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Posted by David Baker
- November 15, 2012, 14:36:03 PMHas anybody here ever started a thread with the before and after of their Drifters? I think that would be interesting to see how everybody made the transformation to personalizing their rides and how they got where they are now.
Posted by marshalldoll
- November 15, 2012, 14:00:00 PMI had sold my 48 Harley and had not ridden in 10 years and decided that I wanted to purchase an Indian but wanted a modern ride instead of the kidney breaker rigid this time. I started looking at the 2000 05 2001 Indian with the S&S but was having a hard time forking over the money especially after all the bad publicity they were getting. One day I was on Craig's List and up Popped the Drifter. The picture really knocked me out so I made the appointment to see her and bought her on the spot. It was bone stock when I purchased her and over the past few years have dressed her to my liking and I call her my Pretendian. In my opinion it is the best motorcycle I have ever owned and I have been on two wheels since I was 15 and I am now 63. I will go to the grave with this bike.
Dan
Posted by pcarrell
- November 15, 2012, 13:42:42 PMMy wife has Muscular Dystrophy, and it's degenerative, so as the last of our children grow up and move out we wanted to find something that we could be active doing until that time when she can no longer do those sorts of things. We were looking at sports cars at first (an old MGA and a perfectly restored and mildly modified Porsche 914 were almost the winners), though we had kicked around the idea of a bike. Then my wife found a Craigslist ad for a black 2001 Drifter 1500 that was a few hours away. The next day we rented a trailer (it was snowing outside) and drove to Chicago to pick it up. The guy fired it up and I knew it had to be ours!
Posted by ChilliDrift
- November 15, 2012, 12:43:48 PMI first saw an advertisement for one in 99. I've always been a bit different in my life. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted one. I decided to take some money out of my savings, pay off some lingering little bills and buy a bike. I looked at several across the country on cycle trader but only had about 5 k to play with. I eventually found my bike listed online and after several not returned emails, I decided to look up the shops address and stop in. The bike wasn't in the showroom so I chalked it up as sold and their sales staff not keeping up with the online ads. I asked the one sales guy after he got off the phone about it, and it was in the back being worked on. He took me back in the shop and it was back against the wall, dirty,seat off and according to the mechanic wouldn't stay running. The PO had put a set of long shots on it and didn't upgrade the control module. These guys were salvage place that did rebuilds and took the Drifter in on trade for a HD. They said they were going to order a power cmdr and would call me when it came in. They wanted 6k for it with no extras and missing the grab rail. Anyway, after a week I called them back, they said come up and ride it. So I did. They had the idle set very low like some do with HDs. It wouldn't stay running. Anyway I adjusted the idle up and took it for a ride. Idnt really care that it was running crappy. Its 13 yrs old and hadn't been taken all that good of care of . I told them I Offered 4750 out the door and they took it. I should of offered 3500.. oh well. After riding it, I knew it was going home with me. It progressively got to running better and better, with an oil,air,plug and tire change. It was well on its way. I started running premium and put in some Lucas fuel injector cleaner which did wonders for it. Adjusted the idle back down after a short time of riding it was running better by cleaning the injectors I guessed. And 11000 mi later I'm extremely happy and looking forward to next summer. I hadn't rode in 6 yrs so it was great for my mental health to get back on a bike. I'm really trying to decide if I want to keep the original paint or not. Time will tell. I have fallen for the Kawasaki engineering so much, I am thinking of getting a Voyager or a Vaquero as well. Keeping the Drifter to ride solo. We do mostly 2 up riding. So I think I should have one of the other two for 2up. Probably an 09 Voyager. The price is right. Those new vaqueros are basicly the same bike with different style. That style isn't worth another 5 grand. My Drifter has style. I'll be happy with that for now.
Posted by chief
- November 15, 2012, 12:36:04 PMI was looking for a replacement/addition for my 98 HD RK... I had searched for a while and found NOTHING that tripped my trigger. I had a bike mag that listed all the new 2001 models. That was the first time I saw a Drifter. I was looking for modern tech, FI and non-chain drive. I searched Kaw dealers in the State and found the one I wanted... by now it was 2002. Drove the 100 miles in Feb... bought it and rode it home. The RK disappeared soon thereafter,
Posted by CDNRatMan
- November 15, 2012, 11:10:41 AMDecided about 3 ears ago I needed to buy a bike again to make my life full once more. Was looking at a FXS Low rider Harley or something like that, could not find one in the price range or the years I was interested in, then was actually looking at a sporty that had the fatbob look, and I was close to getting it, but then it was sold out from under me, good thing. I then was interested in the Ural's, and happened to see a pic of a 99 Drifter 800, and was smitten, so called the guy and it was sold, darn it...not the words I used. So for three years I kept looking and hunting, honestly I can not remember seeing any 1500's for sale in ON while I was looking, and I was looking province wide. Then last summer there seemed to be a few 99's for sale, and a hockey sock of 200?'ings for sale so I found the 99 that I bought and it has been really nice. Of course bought it at the Kelly blue book price of $2,500.00 had to replace the front and rear sprockets and chain as they were original ...so not a big lose on it...and found this site with some really cool people and then the others.....lol....
Posted by David Baker
- November 15, 2012, 10:10:29 AMSince this site is dedicated to Drifter owners and lovers, I'm curious to know when and where everyone realized that a Drifter was the bike you wanted or had to have?
For me it was the Summer of 2008 while on a group ride from Central PA to Dragons Tail in NC. Twelve Bikes and fifteen people on a 12 hr straight run from York, Pa to Stecoah, NC to meet up with two locals for a weekend of riding in some of the most majestic and windy mountain roads in the area. John, One of our local guides pulls up on a '99 1500, I had never seen or heard of them before, I was hooked! I spent the better part of the four day trip with questions to John about this vision of stylized beauty before me, Like a little kid with a grade school crush. John was very gracious and patient with going over everything about the Drifter, Features, History, How they rode and handled, Cost etc. I could see how much he truly appreciated this magnificent work of art. Prior to this encounter I had what most uniformed guys have... My "Harley Fund" this was soon scrapped for the search of a Drifter, One year later I found her and was able to buy it outright (No Payments) I now have the pleasure of explaining to others about the qualities and joy of owning a Drifter just as John did... With grace and patience.