New-to-me Drifter Wish List

[Donkey]

well stop drooling and try and get one......lol...

What else do you have on the go with the bike?

Hmmm...  2-up seat, highway pegs, luggage rack...  If I don't do it slow and smart I'll spend myself out of being able to afford the gas. But if ANY bike deserves a hand shifter, it's these...

[moosewing3]

Be patient on the fender Donkey, I had to replace mine as I broke the back 2" in a trailering incident, took a few months but was able to find one, in Gooseberry so no painting was required. I'll throw the old broken one in with the seat if you want lol.

[CDNRatMan]

well stop drooling and try and get one......lol...

What else do you have on the go with the bike?

[Donkey]

...got it and am happy now.

That's all that matters!  I share the deals I got in case it helps others, but I know they can be hard to come across.

Just waiting now for my Drifter shifter.........

Yes, that just RAPIDLY climbed very high on the list.  When I first got my classic I had come across that and then forgot about it...  wasn't the bike to do it on.  THIS one is, and I was going thru the mods on this site a couple days ago and found it again...  LOVE IT!  I just studied the directions...  drooling...

[CDNRatMan]

   I had to order mine from motorsloop in Belgium, there seemed to be none anyplace for a 800.....but got it and am happy now. Just waiting now for my Drifter shifter.........

[Donkey]

That's pretty cool!  Good price too!

Yes, REALLY happy!  I was watching one forever, brand new as well, but way more...  $150 maybe?  $200?  I was still ready to pull the trigger because this in an access I really like...  but I knew I didn't need it til Spring.  And suddenly this one popped up!  Crazy deal.

[pcarrell]

That's pretty cool!  Good price too!

[Donkey]

Engine guard installed today...

I like a beefy front end, and I'm a tall guy so I like my forward highway pegs on an engine guard for long hauls.  Now that the guard is on, the pegs are next (did I miss that on the wish list?!)  Black of course...

Scored a great deal on this one.  Brand new, OEM, in the original plastic wrap, all hardware included, $50 on eBay.  It's always worth hunting and waiting if you aren't in a rush...  Started looking in the fall and got this about a month ago.  Being able to ship conveniently to a US address doesn't hurt.

[Donkey]

...truly amazing how much the fender on an 800 moves up and down.

And that is EXACTLY what caught my eye the day I saw my very first Drifter. Turns out that is the Drifter that became mine, I just didn't know it for years yet. At the time, as much as I'd loved Indian styling, I didn't yet know the Indian had a swing arm mounted fender either. And that is also exactly why I want that fender to be perfect!

[CDNRatMan]

   I am thinking a good body shop in the Valley area should be able to fix that for you. If you are going to go with a 2 up seat then fix your rack to the level of the bottom of the seat, like I did.
I have never followed a 1500, but I did follow my own bike on a ride one day and truly amazing how much the fender on an 800 moves up and down. Yet once you are riding how smooth it is with the 1500 spring and a progressive mono shock really nice and smooth........

[Donkey]

Almost forgot...  I got this little guy for Christmas.

Everyone's bike is their thing...  Me, I'd do this not to try to Indianize her, but to recognize the tribute she was meant to be...

But it's a fair debate!

[Donkey]

Rear fenders are getting harder to find.  There's always the Oldy's fenders (fiberglass molds pulled from a Drifter http://www.badassglass.us/fenders.html , but your's looks like it could be repaired, and it'd need a repaint too.  The fender bib may be the cheapest solution for now, but that's your call.

It looks like there isn't much space between the fender and the seat/rack.  If I remember, that rear suspension has a swing of about 5 inches, so you need 5 1/2 inches clearence to be safe.

I don't think it's shot beyond repair, I hope, but I have to find someone that can fill and finish a deep gouge in plastic.  It's not all the way through...

And you're right, it's only about 4" off the fender and clearly that isn't enough.

I've even thought about that rack of Ted's, but I just can't see shaking the crap outta my stuff, nor am I a huge fan of drilling 4 holes in the fender!

