Contemplating buying a Drifter and have a few questions.

[1SG CAV]

here's my 2 cents. You can't judge the drifter just by sitting on it, take it for a spin. I too am 6'3" 245lb. the only time I had a sore ride was when the air was out of my shocks. you can purchase shifter extensions so your legs aren't so cramped. I've never scraped the floorboards on my 2002 1500, I have on my GS850G. I have a friend 6'7" who has rode my bike and loved it.

So find one and ride it, Don't just love it for it's looks, Love it for the ride too.

[Varooom]

Wow; what a friggin' fantastic Drifter sale site; so much better than going around Craig's list to all the states!  Thanks.

and, Tall Guy in Goffstown: Get over here to Portsmouth and sit on my 1999 1500 and stop wondering how it fits; I'm here all the time and it's got the original long, high, wide seat.  email me when you want to stop by from the members list herein.
Varooom

[aclone]

This site lists all drifters for sale on ebay and craiglist.                                                                                             http://www2.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=cpmoto&itm=kawasaki&loc=&fil=drifter&ys=&ye=&submit=++++go++++drifter

Mark

[driff]

hi all
looking to buy a drifter 1999 or 2001 2002 model any one know of any for sale,
thank
driff

[chief]

$4-600... unless you do it yourself ... a LOT less than $400 in that instance - but more trouble! <LOL>

[Varooom]

Real simple question to  ask is what type of oil they've used.  If it's not motorcycle specific you can expect the clutch plates do deteriorate at about 30-35 k miles; mine did.  $4-600 job.
Varooom

[chief]

Yeah 27k isn't much on a bike like the drifter. I would check it out and look at maintenance... then get whatever upcoming pm's done.

Cheers.

[Varooom]

Dean,
No problem.  Do consider that my 1999 has 70,000 miles and has had no problems to speak of.  I'm around next week mon through wed.
Gary

[nhtallguy538]

Varoom (Gary),

Thanks for the offer!  That is very nice of you!  This week is definately out for me as I am very, very busy at work but I am off next week.  I'm still contemplating what I might do, whether I will even buy a motorcycle, if I do will I pursue a Drifter, etc.  I'm the type who double thinks, triple thinks, etc. decisions such as these.  If I'm still in Drifter land next week, perhaps I will give you a call and see if your offer still stands.  I was a little more amped up about it when that local dealer had that Drifter that I think I now realize was probably an excellent deal!  If that one was still at the dealer next week, I probably would have ended up buying it after some internal hemming and hawing  .  Now all I have to choose from is a couple of private sales in the area and I'm more of a purchase from a dealer type guy.  I called about the one on the Seacoast and it has 27,000 miles which seems kind of high for a bike for a guy with no mechanical ability and no desire for any big repair bills in the near future after buying any motorcycle.

Anyhow, thanks again for the offer and I will give you a call if I decide to take you up on it.

Dean.............

[Varooom]

NHTall,
You're 40 miles away from me; come visit, sit, stretch etc.  I'm working much of today but later in the week's fine.  I've had no problems with my 1999 and love the look.  I bought it partly because I'd rather ride that polish chrome all day; call me lazy but I spoke to lots of harley riders and the '3 hour cleaning' didn't impress me.  I've got a damp garage and didn't want to see all that pitting.
The original two up seat gives a softer cushion and more position variation than any seat I've ever been on except for my old 1969 R60/2 BMW which was, like all the old Metrics, flat, front-to-rear.
By all means, give me a call and come check mine out: 431-7484 in your area code.
Gary

[chief]

Mag reviews:

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

[pcarrell]

You're not wasting anyones time.  It's just that you need to do some recon, and thats OK.  You want to be comfortable with your decision, no matter what it is.

The 1600 series Vulcans are a bit different ergonomically, so you'll probably need a 1500 series to get a better idea.  Of course, a Drifter would be best.  Can the friend of the dealer meet with you and let you sit on it to check it out?  I'd let ya have a seat on mine, but thats a heck of a drive!

Yes, I will say that the extra 6" would make a big difference.  I just don't know anyone that tall, so that was all I could muster.

