New Drifter Owner with Lots of questions!

[pcarrell]

Hey Guys,

Rob here with a few questions. So I bought a 2001 Drifter 1500 about a year ago and its been sitting. not really sure why I bought it, but I did. Now that I have to time to play with it I am noticing how HARD it is to find anything for it. Man its frustrating. So here are my questions.

Welcome to the forum, and to Drifters!

..... but handle bars sit just slightly crooked.

What's the story there?  Are the forks straight?  Bent bars?  Might be worth looking into.  Your bike might be telling you it's history.

I had my pal build me a passenger seat so it literally is not anything like other seats people have (its nothing special just different) However. I noticed that the passenger seat is rubbing on the rear fender!! Does this mean my shocks are trashed or is there something I can do to fix this.

I think you'll quickly find that Drifter owners love home brewed, unique solutions to issues.  The thing with the seat, as has been alluded to already, is that you need at least 5 1/2 inches clearence between the seat bottom and the top of the fender.  Yup, the fender moves that much!  See, the fender itself is attached to the axle hub, and floats up and down with it.  It was designed this way so that the rear fender could hug the tire as close as possible, giving a sleek profile.  That floating fender is a tradeoff though when it comes to adding a pillion.

What handle bar risers do you suggest? and are they easy to install?

Scootworks makes a riser called "Phat Risers II" that is about the most radical you can get without changing cables and hoses.  You may need to reroute some, but not replace.

Saddlebag UGH! nothing available. Suggestions?

You can start here: http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/oemsbsetup.html

Other then that, Ebay, Craigslist, and getting fancy with the metal working tools are your best bets.

I am new to owning a motorcycle so not nearly as crafty as all of you seem. Anybody live in Northern California help a guy out!? Thanks

Being in Indiana, I can't help you a lot there.  Remember though, there was once a time when we all did this for the first time.  This group is a great resource, and you'll find lots of help here....just ask!

[jmbo]

Welcome......send phtos

[JagLite]

Lets see Rob, you bought a 15 year old, 800 lb, 1500cc motorcycle as your first bike?   

Okay....   

As Troll mentioned, the Drifter is an orphan with some unobtanium parts.
At least unavailable from a dealer.
Ebay and motorcycle salvage yards are potential sources for used parts.

Many of the Drifter parts are common with the rest of the Vulcan line though so we just order the part for the Classic, or Nomad, or Meanstreak, etc that we need. The challenge is the Drifter specific parts so just ask here for what you need and one or more of the Drifter team will tell you which alternate part to get.

The big fenders are very rare but there is a company that makes fiberglass replicas.

You will need a shock pump for the rear air shocks as Troll mentioned, I got mine on Amazon.
Get a shop manual for the bike to help you with maintenance. (Kawasaki/Haynes/Clymer)

And welcome to the wild and wacky world of Drifters 

[Troll]

Much like the H-D Rocker-C, the Drifter fender moves with the rear suspension. When you make or install anything that could rub/hit, you need to make sure you have enough clearance. We, here, have come to find out that there were only 9,000 of each model (1500/800) produced over then entire run for world wide distribution. The last 1500 is now 12 years old, and there is precious little NOS accessory parts available. Used stuff is what most people find, on like eBay, Craigslist, etc.  Fabrication is a way of life, especially when you own an old or orphan machine...Put 25# of air pressure in the rear shocks (with a suspension pump, NOT AN AIR HOSE!!!!) and try it out. Singh Saddleries makes some awesome leather goodies, including bags, for our machines, as does Heather's Leathers, and Osprey..I have a set of used Ospreys I bought from a guy in Canada a few years ago. Saddlebag mounting brackets show up on eBay all the time...Here's a shot of mine from last week

[rawbz36]

Hey Guys,

Rob here with a few questions. So I bought a 2001 Drifter 1500 about a year ago and its been sitting. not really sure why I bought it, but I did. Now that I have to time to play with it I am noticing how HARD it is to find anything for it. Man its frustrating. So here are my questions. My bike has V&H exhaust, 12k miles, good tires but handle bars sit just slightly crooked. I had my pal build me a passenger seat so it literally is not anything like other seats people have (its nothing special just different) However. I noticed that the passenger seat is rubbing on the rear fender!! Does this mean my shocks are trashed or is there something I can do to fix this. What handle bar risers do you suggest? and are they easy to install? Saddlebag UGH! nothing available. Suggestions?

I am new to owning a motorcycle so not nearly as crafty as all of you seem. Anybody live in Northern California help a guy out!? Thanks