What motors fit a 1999 Drifter ?

Donkey · June 10, 2015, 18:34:32 PM

I read a lot of the info and posts about the numbers and remember that they may be code and not necessarily sequential, disappointingly by design, so that Kawi could keep their numbers secret. I also remember reading the thread about decoding VIN's, but most of the info started after '00... otherwise I'd love to know if the sequence means anything.

Oh, and I remember seeing that there were only 600 CDN Drifter 1500's, but my number is 003447, which tells me they are either not sequential or there is an extra number in there and nobody knows which one or what it means. If those last 6 numbers means anything to anyone I'd love to hear it!

Now, I'm no expert by any means but I'm pretty analytical... and in this pic I see a very thick coating, much too thick to be paint or powder. The way it's chipping tells me it's original... there is no leading paint edge or silver matte underneath. No layers. The oil capcity sticker is too straight, too naturally aged to have been removed and replaced. It was not taped or painted/powdered around.

Just my thoughts... others very welcome! Sorry, we're in the middle of a tornado watch so the lighting is terrible.

pcarrell · June 10, 2015, 18:06:38 PM

The color might have something to do with the final shipping destination, but more likely either yours has been painted, or maybe as the line began to switch over to the 2000 model a change was made. Do you know the assembly number of your bike? Was it an early, or late one off the line? That would maybe answer the question. Maybe some of our other members could help us out with those numbers to figure out what constitutes later in the model run.

Donkey · June 10, 2015, 17:52:15 PM

Well that's cool. I just did a Google image search and Bing image search and didn't find one with a black primary case. I had no idea. Seems clear to me mine isn't painted but I like to know stuff like this for sure.

Donkey · June 10, 2015, 17:21:06 PM

Never really compared the left side either... Wow. Yours is way more what I'm used to on a 1500... I didn't even realize this is what I have! I'm so used to taking pics from the high side (and the bike still so new to me) I never realized it!

Sorry the pic is upside down and backwards... Bike is tight in the garage and I was leaned over it and the phone keeps flipping the pic when I post it!

Donkey · June 10, 2015, 16:50:50 PM

Cool... That helps explain why my tranny case is black, but now if you had to guess, knowing what you know, how did our Australian friend above get a silver matte tranny case?

Experimental runs? It was still '99 for both his and mine, seems confusing that some tranny cases were different than others in the first year!

(For what it's worth, I'm perfectly fine with black... I'm just trying to be sure that this is the way it came, hasn't been changed, whether it's a CDN or US bike, and natural curiosity on the matte silver!)

pcarrell · June 10, 2015, 14:21:25 PM

Donkey, I don't know about the Canadian / American thing (Except that the U.S. didn't get any 1999 Drifter 800's (only 1500's), while Canada did. Both got the 800 for the 2000 model year), but all the '99's and '00's had the black painted engine parts with the matte silver parts. They did this, along with all of the other blackout parts, to try and really capture the 1940's Indian look, but customers in the showrooms wanted chromed out bikes, so in 2001 Ma Kawi gave them what they wanted. Now the blackout bikes are highly prized by some. As for the differences, the 1999 & 2000 left lower side engine cover was different from the 2001 cover (the cover down by the floorboard and shifter). The 1999 & 2000 lower left cover was sort of a half cover, and a 2 year only part. Starting in 2001 and through the rest of the model run, all the lower left engine covers were a full cover, and they were chromed. This is my 2001, so you can see the difference between yours and mine. ***EDITED***

(Click to enlarge)

Donkey · June 10, 2015, 12:59:49 PM

Quote from: pcarrell on May 14, 2014, 08:14:40 AM
I'd hang on to all of the matte silver motor pieces from the Drifter as those are only available for the first 2 years of the Drifter, so they are quite unique.

Guess it doesn't matter if I hijack he thread at this point, so I'll ask... Any idea why and how it was determined which '99's got the matte silver engine parts? U.S./Canada? There were so few made overall just wondering if there is any magic to figuring out the diff.

Part of me asks because though the buyer trail on mine indicates it's always been in Canada, is there any way of knowing for sure it was intended to be a CDN model?

pcarrell · June 09, 2015, 08:35:02 AM

It seems that the OP is no longer a member. He must have gotten his info and quit.

Bucko · June 08, 2015, 20:45:28 PM

My motor (also at around 70k Kms) is making similar noises. Did you ever figure out what was causing the noise?

davidi · May 18, 2014, 17:16:16 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll have a go and do a top end rebuild myself. I've rebuilt car motors years ago so, as they say..... WHAT CAN GO WRONG?, right. Anyway, someone from this forum has PM'd me some about info rebuilding and he lives in Australia so knows about sources parts etc. I'll let you know how it goes.

Troll · May 14, 2014, 08:39:14 AM

If I were in your shoes, I'd be stripping that engine down and fixing it. I have almost 84,000 miles on mine and it's just fine. That being said, as far as I know, the 1500s will all fit in the same hole in the frame. A mean streak engine is tuned for higher top end power, so the Nomad, which is touring biased might be the best replacement option. As far as the charging system goes, you can move yours to the new engine, or add a second reg/rec. and have double the output! Necessity is a mother, but creativity is her child!

pcarrell · May 14, 2014, 08:14:40 AM

A Fuel Injected 1500 from a Classic, Nomad or Meanstreak could probably be swapped in, but there are some differences even then. I know that the Drifter has a special cam grind that is set for more low end torque. Also, the Drifter only has a single stator, whereas the Classic, Nomad and Meanstreak have a dual, so a second rectifier and all associated electrical work would be needed to make the swap work. Not sure what else might be needed, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'd hang on to all of the matte silver motor pieces from the Drifter as those are only available for the first 2 years of the Drifter, so they are quite unique.

davidi · May 13, 2014, 19:24:53 PM

Hi,
I am in Sydney Australia and I have owned my 1999 1500 drifter since new. It's a great bike and I love it. It's starting to show some age but there is nothing else I would want to ride. It gets so many comments and looks and it's a fast and powerful bike to ride.

Anyway unfortunately, my motor seems to have an top end issue. It had the usual ticking after about 70,000 km so I replaced the timing chain tensioners with extenders which fixed that. Soon after that it started to make a ticking noise (tappets or chain again ?) but this time along with that the whole valve train was very loud, as if there was no oil getting to it. It also lost power. This came for about a week or two and when away for a similar period. It did this a few times but is now back permanently. Not sure if this has anything to do with it but I noticed that due to the lose timing chain, the spark plug tunnel is worn through and I have oil leaking into it. My local mechanic said he wasn't sure what the problem was but the top end will need rebuilding which will cost at least $2,000. He advised that because the engine has done 83,000 km (about 50K miles), it wasn't worth doing the top end only. He advise to find a lower use second hand motor and swap it out. Unfortunately, they only sold about 6 1500 Drifters in Australia so I've go no chance of finding an exact replacement. Does any one know exactly which motors can be used from other Vulcans and years to swap in without major rework. Maybe even 1600 or other sizes from latest year bikes ?? I will try to find something here in Aus or maybe import a motor from overseas.

Here is a link to the way it sounded when it was running well...