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Posted by Fab
- October 19, 2025, 05:33:00 AMQuote from: mittico68 on April 14, 2025, 09:33:39 AMI'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.
Posted by mittico68
- April 14, 2025, 09:33:39 AMI'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.
Posted by Tim
- April 13, 2025, 22:11:41 PMAnyone still looking? This came up on the Facebook Drifters Group.
Posted by Fab
- April 07, 2025, 07:33:08 AMThank 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
Posted by 53Indian
- April 07, 2025, 03:17:42 AMHi,
I sold these off some time back, but here's a set currently on eBay UK off a VN800.
Not cheap!
Posted by Fab
- April 06, 2025, 14:47:46 PMQuote from: 53Indian on March 20, 2022, 10:37:15 AMPictures 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!
Posted by mittico68
- March 21, 2022, 09:22:40 AMThanx, 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
Posted by 53Indian
- March 20, 2022, 10:37:15 AMPictures attached
Posted by 53Indian
- March 18, 2022, 18:12:52 PMPostage will be around €15, badges are free.
Posted by 53Indian
- March 18, 2022, 18:10:30 PMNo joy, come back to me, I have a pair, came off a 35,000 mile Colorado bike, some sun fading otherwise fine.
Posted by 53Indian
- March 18, 2022, 18:07:59 PMAlso this one:
275196458531
Posted by 53Indian
- March 18, 2022, 18:05:40 PMHi,
Check this listing on eBay:
185337930916
Posted by mittico68
- March 14, 2022, 05:30:10 AMI could be interested.
Would you please post some pics?
Posted by 53Indian
- March 13, 2022, 03:31:45 AMI have 2 used ones off a '99 J1, can send pics and post worldwide.
Posted by OR Seedman
- December 28, 2021, 18:45:51 PMdon't give up!.....I pretty much had, but decided one day to look on ebay again...and there they were!