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Posted by Washbrook
- August 19, 2013, 09:33:42 AMPaul,
Thanks for making a simple issue hard. Yes either kawasaki are wrong, it is a private import or the owners are wrong. Did you see the VIN? If you have their contact details try and get the VIN to see what year the bike is.
Importing a bike privately is a lot of effort to go to for a Drifter. I read of a guy claiming to have a mid 90's Drifter, aparently he got a classic 1500 and converted it into a Drifter, could the one you saw be a private conversion?
Posted by drifter-paul
- August 19, 2013, 04:07:29 AMWashbrook,
Just to complicate things further -
Back from a 3500k trip to Rockhampton, QLD and came down the coast to catch up with my folks and see a Drifter in Maryborough.
Leanne has a 2002 - chrome forks, handlebars, cylinder heads, but the history was sparce - so it may be imported.
Paul 
Posted by CDNRatMan
- August 17, 2013, 12:38:41 PMthought that would be 49's new paint scheme.....
Posted by pcarrell
- August 17, 2013, 12:33:24 PMQuote from: chief on August 15, 2013, 18:27:48 PMHow did you know what I was planning?Let me qualify that... if you paint it green with purple polka-dots and add 837 led lights and cow skull to the front... it might negatively impact the value - immediately!
Posted by greenbarn
- August 15, 2013, 18:53:53 PMQuote from: mbk on August 15, 2013, 09:06:27 AMI agree with chief - I've seen some for sale that will be pretty hard to sell at any price, but I don't see how you could go wrong with a classic-themed paint job.With the Drifters being so rare, do I lose value painting mine? Seems like my 2004 silver/black is quite common among the Drifters, and I really want to make it a nice nostalgic Indian red - but am I lowering the value by doing so, since I'll never get it back to stock? perhaps best thing to do is find used fenders and tank to apint so i can keep all the stock parts intact? Mike
Posted by chief
- August 15, 2013, 18:27:48 PMQuote from: chief on August 15, 2013, 09:48:54 AMLet me qualify that... if you paint it green with purple polka-dots and add 837 led lights and cow skull to the front... it might negatively impact the value - immediately!Well, you know somewhere down the road... perhaps long after we are gone, an original bike will be worth more than one which has been modified. But in the foreseeable future I don't think making the bike your own will have much impact on the value.
Posted by mbk
- August 15, 2013, 09:55:55 AMThat's good - that'll save me money buying new fenders and tanks.
Posted by chief
- August 15, 2013, 09:48:54 AMQuote from: mbk on August 15, 2013, 09:06:27 AMWell, you know somewhere down the road... perhaps long after we are gone, an original bike will be worth more than one which has been modified. But in the foreseeable future I don't think making the bike your own will have much impact on the value.With the Drifters being so rare, do I lose value painting mine? Seems like my 2004 silver/black is quite common among the Drifters, and I really want to make it a nice nostalgic Indian red - but am I lowering the value by doing so, since I'll never get it back to stock? perhaps best thing to do is find used fenders and tank to apint so i can keep all the stock parts intact? Mike
Posted by mbk
- August 15, 2013, 09:06:27 AMWith the Drifters being so rare, do I lose value painting mine? Seems like my 2004 silver/black is quite common among the Drifters, and I really want to make it a nice nostalgic Indian red - but am I lowering the value by doing so, since I'll never get it back to stock? perhaps best thing to do is find used fenders and tank to apint so i can keep all the stock parts intact? Mike
Posted by CDNRatMan
- August 12, 2013, 14:53:38 PMPC just shows how much I value my ride.....lol.....and it makes a really nice xmas tree.
Posted by pcarrell
- August 12, 2013, 14:03:00 PMQuote from: chief on August 02, 2013, 10:10:49 AMLike Ratman's living room in January!... really rare in some places.
Posted by chief
- August 02, 2013, 10:10:49 AMMy original post indicated how many total were sold throughout the WORLD... later an Aussie member got more info about his country... 50 99/00 1500's... no later models were imported to Australia.
While it would be nice to have a nation breakdown, the fact remains - these are rare bikes ... really rare in some places.
Posted by Washbrook
- August 01, 2013, 08:32:27 AMI need a panadol (thats Advil to youAmericans).
Posted by Troll
- August 01, 2013, 07:50:38 AMOk, so here's another mystery. My W-650 was built in May of 2000, and it's a 2000...my Drifter was built in July of 2000 and it's a 2001...but in fairness, it's an R not a J, so there is a big production change from J to R. The changes they made to the W-650 from 2000 to 2001 are more like the differences between a J-1 and a J-2.
Posted by greenbarn
- July 31, 2013, 21:31:12 PMQuote from: Washbrook on July 31, 2013, 18:40:49 PMConfusing it further, just like in cars: The same bike in Phil's example, built in 1999 (let's say Sept.) - (but model year 2000) - , delivered to the dealer, let's say Nov '99, and let's say it's in a slow market and doesn't sell until 2002, then is titled as a 2002! SO now what is it?? Is it a '99, a 2000 or a 2002? As far as the DMV (and probably your insurance) is concerned it is a 2002, but realistically, it is a 2000. I don't even consider anything but the 10th digit of the VIN - which tells the model year. This is what determines definitively what version it is. I've seen cars built as early as April (rarely) and June (often) that bear the next year's 10th digit designation (e.g build date 6/2003, but 10th digit "4" - takes parts for a 2004).Thanks Philip. This is a confusing, and convoluted topic based on when, where, what etc. A pity Kawasaki Japan could not come out with a definitive exact statement based on their records that would eliminate all confusion.
Quote from: Washbrook link=topic=18150.msg49612#msg49612 date=1375314049<br />A formal written request from Chief [Head of VDRbtw: I think that's "Chief [Chief Indian of VDR]"to Kawasaki Japan Head Office asking for a full break down by model, year and country etc might get a response.