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Posted by indo
- July 22, 2016, 12:03:07 PMYes, the Magnum Research Dyno Boost is what I put in. I had contacted "Boosterplug" in Denmark to see if they made one for the Kawasaki which they didn't. (I have one on my Suzuki SV1000). What both devices do is bypass the air temperature sensor and use a resistor in place of that sensor to provide the optimum setting for the air temperature/fueling. Most bikes especially older ones are set very lean from the factory and do not have the optimum air/fuel mixture just so that they can pass EPA. Now there is another device called a Dobeck Techlusion which I used on my BMW as the fueling on that was atrocious. Herky/jerky and backfire on decel but that device does not interrupt the air temperature sensor and requires more adjusting to achieve results. It just aids in the fueling in that you can increase fuel (or decrease). Now when I bought the Kawasaki it had the symptom of backfiring on decel plus I knew it was not getting enough air. It has those V&H long shots on it which probably decrease back pressure so the bike was excessively lean. I took one of my mirrors and looked at the header behind the cover and it was very "blue" which indicates a very lean condition. A lean bike runs very hot and eventually after a lot of miles there could be possible damage plus the fact that here in Ca we only have that 10% ethanol which further destroys an engine over time. It is essential in my estimation to put in the K&N filter with the Magnum. Total cost approximately $250. About 2 hrs to install. You take off the cover where the throttle bodies are, remove the plastic inner cover and disconnect the air temperature sensor. (It will be on the lower right hand side. Cut off the connector leaving enough wire exposed. Connect both of the purple wires to the sensor wires coming from the ECU. I soldered them as I did not want them to come loose as butt connectors are not that reliable over the long term. The unit also comes with a bypass for O2 sensor but this bike does not have one so I cut them leaving some slack. I put the unit in the right side battery cover zip tied to the frame. I put heat shrink on the to wires going to the ECU and routed it over the engine before I soldered them. I also put in the switch that they had provided but you can wire this up to the battery as it uses so little power to light up the LED. There is a fuel adjustment on the unit which requires a jeweler's flat screwdriver. It comes from the factory adjusted but I needed to add approximately 9 clockwise turns (30 turns is max). Now there is no backfire on decel, much better acceleration and much better gas mileage. Essentially what you are doing is increasing the air flow and the fuel flow which reduces the amount of throttle that is needed to achieve a certain speed. It just makes for a better performing bike.
Posted by greenbarn
- July 21, 2016, 23:22:03 PMCan you explain the IAT mod??
Posted by indo
- July 21, 2016, 10:50:32 AMI have decided that when I remove the rear fender I will beef it up with biaxial glass and polyester resin. After reading the workshop manual on this site,-which happens to be the most informative manual that I have ever seen-it is a breeze to remove the rear fender. Also, after doing the IAT re-do I am getting 43 mpg vs. 33 mpg I was getting when I purchased the bike. Of course that is not completely correct as the speedo is 5 mph over. I also put two 1/2" holes in the bottom of the left side air cleaner cover to increase air flow. Seems to do the job of increasing air flow for a motor that needs quite a bit of air. Incidentally on another note, I had put a Howard Hegwer blown glass Indian head light on my Gilroy chief and I just noticed that he is still making them. The previous owner of my bike put in an original Indian light but must be grounded and since the fenders are plastic I soldered a wire to the mounting base but won't hook it to ground until I either pull the forks for oil or need to change the tire. But I will purchase one of those blown glass fender lights. They look awesome especially at night. Check 'em out...
Posted by DC
- July 18, 2016, 13:50:01 PMWelcome to the forum. Pics are always welcomed! 
Posted by mittico68
- July 18, 2016, 10:46:47 AMWelcome aboard, Indo!
BTW, did someone mention WE LIKE PICS? 
Posted by pcarrell
- July 18, 2016, 10:00:12 AMQuote from: CDNRatMan on July 15, 2016, 11:21:24 AMThat's a decent way of making butter!try this, get a couple cups of milk, some ice cream and put it in a jar, then tape this to the back fender and go for a ride. Instant milk shake....lol.....sort of.....
Posted by greenbarn
- July 16, 2016, 08:05:45 AMWelcome, Indo. Can't wait to see pics of your Drifter.
Posted by CDNRatMan
- July 15, 2016, 11:21:24 AMtry this, get a couple cups of milk, some ice cream and put it in a jar, then tape this to the back fender and go for a ride. Instant milk shake....lol.....sort of.....
Posted by indo
- July 15, 2016, 10:20:23 AMYou know I got rid of those brackets and the dual seat etc. Yes, I realize that the fenders are plastic and not fiberglass. I may have to do some strengthening of the fender with fiberglass on the underside for the rack. You guys make a good point that the constant up and down motion would put a strain on the bags as well as the fender. Back to the drawing board...
Posted by CDNRatMan
- July 14, 2016, 17:24:14 PMWelcome, yes you should ride behind a Drifter to see the fender move......
Posted by pcarrell
- July 14, 2016, 17:18:24 PMCongrats on the purchase, and welcome to the forum!
You might want to rethink the bag mounting setup though. The Drifters fender is plastic, so it won't hold much weight at all. Also, that rear fender is attached to the suspension, so it moves quite a lot while riding. Most Drifter bag mounting setups attach to the frame under the seat area, and that solves the issue. This might help you picture the setup: http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/oemsbsetup.html
Posted by indo
- July 14, 2016, 11:38:55 AMHi guys and Gals! I just purchased a 1999 Drifter 1500 and am quite pleased. The reason that I bought it was because I have a serious sciatica problem and I was just in bad pain riding my other bike a BMW R1150rt. Sold that one and purchased the Drifter. No more pain for those long rides! Back in 2000 while I was living in Hawai'i I bought a 2000 Gilroy Chief but when I moved back to California I decided to sell it as I needed a bike that handled better and braked better. So, I went through several bikes during the interim. (Mostly high performance). Now at the ripe ol' age of 63 I am back cruising. I just recently tried the new Indian (Chief Classic) on a 60 mile loop that I do a few times a week. My thoughts on the bike...Well the motor is quite good, brakes excellent, and suspension very nice. But $20,000 out the door? Then you have to do stuff to it such as pipes, bags, etc. etc. Which brings me to the Drifter. Motor is great, sounds good, looks good, brakes OK, suspension not bad, shaft drive which I am used to and everything works as it should. I did however, put in a magnum performance IAT substitute, and a K&N filter. I just got some bags for it and will be ordering the original rack '47-'53 Indian and brackets from Starklite to mount them. When I get her dialed in I will post pictures.