You're right about some differences between model years.  The 1999 (first year, and only the 1500 was available in the U.S., though Canada got the 800, so you do see 1999 800's once in a while) and 2000 model years are affectionately called the "Blackout Bikes".  They had very little chrome trim.  Most of the chome items you'd normally se on a bike were powdercoated black.  The exhaust was chrome, as was the air cleaner covers, mirrors, and gascap.  The cylinder heads were silver, with sort of a sandcast look to them.  There was a trunkated cover on the lower left engine s well, leaving the rearward portion open to the world (not a bad thing, just a different look, thats all).  This was done to try and capture the real feel of the post war Indian Chiefs, and it does an admirable job of it.  In 2001 until the end of the model run (2005 for the 1500 & 2006 for the 800) the bikes got a generous helping of chrome, making them quite flashy.  You can see them all here: http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/historyp3.html

Mechanically speaking, there aren't a lot of differences.  The blackout bikes had a slightly smaller gs tank and a mechanical speedo, while the 2001 and up bikes got an electric speedo and a slight boost in tank capaqcity.  All the 1500's had fuel injection from the get-go, with the Drifter being the first Vulcan 1500 to get it, and other models followed suit later.  There's a few other minor differences, but not much.  The blackout bikes came with a 2up seat from the factory for example, while the chromaholic versions came with a solo.  You could always buy the other seat though, so many owners have both along with the required "horseshoe bracket" to mount the 2up.  Specs for the 1500 (with the differences broken out) can be found here: http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/1500specs.html  The 800 is here: http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/800specs.html

There's a nice write up with some links (some don't work any more) here: http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/VulcanDrifter.html

[nhtallguy538]

Hey PCarrol,

Thanks for your comments regarding your friend that is 6'3" tall.  That is helpful but I will have to say that the extra 6 inches that I have over him makes a big difference.  As a matter of fact, yesterday when I was looking at bikes and felt cramped for example on a 1600 Vulcan Classic, etc. I was thinking that they seem to only make bikes for people 6'3" and shorter as far as really being comfortable on them.  Since I cannot afford to have one custom built however, I decided yesterday that I just have to find the best fit I can in a stock bike and live with it if I want to ride again.  I saw a funny quote on a discussion board when I did a search last week for "Tall Man Motorcycle" or something like that hoping to get some ideas on good bikes for tall guys.  On guy said replying to a guy that was 6'7" I think that "No matter what you do, you will not find a bike that really fits you right and you will always look like a "Monkey Humping a Football""  Glad to know I look like that when riding!!

Question to Varoom from Portsmouth, NH.  I live in Goffstown, NH by the way near Manchester.  I see there is a 2003 1500 Drifter for sale in the SeaCoast area. It is black and is all decked out with an Indian light on the front fender, Indian lettering on the gas tank, Solo seat, saddle bags, etc.  Not sure if I am to keen on the Indian lettering on the gas tank, sorry if I offend anyone, but it is not an Indian and just an Indian replica.  Too each his own, I guess.  Wonder if that is easily taken off.  I was wondering if you knew the guy that is selling the bike, and if so, if the bike is in good condition, well taken care of, etc.  It looks like it is in good condition maybe great condition from the pictures on Craigslist.  I wouldn't be able to do much abougt it until Labor day week anyways as I am too busy until then but have that week off.  I'm wondering if it has high miles as the guy does not list that in his ad but I guess I could call to find that out.  I have absolutely no mechanical abilities except for changing oil, spark plugs, battery, etc. so I worry about high mileage bikes and them needing lots of repairs, etc.  I have no easy way to get a bike to the shop and will have to probably buy some sort of a trailer too.

Question to anyone I guess.  There is also a 1999 Drifter for sale in NH.  Is the 1999 model a good one or is it better to get a later model?  I think I recall reading about some flaw or difference in the 1999 versus I think a 2000 or 2001 and later models?

BTW - I apologize if I end up wasting peoples time with my questions.  I have no idea if/when I will buy a bike and if it will be a Drifter.  The Drifter is pretty cool however and seems  to have pretty good leg room so it is high on my list if I do.

Thanks!

[nhtallguy538]

Hey Everyone!

