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Posted by topherloaf
- September 06, 2010, 20:24:20 PMMy reason is probably the same as everybody else, I like the look and to me it's a nod to the older Indians. I'll tell you what, I'm just lucky enough to have a motorcycle to call my own anyway. I'm a college student with SHALLOW pockets, half of the fun is actually building the stuff I cant afford or don't want to spend the money on. For instance, yes, i have the Indian badges that are hand made, Indian head fender light, an HD switch on the dash for MY convienence and because I think it looks cool, Indian floorboards, a belt drive in the works, a HD roadking sundowner seat I'm still making brackets for, and I am halfway through a tank bib that I'm tooling from leather myself. It's not about, "well it's an Indian" to me. It's just plain old fun and I like the looks. I tell people it's a Kawasaki, they're usually impressed at the work.
As a side note, I've only ever run into ONE HD owner who thinks you're lame, stupid, not cool, etc for owning anything but a Harley and when I asked him then to give me the money to buy one because I can't afford it, he stopped cold in his tracks, and said i had a good point. All the other HD owners I know just want everybody to ride on SOMETHING. Fun is fun. That's why we ride isn't it?
CPosted by amishart
- August 21, 2010, 00:27:56 AMI bought mine as a stock Kawasaki, and I've tried to make it look like an Indian ever since. My first three Harleys I made them look different to. If ya got to explain it to someone they just won't understand. So it's best not to try.
Posted by buzzard
- August 19, 2010, 20:23:53 PMi own 2 drifters a 2000 and a 2001 i also have a 02 indian scout and a sporty with a hack on it, and both my drifters are indianized , just like the look ..its more of a tribute to my 2 grandsons who are half onieda indian. my drifters are more indian to me than my ( indianized, harley ,s and s ,cmc , scout!!)
Posted by chief
- July 17, 2010, 11:29:11 AMIn my time, I've seen plenty of Indianized harleys! My Dad would have shot the owners, but its purely a tribute to the original IMHO.
Posted by roddman
- July 17, 2010, 09:29:03 AMHmmm...why indianize your drifter ?? ..well mine is and i got just as many folks thinking it was an indian when it was factory stock than with the wide whites and indian trim ....all the harley riders love it and i have to tell 90% of them what it really is and they still like it ... i also have a 40 ford streetrod and i love the retro indian styling with all the modern technology so i'm not stuck on the side of the road waiting on an antique part to get me rolling again ...my ford didnt come with a one piece windshield or an auto trans and a 300 horse small block chevy either .... like most folks here we dont like having the same thing everyone else has so we customize them ....and as far as i know i paid for the bke and the paint and indianizing so just quit lookin at em Chris !! lol...
Posted by chief
- July 16, 2010, 11:19:12 AMI think it wouldn't be such a contentious matter were the Indian brand not currently producing bikes. I think you would get the same comments if you were applying HD tank badges etc. to the Drifter.
Everyone has the right to do as they wish to personalize their bike. There are a lot of unique looking drifters around, many are "Indianized". If that is what you like and want, go for it.
Posted by tmassey
- July 15, 2010, 20:40:55 PMKawasaki made it to look like an indian...we are just personalizing them, just as a indian resembles an henderson and so on and so on.
someone out there has their boxers in a bunch.
Posted by klake1
- July 15, 2010, 19:56:08 PMI like the look of the indianized drifters better than the factory look. That does not mean that it is better, just that I like it better. That said, mine is indianized, I did not make it that way, that was how I bought it. Mine has a very exspensive paint job on it, I contacted the painter and they said that the same paint job would cost $2,500 today. If youy ane to see what my beautyful bike looks like go to the photo gallery and see it there, it is under "KLAKE1". If I would have bought a bike that was factory, I would just do a few things to it, probobly would put on a fender light , but not an indian head one, I deffinately would take off the Kawasaki badges and whitewall tires, other than that I probobly wouldn't do anything else.
Posted by 1999 Drifter
- November 20, 2009, 19:04:30 PMI couldn't say it better than it was said before
Thanks but no thanks I will take yesterdays look and todays technology 
Posted by chief
- November 19, 2009, 16:31:24 PM<LOL> Of course... I do that a lot... I have one of my wife and I together when we were 18... we didn't meet until we were in our 30's and she's 3 years older than me... she loves it.
Cheers.
Posted by khanawalt
- November 19, 2009, 01:17:52 AMQuote from: chief on November 16, 2009, 14:18:53 PMThe relationship between the original Indian and the Drifter will always be there.
Here's mine back in '44.
That's cool, you photo-shopped a Drifter in there? Nice touch.
Posted by chief
- November 16, 2009, 14:18:53 PMThe relationship between the original Indian and the Drifter will always be there.
Here's mine back in '44.
Posted by Slick
- November 16, 2009, 12:10:47 PMI like my Drifter for what it is a : Drifter / Classic / Retro bike. Mine was bought used and came with a Indian head fender light and it will stay till I find a fender light I like better. I will not debage mine nor will I Indianized it either and I won't berate anyone who does. I try to build on the retro style. I have read that the best looking Drifters are the 800's because of the suspension system is unseen and that is a nice feature. I'm also aware that black and chrome is a very favorable color on these bikes. These are opinions. I searched 3 years for the bike I have now. I get allot of complements few from the HD crowed and I don't care. I have a machine that will ride me into the asphalt. The Drifters are starting to go up in value and that is cool also. I try not to bike bash and appreciate all there is out there. Now those little scooters.....
Posted by bullride28
- November 10, 2009, 17:26:49 PMNICE can of worms
Posted by pcarrell
- September 09, 2009, 08:26:43 AMThats a good lookin' bike ya got there! Love the "vintage" effect of the pic!