Good deal?

[paisley777]

Thanks everyone.  I'd love to get it, but now I have to look for financing.  Somewhat more difficult for an older bike.

Wish me luck!

[pcarrell]

That price seems pretty darn good to me, especially with all the goodies!

As said, the Drifter specific parts are the harder bits to find, but a lot of Drifter guys tend to grab those parts when they see them, so a network of parts is available.  Most of the bike is closely related to other Vulcans, so a lot of parts are still easily available.

If the bike looks solid and rides well, and you like the styling, I'd pull the trigger.  Just know these bits of info first:

1.  You will almost always take longer to get where you're going, especially if you stop somewhere along the way.  A stop for gas is often 10 minutes or more as people will want to talk to you about the bike.  If you don't want to be noticed, don't buy this bike!

2.  If you buy the bike, the picture hounds on this site will hunt you down until you post a pic of your new ride.  My advice, give them what they want before they get wind of your new purchase!

[CDNRatMan]

   I been trying to keep the bikes for sale on Kijiji in Ontario updated and an awful lot of the 800sare in the 3 to 5 range. So a lot depends on the area you live in and the demand on the bike.

[Donkey]

As GB mentioned, it can vary greatly depending on the market you're in. But, the "Drifter" part aside, $3K for a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 with relatively little mileage on it is a very good price. These bikes are well built and long lasting and it has lots of life left. I'd expect to be paying that for an 800 where I am.

The Drifter is unique, but that will affect the price more so to the right person than the blue book. It's no secret that a bike is just the down payment on the accessories so if you're happy with what it comes with and don't have to drop a lot more $ to make it what you need then the deal is even better, and then add the "Drifter" part and I'd be all over that!

[paisley777]

Thanks for the feedback.

Yeah, it engine / functional parts I'm more worried about. 

[greenbarn]

Not sure what area you're shopping, but that seems like a very good deal to me- if the bike is in good condition.  Especially for all the accessories you have - again if in good condition, and if they're something you wanted.

IMHO you can throw the NADA value out the window for this bike.  Prices I have seen are much higher.

"Parts" are not so hard to find, at least stuff that is interchangeable with other vulcans, or parts available from places like Ron Ayers.   "Accessory parts" e.g. seats, saddlebag brackets, exhaust, etc are a little more challenging to find.   Stuff that is Drifter-only and discontinued, like fenders, are pretty scarce.

But if yours has stuff you want on it, and it's in good condition, you should get tons of miles out of it and not need much in the way of parts....

[paisley777]

Hello all,

I just discovered the Drifter today.  I sure do love the look of these!  Would love to get one.   I found it while shopping/window shopping for my next bike.  I'm hoping y'all might be able to give me some perspective on a bike I found.

I found a 2000, 1500cc, with 31,000 miles.  LOTS of extras: side bags, front bags, aftermarket seats, paint job. = $3000
NADA shows the value at ~$2800
It's a dealer bike but no warranty of any kind.

I worry about the availability of parts if I do have trouble. 

Thoughts?  Recommendations?

Thanks!