Thanks very much for all your comments!  They were very helpful!  I went out yesterday with the intention of not only looking at the Drifter that I had seen at a local dealership recently but to also sit on some other bikes to see how I fit.  I started out at some other dealerships that the Drifter was not at and did not find many bikes that I fit on very well.  There was a Yamaha Roadstar I think it was at one place with forward mounted controls that was not too bad but the forward controls are foot pegs not floorboards and I think I like floor boards.  At that point, I was still thinking about the Drifter and wanted to go see it.  I got to the dealership and it was not there!!  Bummer!!!  It was still listed on their website but I guess it had been sold a week or so ago but the guy that updates the website was on vacation.  The sales guy said it only lasted about a week.  I guess a friend of the owner of the dealership  bought it.  I'm sure it does not surprise any of you that it went so fast.  When I continued to see it on the website, I figured I was going to get lucky and no one was interested in it in the area and I could get some $$$ off the price, etc.  It seems as though the Drifter only appeals to a certain crowd and I was hoping none were in the area.  I'm Ok with it though as am still not sure if ready to purchase or not yet as I am concerned how my back will do with riding and all.  I have started to go to the gym again however so I hope my back will be a lot stronger soon!
In case anyone is interested in the deal that it was, it was a 2002 1500 Drifter with only 2300 miles on it.  It was owned by 1 female.  It was black with a windshield, solo seat, chrome seat guard/rail??, white wall tires, engine guard bars (sorry my terminology may not be correct on some of the stuff), etc.  It was in excellent condition, very clean.  It was a consingment sale and they wanted $5299.00.  Since it was still on the website, I was I guess stupidly thinking I could maybe get it for $4500.00 as they had told me the owner needed to sell it bad.  Oh well, you win some you lose some.  At this point, I really just wanted to sit on one again to see how it fit me.  I had sat on it a couple of weeks ago for a few minutes and it seemed OK although of course not great due to my height but it seems like one of the better fits for me along with a 2002 Victory V92C Deluxe that I sat on that was at the same dealership.  The Victory is a nice/OK bike but no where near as interesting looking as the Drifter!   Very plain compared to the Drifter and in general.
There are a couple of private sale Drifters out there on Craigslist in New Hampshire so perhaps I will check them out.  I wish Kawasaki still made them so it would be easier to look at them and sit on them at local dealerships.
To Varoom in Portsmouth, perhaps if I buy a Drifter I will see you out and about at some point.  The Seacoast area is a great place to ride!

Later guys, thanks again for your help!  If I decide to go on a quest for a Drifter, I will keep you all updated.

[pcarrell]

Varooom, I've heard that there's a vast difference between the stock 2up and the Corbin Fire & Steel 2up.  I know the Corbin moves me forward about 2 inches it seems over the stock solo, which would be bad for our tall friend here.  When I have it on I don't feel the need for the risers as much.

nhtallguy538, I had a friend of mine who's 6'3" (tallest guy I know) sit on my bike with my stock solo seat on last night and he said he was very comfortable.  He was sitting up virtually straight and reaching the pedals & grips nicely.  The only thing I think he'd need is the streched brake pedal, then he'll be good.  He's a rider too, and he is thinking about a Vulcan 1500 and wanted to see if it'd fit.  He'd found one he was interested in, but didn't want to make the drive if it wasn't going to fit him.  He's going to see it today.

[Varooom]

Hey there Tall Guy,
You're one of the few that I look up to, literally!  I'm 6' 3" and it is rare that I do so it is usually a surprise.

I've had my 1500 drifter since the first few months that they came out back in 1999 and have done some real long rides on it in total comfort.  I was in Southern Florida, the Bonita Beach area, several years ago.  The brush and forest fires were so bad that the State Police were closing the highways heading North from there and it was our last day in the timeshare where my wife and I had spent the week.
So, I took off and did 14 hours to get out of the state and over to Foley, AL where my parents were living at the time.  Naturally, I was tired and a bit buzzed but my back was fine and it was a lovely ride.
I weigh 190 pounds and was carrying around 50 pounds of luggage; I've never added air to the shocks as suggested herein but intend to buy the no leak back pump suggested and give that a try.  Setting 2 or 3 on the rebound works very nice.
Get one; you'll love the seating on the original double seat; it got rave reviews for its comfort, if not for its looks, back when it came out.
Varooom in Portsmouth, NH

[aclone]

I always know what I want for my next mod, just not how to pay for it.
mark

[pcarrell]

I'm sold!  Now, all I need is cash!

[aclone]

Stock bars, very easy install.  All the stock hoses and cables work fine.
mark

[chief]

I have the Phat II's with the stock bars and didn't need to do any cable/hose changes.

Cheers.

[pcarrell]

aclone, I've been thinking about those Phat II's.  Did you use the stock bars with that?  And if so, I understand that all the cables reach with only minor rerouting......true?

[aclone]

I'm 6'2"  love  the floorboards like to beable to move my feet around, also have highway bars with pegs. I have found that in my case that pain in my lower back had more to do with handlebar height than seat height. On my suzuki I replaced the stock bars with 12" apes. The height made my back straighter  and I could ride for hour no problem. On my 1500 drifter I have put Phatriser II from scootworks  with the same result.  I very happy with my drifter  she looks great and rides great (single or two up). Hope this helps
Mark

[chief]

Seat height is really dependent upon the seat. The oem is about 29"... with your back I would suggest a seat with a back rest. Corbin makes one... I have a corbin double seat with a back rest and I can ride forever on it.

