Before and After... How did your Drifter start out? What have you done to it?

[David Baker]

It's interesting to hear the stories of these bikes, I think it's safe to say everyone here likes Motorcycles, But we all love our Drifters! Seems to me... "Drifters are motorcycles with a better story"

[pcarrell]

That is a really nice ride Troll.  That's probably my favorite color combo.

[Troll]

  Thank you for all the kind words. It's been an interesting trip from a barn in Wild Rose, Wi, to my house in La Crosse...32,000 miles!
I really like this bike, almost more for what it brings back in memories, than for just itself. Old style touring without the pain...Thought I'd miss the radio/MP3 player from the TourGlide, but I don't. Criss-crossed the country in my youth on a '46 EL and a '49 FL...This bike reminds me of both of them, without the leaks or parts falling off/breaking. I really don't miss having to reset the points every 1500 miles, or adjusting the chain....but I do miss being able to reach down with my right hand and adjust the main jet mixture on the old linkert while I was riding.....

[CDNRatMan]

very nice ride Troll

[marshalldoll]

Troll my drifter was my first bike to ever have a windshield and I have to say I love it but near the end of the season this year I too removed it and I have to say you are right. Makes the  bike much cleaner and I enjoyed the wind in my face. Funny how once it was removed the old memories can rushing back. Thats what happens when you have been riding for over 48 years.
Dan

[Troll]

4 bolts and it's all off...changes the entire look of the machine. I ran about half of last season without any windshield...another subtle change in character.

[David Baker]

GR8 Job Troll, Nice rescue. I noticed you have a pic of her sans bags and rack, I like doing that now and again... Shows off the lines, They sure are gorgeous machines.

[Troll]

  Gotta love the saddle bags he had on it...stuffed with wet cardboard to keep their "shape". He had made a passenger seat pad out of a plastic cutting board and velcro'd it on to the luggage rack. Big slice in the seat, and scratches and scuffs EVERYWHERE! The wheels were covered in  grey/green film that I had to remove with WD-40 and steel wool. Pressure washer wouldn't touch it. Never changed the oil, and you couldn't tell how much was in the crankcase, since the eye was black. The coolant was brown and smelled BAAAAAD!

[49Reo]

When dealing with antiques, that is known as "barn fresh" I've bought old one cylinder engines like that.

Regards and such,
49Reo

[Troll]

Dragged home on a trailer, in the rain. Non running and covered with an interesting film that can only grow in a barn..August of 2009. My wife's first remark: "You're not going to paint that". I guess she likes the colors, I do, too. Stripped down cleaned up, (cost me $20 at the do it yourself car wash) rebuild the trans, and various other little (read expensive) details, and now....32,000 miles later. Getting pretty close to what I want.

[David Baker]

LQTM

[pcarrell]

She's a good girl......now Lucille on the other hand.......

[David Baker]

Very nice Phil, She has a kind of sinister look to her... Is Nadine one of those Bad Girls?  LQTM

[pcarrell]

This is Nadine, the day I brought her home.......(click on the pics to enlarge)

My wife found her on Craigslist back in '08 and insisted we go pick her up.  24 hours later a 2001 Drifter 1500 was in our garage.  (Funny now, because she calls her "The Other Woman", along with one of my guitars, Lucille)

A couple of days later I swapped the solo seat out for the 2up that came with it and shot a few more pics.....

Then the customizing began....I tried some different saddlebags (didn't like them) and added some Zambini Bros. emblems......

Then came the tour pack I found on Craigslist for $80......

Since then, lots of little mods, a bunch of leatherwork (mostly my own), and the constant battle between the good looks of the solo seat and the awesome user friendliness of the tour pack......

[David Baker]

Thought it might be interesting to see how everybody's Drifter looked when you first got it?... Does it have a name?... How did you get it?... How long have you've had it?... What have you done to it since?

This is "Evelyn" She's a '99 1500, We met on an on line Web Site (EBay) We've been together since March of 2009, I've tried to give her all the things a beautiful girl wants and needs.

She's named after my Mother... Which I had painted on the tail. While on a ride one time a woman asked... "Is that your wife's name?" My wife was standing there and said... "Oh No! That's his Mother's name, She's always had his back... I've just been on his tail since we met!" LQTM