1500 tank badges

Fab · October 19, 2025, 05:33:00 AM

Quote from: mittico68 on April 14, 2025, 09:33:39 AM
I've got a 800 Drifter that I bought in 1999 and she came with the "Kawasaki Drifter" tank badges on.
Never seen those "Vulcan Drifter" badges.

This is what I found:

- Drifter models intended for the European market were equipped with "Kawasaki Drifter" emblems.

- Drifter models intended for the North American market were equipped with "Vulcan Drifter" emblems.

There are a few other minor differences between the Drifters sold on either side of the ocean.
That's how I discovered that my R1, imported from the UK to Italy a few years ago, is actually a model intended for the US market.

1. It had Vulcan Drifter badges instead of Kawasaki Drifter emblems. One was damaged, so I removed both of them.

2. It had amber (front) and red (rear) side reflectors: not present/required on European bikes of that period. Removed.

3. The front turn signals had 3 wires to allow the indicators to also function as parking/running lights. Front parking lights/DRLs in Europe can only be white, not amber, so I connected the existing wires to the parking bulbs inside the auxiliary spotlights to make them function as running lights.

4. No 3-way switch on the handlebar controls: the On/Parking/Off switch is only available on European models. On North American models, the headlight turns on automatically after the engine is started. It cannot be turned off once the engine is running.

5. The muffler only bears the EPA mark (for the US market) instead of the CE mark for the European market. I hope I never encounter an overzealous officer who tells me that the exhaust is not approved for use in Italy due to the lack of the CE mark...

6. License plate holder: The previous owner mounted a larger Italian license plate holder over the original US license plate holder (it is not Canadian, because it would have been slightly taller than the American mount). I removed that botched job and replaced it with a nicer stainless steel license plate holder.

There may be other differences that I have not yet spotted.

mittico68 · April 14, 2025, 09:33:39 AM

I've got a 800 Drifter that I bought in 1999 and she came with the "Kawasaki Drifter" tank badges on.
Never seen those "Vulcan Drifter" badges.

Tim · April 13, 2025, 22:11:41 PM

Anyone still looking? This came up on the Facebook Drifters Group.

Fab · April 07, 2025, 07:33:08 AM

Thank you for the link.

I have noticed that some tank emblems say Vulcan Drifter and others Kawasaki Drifter, regardless of variant.

Is there any way of knowing which models each emblem is mounted on?

I found this old post on OEM badge part numbers, but it says nothing about secondary variants:
https://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php/topic,18223.0.html

53Indian · April 07, 2025, 03:17:42 AM

Hi,
I sold these off some time back, but here's a set currently on eBay UK off a VN800.
Not cheap!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226636207810?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=bvchVocLSY6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-SELvU5hRNG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Fab · April 06, 2025, 14:47:46 PM

Quote from: 53Indian on March 20, 2022, 10:37:15 AM
Pictures attached

Hi @53Indian

I'm new to the forum and have just purchased an old Drifter 1500.
I couldn't be happier, also considering I've just started riding again after a long break.

I know I'm replying to an old thread, but I was wondering if you still had those tank badges around?

Many thanks in advance!

mittico68 · March 21, 2022, 09:22:40 AM

Thanx, Merc-Tec, but they're just like the ones that were on ma-deuce's tank (now they're on the top of the bubble bags I restored some time ago).
I thought yours could be those that are on 2001-2006 Drifters...
Thank you anyway, for your kind reply.l

53Indian · March 20, 2022, 10:37:15 AM

Pictures attached

53Indian · March 18, 2022, 18:12:52 PM

Postage will be around €15, badges are free.

53Indian · March 18, 2022, 18:10:30 PM

No joy, come back to me, I have a pair, came off a 35,000 mile Colorado bike, some sun fading otherwise fine.

53Indian · March 18, 2022, 18:07:59 PM

Also this one:
275196458531

53Indian · March 18, 2022, 18:05:40 PM

Hi,
Check this listing on eBay:
185337930916

mittico68 · March 14, 2022, 05:30:10 AM

I could be interested.
Would you please post some pics?

53Indian · March 13, 2022, 03:31:45 AM

I have 2 used ones off a '99 J1, can send pics and post worldwide.

OR Seedman · December 28, 2021, 18:45:51 PM

don't give up!.....I pretty much had, but decided one day to look on ebay again...and there they were!

Tim · December 21, 2021, 11:53:22 AM

Looks good! I managed to find ONE tank badge - I think I'll be looking for it's twin for a while!

OR Seedman · December 20, 2021, 15:25:50 PM

Perseverance pays off (expensively, though). I have been looking for a good set of OEM tank badges for my 1500 ever since I finished the rebuild and paint. A couple of members here offered some to me at a fair price, but I really wanted the correct year (2001). I was finally able to secure a very nice set off of ebay but they were not cheap! cost me $60 for the set but they look as though the have never been mounted on a tank. Got them put on today and I am very happy with the results. Especially as the insert color almost perfectly matches my two tone paint (Navajo Red).