wheels

49Reo · February 24, 2013, 21:11:57 PM

Blah,blah,blah, etc.

CDNRatMan · February 24, 2013, 19:24:49 PM

I wish I had your pay cheque for a month, that is like mine for a 6 month work at the salt mines.....

chief · February 24, 2013, 19:01:34 PM

I'm not sure the axles, bearings and spacers are the same on the drifter and the classic - and it matters if its for a 99/00 or not due to the speedometer cable. The rear isn't a problem... wheels intended for 1500 classic or nomad would work. It would be interesting to find out... I like my wire wheels, but I may have to try to do something like this at some point.

49Reo · February 24, 2013, 18:49:47 PM

.....and if you need some money to do this upgrade, word has it that the Ratman has lots........

pcarrell · February 24, 2013, 10:41:59 AM

Since the Drifter forks are from the Classic, I figured a Classic wheel should bolt on. As far as the rear goes, that could be a different trick. They do tons of wheel sets, including a handful of Kawasaki's, so they should be able to come up with something. It may take some $$$ though.....

chief · February 23, 2013, 20:09:57 PM

I'm not so sure the front wheel for a classic is going to be a "bolt on"... can you point me to something that will verify that ? And, there ae different year and model classics as well. I need to do some research on this. It would definitely be easier if it worked that easily. Of course the problem is getting front and rear to match!

pcarrell · February 23, 2013, 14:58:31 PM

If you're up for an aftermarket solution to doing a mag wheel, you can always check out RC Components. They do wheels for the Vulcan Custom, so the front wheel is a bolt on, and I'm sure they could help with a rear too.

http://www.rccomponents.com/wheelselector/vulcan_1500_classic.htm

45 Bravo · February 20, 2013, 21:14:36 PM

On most of my past motorcycles, I have always changed the tires, tubeless or tubed.

I enjoy tinkering, and changing the oil and stuff.

On my last 76 cb750f I kept pinching the tubes, after 4 of them ruined I took it to the local shop, since I had not bought the tire and first tube there they charged me $30 to mount and balance the tire. (The hop was in Colorado )
If you buy the tire there they charge $15 to remove the tire & rim mount & balance the new one.

Well worth the money. If they ruin a tube, they have to buy a new one..

Here in Mississippi the local shop is great.

My last tire for the drifter (the front and a Pirelli) cost $175 for the tire, tube, labor, and balancing, and taking it off and putting it back on.

We are ordering a rear soon, (next month) and the local shop quoted e $190 for the Pirelli and everything included, drop the Drifter off, pick it up in 2 hours with a new shoe..

Good people, and the more I do with them, the cheaper the labor gets.

Now they will change my oil, Amsoil, new filter, and check rear lube for $60 I can't buy the stuff for that price.
For a total of $70 they change the oil and they drain & change the shaft lube too.

And check things over to make sure no important parts are about to fall off...

The labor is pretty much free..

I know they mark up the cost of the oil and filter, but the first time I changed the oil in the drifter myself, Amsoil was $12 a quart, and the filter was $13 locally.(not from that shop)

Like I said, I can't buy the stuff to do it that cheap..

45 Bravo

jmbo · February 20, 2013, 19:09:10 PM

Quote from: chief on February 20, 2013, 13:36:15 PM
I don't understand... how did having tubed tires cause you to have a flat? Are you installing the tubes yourself? Are you using the correct tubes? What sort of valve stems do they use? What brand? Were these all punctures?

Before going to the trouble of replacing the wheels, maybe you need to figure out why you are having so many flats. 10 years on this Drifter and I have NEVER had a flat... did have one on the Goldwing last year - tubeless tires.

There is something more going on here...

I agree. Not only is my Drifter running on tubes but so are my 1931 and 1931 Fords. Never had a flat tire problem that was not due to the same kind of puncture that would flatten any tubeless tire. Now ask me if I ever pinched a tube when hand mounting a tire. You bet.

CDNRatMan · February 20, 2013, 18:04:41 PM

rim liners / rim strips / rim liner / rubber bands......and I just bought some at $9.95 CDN and I will consider it cheap for the savings on the tubes.

chief · February 20, 2013, 15:28:00 PM

VBJ lives in Florida I believe...

pcarrell · February 20, 2013, 14:16:45 PM

I know out west they get a lot of cactus needle punctures. My friends out there swear by Slime. Don't know how many of them run tubes though.

49Reo · February 20, 2013, 14:01:11 PM

And cheap compared to the alternative, being flat tires all the time.

pcarrell · February 20, 2013, 13:51:51 PM

Yeah, they call those rim strips around here. I replace them and the tubes every time I change tires......good insurance.

49Reo · February 20, 2013, 13:44:19 PM

A liner, or boot, as they used to be called,(I think) fits in the rim over the spokes; it gives a layer between spokes and tubes. Is that still there?

49Reo

chief · February 20, 2013, 13:36:15 PM

Quote from: vagabondjay on February 18, 2013, 13:31:00 PM
I have had 3 flats because of these damn tubes.

I don't understand... how did having tubed tires cause you to have a flat? Are you installing the tubes yourself? Are you using the correct tubes? What sort of valve stems do they use? What brand? Were these all punctures?

Before going to the trouble of replacing the wheels, maybe you need to figure out why you are having so many flats. 10 years on this Drifter and I have NEVER had a flat... did have one on the Goldwing last year - tubeless tires.

There is something more going on here...

John Hopkins · February 19, 2013, 18:19:29 PM

If you change from spokes you will lose the individuality of the Drifter, you can get a kit that will convert to tubeless but if you keep getting punctures either you are riding on roads that will give you punctures whatever tires you use, or you have loose spokes which are going up against the tube or maybe you have old tubes that have rotted..

John.

vagabondjay · February 19, 2013, 16:02:02 PM

thanks chief, yes I looked at that mod and it is def a big help.. wasnt sure if I missed a page or section that someone found a direct bolt on for the front. I have an 01

chief · February 19, 2013, 13:27:52 PM

Nomad and Meanstreak wheels are direct bolt-ons. ANY front wheel is a problem. Folks have adapted meanstreak and fatboy wheels... if you have a 99 or 00 you have the added problem of the speedo...

Have a look at this in the Wheels section of the mods/tips area...

http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/makwheel.html

vagabondjay · February 19, 2013, 09:31:20 AM

Hey cheif in the mod section there is a post about compatible wheels.. someone used a wheel of a 95 vulcan 1500 for the rear.. I didnt see anything posted about the front, do you know if it will work or who made the post so I can contact him??

vagabondjay · February 19, 2013, 08:59:44 AM

lol..thanks waltervl I looked for a mod but didnt see it.. must have over looked

pcarrell · February 19, 2013, 06:35:27 AM

There ya go!

waltervl · February 19, 2013, 02:24:37 AM

Always check the MOD section of the VDR site
http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/reviewpost/showcat.php?cat=55

pcarrell · February 18, 2013, 13:33:39 PM

I know it can be done (Mak on the Delphi Drifter forum did it), but I'm not sure how, or how much work it was.

vagabondjay · February 18, 2013, 13:31:00 PM

So I have a question ..has anyone every installed mags on a drifter?... I have had 3 flats because of these damn tubes. I was wondering if the wheels off a mean streak would work?

wheels

pcarrell

pcarrell

pcarrell

pcarrell

vagabondjay

vagabondjay

vagabondjay

pcarrell

waltervl

pcarrell

vagabondjay