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42k is a few miles, but these bikes are pretty bullet proof.  As you see, Troll is over 100k, and I'm looking to end this season at about 58k.  I've done nothing but maintenance other then I did have to replace the computer at 22k, right after I bought it, because of it being stored so poorly before (corrosion), and I upgraded the clutch spring to a Meanstreak spring.

That is probably the biggest weak point on the 1500.  Ma Kawi swears the original clutch spring setup is fine, but then they went and changed it from a single holder to a 2 piece model in 2004 & 2005.  That being said, lots of people have zillions of miles on their single holder clutches with no problems, while others have issues until they change over to the 2 piece model.  The cool thing is, the 2 piece model is a direct drop in replacement, and you can do the job in your garage with basic hand tools.  I did mine in about 2 1/2 hours with hand tools, and while I was at it swapped in a beefier Meanstreak spring (another drop in replacement), and was riding a couple of hours later.

As for price, that's not a bad price probably.  Remember, these were limited production bikes (9000 1500's made for the whole production run).  Because of that, accessories and add on's can greatly affect price, especially as these bikes age and parts like that get harder to find.

On the other side of the coin, Drifters share many parts with the Classic F.I. model, so a lot of parts are still easy to get, and will remain so.

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Posted by Troll

- October 30, 2015, 08:52:27 AM

Well, I can't say anything about the bike you're looking at, but I know mine. I bought it from an idiot who did his best to destroy it and then left it in a barn for 4 years....I bought it in late 2009, fixed all the issues over the winter, and now, with the exceptions of a U-joint around 55,000 and having a bearing go bad in the bevel drive at about 79,000, it's been a very reliable ride.

Posted by TCMJim

- October 29, 2015, 23:32:04 PM

Howdy Folks,

Well here is my second post within just a few minutes of the last. My question concerns a 2001 Drifter 1500 on craigslist with 42000 miles for $4200. The paint job is custom and looks to be in awesome shape. My concern for now is the miles and price. Despite the appearance of the bike, I think the price is a bit high for a bike with that many miles. If it is still available when I am ready to buy, see my last / first post, I would definitely like to take a much closer look. As I do not know much about the Drifters can anyone give me a heads up or two on what to look for? What about longevity of these bikes? Is 42000 miles just a god warm up or do problems start creeping up?

Thanks a bunch for your help.

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