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Posted by Rlearmont
- July 29, 2019, 12:45:57 PMThanks for the replies
I think my best course of action is to forget that I have ridden before and learn from scratch and sign up for a training course.
I already had it come out from under me once while I was practicing turning from a stop and luckily all I got was a few sore ribs. At my age, I don't bounce as well as I used to.
The drifter I bought already had a few dents and scratches so I didn't do any more harm to it.
I was surprised at how easy it was to stand it back up by myself.
Posted by mittico68
- July 29, 2019, 10:49:57 AMI agree with TFrank.
The Drifter 800 is a good handling bike, due to its low weight and center of gravity.
Just go on with your training and you'll be soon able to ride her even at low speed.
If I can give you advice, try also this exercise: while ridin' in 2nd gear and at a really slow speed, close the bike's speed throttle, pull the clutch lever and try to keep the bike balanced as long as possible.
But remember to put a foot on the ground, as soon as the bike stops! 
Posted by Tfrank59
- July 29, 2019, 08:32:09 AMI thought they were right around 500 lbs 
. You have the right idea, to take it slow and easy in an empty parking lot, maybe set up some cones or something and work on turns and other maneuvers, including soft and hard stopping. The Vulcan Drifter is a very easy bike to maneuver--not to offend--and you should be able to handle her in short order. I found the center of gravity to be fairly low, along with the seat height, so that turns and other maneuvers at slower speeds weren't an issue. One thing for me is my other bike is an 800 lb Valkyrie, so my reference for comparison makes the Drifter seem like a light-weight. since you've been out of the riding scene for 30 years, it might pay to take a course in motorcycle safety, as pretty much EVERYTHING (you, bikes, roads, other drivers, laws, etc.) has changed dramatically since the 80s.
Posted by Rlearmont
- July 29, 2019, 05:31:17 AMI just purchased a 2000 800 and am having trouble getting it to go where I want it to go at slow speeds. Anything above 25 mph and she handles like a dream.
Maybe its because the last time I owned and drove a bike was 1989. Or maybe I'm not used to throwing around a bike this size, my last bike was a kawasaki LTD 440 that weighed less than 380lbs.
I am taking it slow and practicing in the back yard and empty parking lots before hitting the open road.
Any advise or others that had issues when first riding a 600lb drifter?