The rear suspension is different. Anyone complaining about it bouncing and taking bumps hard doesn't have the shocks set up correctly. It comes from the factory set up for 175 rider only. So you need to add air (with proper pump and gage). The bike rides very well once its set up for your weight. And, it REALLY does require the setup.

I added progressive springs to the front and progressive 440's to the rear, only because we used to ride two-up fully loaded and I didn't want to lug around an air pump.

I rarely have problems scraping floorboards, but I'm not too aggressive a rider either. I scrap them more on my Goldwing.

Add some engine/highway bars with pegs and you will able to stretch out on a run... but get some wide ones so your feet don't hit them ... due to your height, etc.

[pcarrell]

Welcome to the forum first off!  You picked a good place to ask your questions, so lets dive right in!

I'm going to rearrange some of your sentences to group some things together, OK?

Hello Everyone.  There is a 2002 Drifter 1500 for sale in my area and I am contemplating buying it.

Have you compared it to other Drifter prices to see what kind of deal you're getting.  I mean, I know that Drifters area a limited production bike so there's not a lot to compare with, but on a general web search is the price in line with other Drifters of the same engine size, mileage, options, etc.?  Just want to make sure you start off on a good foot ya know!

I have a few questions about Drifters and also just want some opinions in general from people who ride them.  My story is that I started riding motorcycles when I was about 13 and rode for about 20 years until I gave it up 8 or 9 years ago.  I had a couple of dirt bikes when I was a teenager and my last bike was a 1988 (I think) Kawasaki Vulcan 1500.

Most of that sounds similar to me.

One major issue I have is that I am 6'9" tall and weigh 250.

I'm 5'11" and 250#, so were pretty close in weight, and that will be important in answering some of these questions.

...............Also, I have read a few reviews where they said the Drifter rides great and a few where they complain about the rear shocks.  One guy said the Drifter took bumps really bad and another compared it to riding on a trampoline.  What is the general consensus on how the Drifter rides, handles bumps, rough roads, etc...........I have lots of back problems and one reason why I gave up riding was if I remember correctly it was not very comfortable for my back.  .............  It is also pretty much one of longest bikes out there at 100 inches................

The adjustment of the factory shocks is crucial on this bike if you're looking for the optimum ride quality.  Now, you've done some homework on this, so you know that the rear suspension arm is very long, attaching to the lower middle of the bike.  Because of this, on larger bumps it sometimes gives the feeling of riding an inchworm.  It's not often, but some riders simply do not care for that feeling and so they write the suspension off as bizarre or quirky.  This will generally show up as an unfavorable review.  Thats OK though, because this isn't meant to be a bike for everybody.  That long wheelbase and long swingarm work in our favor for guys of more generous proportions.  That long wheelbase adds stability, and the long swingarm allows more movement of the swingarm over bumps before it hits the ends of it's swing, making for a smoother ride.  Add to that, the arm attaches to the middle of the bike, and any jarring tends to be spread more evenly throughout the frame rather then right up your spine like a hardtail bike would for example.

Now, about those shocks.......Max presure is 43psi.  The factory sets them at 17psi, which they say is right for a 170lbs rider.  The adjustable damper is set at 2 (out of a 1-4 possible settings, with 1 being the softest).  If someone like us was to hop on a factory adjusted bike and ride off, it would bottom out on larger bumps, ride harsh, wallow in the corners, all that.  When I ride solo I have the shocks set at 20-22 psi (making sure both sides are the same) with the damper set on 2.  It rides like a cloud!  (I have the stock solo seat (VERY comfortable) and the Corbin covered Fire & Steel 2up (hard as a rock!) that I'll be redoing the padding on this winter.)  If the road is rough I'll set the pressure at 22-25psi and bump the damper to 3.  If I ride 2up (my wife and I are both healthy sized people) I set the pressure at 40-42psi and the damper on 4.  With the weight on the bike it's proportionate, so the ride still isn't harsh, though it is a bit more firm.  Adjusting the damper is a piece of cake.  Just grab the top collar of the shock and twist.  The collar clicks past each setting, with a pointer indicating the current setting.  It takes all of 2 seconds!  The presure is a bit tougher.  First, you can't use a compressor to do it.  You'll blow the seals out and the shocks will be trash.  Hand pump only.  Also, a bycycle pump (or other such pump) is out because that little "pfft" sound that happens when you take the hose off the connection means you just lost all the air you put in (these shocks don't need much air to dramatically change the pressure).  You need a "No Loss Pump", like the one Progressive sells (get the 0-60psi pump: http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product_info.php?products_id=5619 ).  You'll also have to get the rear wheel off the ground.  Harbor Freight sells a nice bike jack for around $70, and you'll use it for lots of other things too.  Now, jack up the bike, connect the pump, set it to your desired pressure, and let the bike down.  The hole thing will take about 5 minutes, literally.

