.

[CDNRatMan]

  ok found me a set....

http://www.hac-products.nl/product/30/69/passenger-floorboard-foldup

price is average comparied to any other site I have been to......

[Drift1]

I'll keep searching for you as well,bud.I'm sure you'll get it figured out.Keep tract of your work and re
member the picture thing.I'm sure there's other 800 riders are running into the same dilema.I'm actualy going to see if Pauly Designs can custom design both,driver and passenger set for Ma-Deuce.....when I can find time to get over there.....

[CDNRatMan]

   oh I am not done yet, by any stretch of the imagination........just will take time, I unfortunately do not have access to a metal shop anymore so I am forced to pay to get things done or try to do the bolt on thing....but I will get my boards one way or another.......just have to keep looking at pictures

[Drift1]

Huh,you would think with as much accesories out now a days something as simple as a floor board you could pick one up at your daily coffee shop....would have never guessed it would be this difficult to locate this particular item.....

RATMAN,looks like some fabrication is in order,my man.REMEMBER,"SAFETY FIRST"...GOGGLES,GLOVES...."CLOTHING!!!!!don't want to see you burn, ahhhhh you know,while using the torch & welder.....OUCH

[pcarrell]

There were few accessories back when Drifters were still in production.  Now that we're 7 years out from the last 800's rolling out of the showrooms it's getting much tougher.  But you know what they say....customization is king!

[CDNRatMan]

 I spent about 3 hours during my rather slow day at work ......looking and sent an email to one place called dreamcycles.....here is their reply...

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I can"t find anyone that makes a rear floor board for your Drifter.  Cobra does not offer one and Kuiryakyn who uses splined adapters to fit dozens of bike models to allow floor board conversions also does not list one for your bike.  The Drifter in both sizes was one of those bikes that very,very few accessories were made for.

seems a lot of places make the boards but it is the mounting bracket that is the issue. So I am going to continue my hunting...time will tell.

[49Reo]

From what I've read on here, any Classic floorboards will work if you put the Classic peg mounts on too. If that is the case, it opens up a way bigger shopping area. I'm sure some of the guru's on here could say one way or the other, I personally have never looked into it.

Regards and such,
49Reo

[Drift1]

Hey bud,hear your looking for some floor boards for your ride...try this place out
http://www.chromeworld.com/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid={56b24bce-2daa-497e-a6e1-8e1656baeac3}&gid={422054de-2e35-4156-9c04-03000dcf8ef7}&GroupName=Kawasaki+Vulcan+800+Drifter+Foot+Pegs+and+Floor+Boards&pname=Kuryakyn+Glossy+Black+ISO%c2%ae-Wing+w%2fMale+Mount&Referer=&Alias=&ptct=SGR-SR&CTitle=&
I've never ordered from them before so couldn't tell you much about them....also J&P sells a lot of accesories,them i have ordered from,never had any issues at all...good luck,let me know how you make out....