Hey Everyone,
I was thinking to acquire a Drifter, but wonder if it's challenging to find parts? Are there any other concerns or difficulties associated with Drifter ownership to be aware of before jumping in?
Thanks
there are a lot of parts interchangeable with the same year/cc Vulcan line up, however there are some very unique oem parts associated with both Drifter models....primarily seats and fenders, due to the skirted front fenders and the floating rear fenders that are attached to the swingarms. Also, saddlebag mounts are uncommon and difficult to come by if needed and not already on the bike. Other than those, many Vulcan parts from corresponding model years and engine sizes will work. Anything to add to that Chief?
What Seedman Said.
BUT, in my opinion, the Drifter is a unique machine because of its wonderful (and timeless) design and reliable engine.
And these are more than valueable reasons for grabbin' her and keepin' it with you, aside of the poorness of parts and accessories.
Just my 2 cents...
Parts availabilty isn't as bad as people make out, you just have to not be lazy and put some effort into looking.
Fenders - fibre-glass repro fenders are readily available for the 800 & 1500.
OEM bag mounting brackets are still avilable from some factors and I've often seen used and new ones ebay.
OEM Indicators can still be found at some suppliers - and are still available from Japan (I got a pair of chrome rears just before Xmas).
Speedo drive cables - still available if you look hard enough, or you can get one essentially the same - the ends are generic.
Carbs can be a problem (mostly because people don't RTFM and break them). But repro carbs, complete with the TPS, are available on Amazon (I have no idea of the quality or if they come correctly jetted).
An after-market rear shock of excellent quality is available for the 800.
If you see a NOS part at a bargin price, grab it. (I found an NIB rear fender and a right hand switch cluster for my E2 for real bargain prices).
Here in the UK most parts can be found if you're prepared to wait, sometimes took me over a year to find stuff.
Original fenders and seats hard to find but repro fenders are available as mentioned earlier.
Seats off other 1500's will fit with slight mods, even seen dual seats cut down and retrimmed.
Headlight bowls are tricky, speedos expensive (but kph/mph faces available), lots of VN stuff looks like it'll fit but most need mods.
Accessories are hard to find, some Harley/Indian/Metric cruiser stuff can be modified to fit.
Kawasaki have discontinued a lot of parts as most of the bikes are now 20+ years old.
Bikes are good value considering an original Indian is now over £30,000, too valuable to be ridden daily and difficult in traffic.
No regrets.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134974243200?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=X3DchKSOSYO&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-SELvU5hRNG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134974243200?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=X3DchKSOSYO&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-SELvU5hRNG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL)