Old new guy

[greenbarn]

Will do that tomorrow.... 
Ack! More likely, this weekend.....After work 

Any updates on your noise??

[Isch]

Will do that tomorrow.... 
Ack! More likely, this weekend.....After work 

[Ironraven]

Sounds to me like you should inspect your driveshaft.  Just pull the boot, you'll be able to see if it's wearing out.

[Isch]

From what I can tell, the engine is fine. It starts and runs great. I can sit in my driveway and rev the engine and look real cool......I just can't go anywhere. The other day, I was going to try to ride to our monthly meeting, about 40 miles away, but just riding to the gas station about three miles down the road, to fill up, convinced me that I would probably not make it back home, so I had to cage it to an MC meeting. 
One reason I was looking to find another motor, was that while servicing my clutch, I came across a procedure in the service manual for checking the "free play" in the clutch spring, that required the use of a "spare" primary drive shaft. That's the one that basically runs from one side of the transmission to the other.
I eventually plan to split the case and repair this thing, but, since I plan on keeping it until I die, I figured I could use some spare parts. Considering how rare these birds are, I got my work cut out for me.

As for as noises and their location, the main way I can describe it is there is a "rattling" sound that is most pronounced in 4th and 5th gears, when I am either on the throttle or, even worse, when I'm kind of just maintaining. When I let off completely to decelerate, the noise and some of the vibration go away.

Last time I took it to the local factory authorized shop, it cost me almost $400 for them to trouble shoot it, do a little rewiring, and ultimately, not even find the real problem. (You can read a reply to Balthazar from earlier today to get some background on that)
I'm getting closer to the conclusion that I will actually have to go that route though.
Thanks for the input, and I'll keep you guys posted.

[indue]

How does the engine work in neutral? Does it vibrate at certain rpm's? Do the rpm's vibrate more when you are sitting on the bike? Have you taken up to 4000+ revs in neutral and does it vibrate like it is going to disintegrate? If the motor does not display the symptoms at neutral/idle/increased rpm, then it is in the drivetrain either the transmission or the driveshaft/final. Check all fluids and grease in the components and renew if it hasn't been done recently.

[OR Seedman]

Welcome back to the forum.....regarding your issue, does the engine produce a loud whining sound when decelerating?  Especially on the left side?  If so, it could very well be the front bevel gear bearing...not a hard fix to do if you have room to work on the bike yourself...

In any case, I would definitely have it checked by a professional Kawasaki mechanic....someone with some 1500 Vulcan engine experience...a replacement engine in good shape with low miles is going to be expensive..and you never really know what you are getting.

Best of luck and keep us informed on how it's going....

[Isch]

I haven't specifically checked the final drive aspect. The vibration characteristics tend to increase in severity more in relation to which gear it's in than with the actual speed of the bike. It's definitely worse at higher speeds, but I can shift into a different gear at the same speed and get it to sound different. That's what makes me think it's transmission related.
I will check out the driveshaft though, because there may be something to your suggestion. I considered it myself and dismissed it because I had just checked it last season, and everything in there looked fine. Changed the oil, and called it good. I'll post back on the results.

[chief]

welcome back. Post over in the Where Can I Find area for you motor. May get a little more attention.

https://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?board=29.0

[Old Drifter]

Welcome back! Are you sure that you need another engine? It sounds like it could be in the drive shaft (universal) or possibly the bevel gear. I'm sure that someone else will chime in here. Good luck.

[Isch]

Hey guys. Just wanted to say hey. I joined this site back when I first acquired my scooter. Have moved twice and something like six years have passed since then, but I have enjoyed the heck out of her since then. Don't know what happened to my old log in, but I just registered again.
Not being a tech savvy sort, I hope to figure out how to upload a picture or two, but at the moment I have another challenge. I need to find a motor for my '99 1500 Drifter.
Earlier this year I rode to Ohio for the semiannual national meeting for the club I ride with (Shameless plug: Sons of God MC, Manassas VA) and about 75 miles outside of Dayton, I started noticing a serious vibration, then a rattling noise coming from the transmission. It was most predominant in 4th and 5th gears. I didn't want to chance trying to ride home to VA, so I rented a trailer and got one of the brothers to hook it to the back of the cage they came up in.
Due to a number of circumstances, I have yet to be able to either crack it open, or come up with the funds to have someone else dig in and fix the problem. For one thing, I haven't yet found a mechanic that I feel confident about to fix the thing, at any price. Talking to them, I get the sense that they don't know much more than I do about these bikes. I have a pretty good sense about mechanical things, in general, and I'm confident that I could dig in and fix it myself, if I had the time.
Right now, I'm looking for a motor, so that I can get back on the road (I'm sick of not being able to ride, and this season is almost over). Also, with a spare motor, I can take my time and do the rebuild right. Engine is strong, with only 75k miles, and this bike has been such a joy to me, that I want to keep riding it forever. I'll never sell it and I want to find a way to keep it functional within my means.
Anyone got any suggestions or leads on a motor that will fit?