At my height, I will never find a bike that fits me correctly without having one custom made which I cannot afford.  The 1500 Drifter seems to have one of the higher seat heights out there at 28.7 inches according to the info for the bike on the dealers website.  I did sit on the bike while it was leaning on the kickstand and it was OK I guess but again at my height, nothing will fit me correctly.  

This is a little tougher issue.  I know you can get an extended brake pedal from Scootworks ( http://www.shopscootworks.com/productdetail.htm?productId=-128763&catalogId=&searchProducts=vulcan%201500 ), so maybe fabricating some way to move the floorboards forward a bit would be the solution.  You'd also have to fab up a new heel & toe shifter, but that shouldn't be too hard.  You definately wouldn't want to lower the boards as they are already down there a ways.

The other thing that concerns me is the relatively low ground clearance due to some comments I read from a couple of people.  One guy said that the floorboards can drag on the pavement in sharp corners.  I did not have floorboards on my old Vulcan 1500 and have never road with them so they are completely foreign to me.  It seems that with the Drifter you would be cruising around corners not flying around them which I would think would eliminate the floorboard scraping the pavement issue.  

The floorboards are down there, like I said, but you're right in that you aren't trying to play kneedragger with this bike.  This is a big lumbering beast that begs for the open road.  It's got gobs of torque, plenty of power, and a great suspension if set up properly, but a crotch rocket it ain't!  This is a bike to relax on, not make your heat beat through your chest, right?  That said, yes, I touch down once in a while on a turn, especially if the turn is off camber just right. It's all good though as the boards have some upward movement built into them and a "curb feeler" that gives you an audible warning.  So far there's been no drama to it for me.

To anyone who rides a Drifter and has rode other bikes, is the Drifter with it's seat height and length one of the best bets for me in the cruiser category that will give me the best fit?    

I may not be the best to ask on this.  Like you, I hadn't ridden in a long time before I got my Drifter, so a lot of the bikes out there I haven't had any experience on.  I can tell you it beats the snot out of a HD 1200 Sportster (too top heavy), a HD Road King (cramped bike!).  I've also been on a Suzuki C90, which is a great bike, but definately would not work with your height.  It has about the lowest seat height in the big cruiser catagory.  I can't think of any right off hand that would be much better for taller folks.

Maybe others can help you more here?

The Drifter is definately a cool, interesting looking bike!  I have been looking at lots of pictures of them since I saw the one I am thinking of buying.  I had no idea Kawasaki made this bike but again it is really cool looking!!  Thanks for your help and opinions!!

It's a cool bike, and it's an attention getter.  If you get it, you'd better brush up on your "It's not an Indian, it's better!" speach, because you'll say it a bunch!

BTW, whatever you decide, we'll still let you talk to us, so don't be a stranger!

[YorZephyr]

Hi there,

I'm a really really new to riding (still....  working on my license) but I can comment on the floor boards.  I've been practicing for about three weeks now and I mostly been doing figure eights on dead end streets (so I can be comfortable with the bike at slow speeds).  In that short time I've already scarped the floor boards four times.  Mostly,l I think, it's my lack of experience and the fact that I'm actually making an effort to go to extremes to get the most out of my practice time.  I figure when I'm just cruising like a normal person I'll seldom run into that problem.
The seat?  Well, my father thinks the seat is especially comfortable even though he also thinks that it's lacking in cushion.  The seat I use is not the original, it's a two up with sissy bar from kawasaki.  Anyway, my father normally rides a softtail with a especially cushy seat (custom covered seat), but even with the extra cushion, I too think my seat is far more comfortable (his seat makes my legs fall asleep).

Tall people?  Well, I would think you be better off with a different series of bikes.  I've seen many different bikes that look like they reach for the sky when it comes to seat height (I have short legs).  You, of course, would be giving up on the cool Drifter look but it may be a better fit.