I figure one day I will have the fender fixed and I'd rather not have to deal with the 4 holes in addition to what's already there...  the holes wouldn't bother me if I wasn't going to get it fixed but the fenders are such a large part of what makes this bike what it is.

And...  Ted's rack won't work with a 2-up, which is also something I want the option of.

[Donkey]

four boxes of beer in my hockey bag and some extra stuff........and because you might not know a box of beer here is 24 bottles, not that tinny can stuff.

Strap that to the fender and see how many caps you can blow before you get there...

[CDNRatMan]

  four boxes of beer in my hockey bag and some extra stuff........and because you might not know a box of beer here is 24 bottles, not that tinny can stuff.

[pcarrell]

Rear fenders are getting harder to find.  There's always the Oldy's fenders (fiberglass molds pulled from a Drifter http://www.badassglass.us/fenders.html , but your's looks like it could be repaired, and it'd need a repaint too.  The fender bib may be the cheapest solution for now, but that's your call.

It looks like there isn't much space between the fender and the seat/rack.  If I remember, that rear suspension has a swing of about 5 inches, so you need 5 1/2 inches clearence to be safe.

[Donkey]

Just playing with new filters...  Man that tire is dirty.  Sorry.

[greenbarn]

Yessir...  search on eBay: LR2 Luggage Rack for Mustang & Corbin Removable Backrest seat Dual Tour ( 111589937025 )

Very reasonable I think too, given how hard options are to find.  They say they recommend 20lb but "many customers have reported carrying MUCH more with no problem"...  and to their credit the close up pictures make it look pretty well built.

I'll look them up.  20 lbs, a respectable amount for most of us.  Now, probably not enough for somebody like Ratman to put that big hockey bag of his on there....   But enough for a box of beer....

[Donkey]

And they offer a skull too...

[Donkey]

Donkey, what's the capacity of that thing??  I'd be interested in that too.  Got a website?

Yessir...  search on eBay: LR2 Luggage Rack for Mustang & Corbin Removable Backrest seat Dual Tour ( 111589937025 )

Very reasonable I think too, given how hard options are to find.  They say they recommend 20lb but "many customers have reported carrying MUCH more with no problem"...  and to their credit the close up pictures make it look pretty well built.

[greenbarn]

Donkey, what's the capacity of that thing??  I'd be interested in that too.  Got a website?

[Donkey]

This thing is still on the short list too, since it installs on the seat post of a corbin (or mustang) backrest, which I have.

I like removeable.  Only need it for the road trips...  And it comes in black (or raw) as well.

[Donkey]

That rack looks like an older Harley FLH rack; same one I had on my '76.

That's exactly what it is.  I was lucky enough to get the bike from a friend, so I have a little bit of it's history...

It might have done better had the bolts been shorter...  it's one of the too long bolts that gouged the fender.  And as for the contact...  that may have been a one time huge pot hole in a construction zone with a full luggage load...  And I did find that the shocks were dialed down to "1".

[49Reo]

That rack looks like an older Harley FLH rack; same one I had on my '76. If you're handy with tools and torch, you could always fab one up....I ended up doing that, could not find one that I wanted on my baby. Finally built one, love it, but can't see it as I have a huge fringed leather trunk on it....funny....couldn't find one I liked, what did it matter if you can't see it.....oh well. I know its there.....

[Donkey]

This is her pretty much the way I got her.  She came with a windshield and the backrest for the Corbin.  For scooting around town, all that comes off.  I found and bought the original black Kawi engine guard, but so far it's still wrapped in the packaging...

She had a badly dented right side air cleaner cover but I got lucky on eBay finding one in Canada, brand new at a great price.  All three dash indicator lights were damaged or missing and that was my first purchase, but so far that's it!

The rear fender is the sorest spot...

(I've never referred to a bike by gender before this...  but with all the skirting and looking as sexy as they do, kinda comes naturally!)

[Donkey]

No horseshoe...

The pic came out pretty good...  good enough to show why the rack replacement is necessary.  Hoping most buff out, but there is one deep groove that doesn't show here.