Howdy folks... Just picked up a new to me Drifter and am kind of nervous about the overall product. I bought it from a local guy who had it stored in his garage for the last five years. It looked good and he swore up and down that all it would need was a battery and fresh gas and it would start right up. Soooo... I installed the new fuel pump yesterday after a week of waiting and it finally fired . Had to acid flush the tank to remove the rust wasn't as obvious with the bad gas in the tank. BTW, the $23 eBay pump for a Ford Aspire worked dandy.
So I take it on a ride yesterday around the neighborhood and low and behold, the front caliper seizes up midway through a slow turn. Grateful that crash bars work. I went ahead and stripped down both calipers and did a full brake flush. Okay now but the front rotor is warped beyond belief. AAARRGGGHHH!!! Now I've noticed that the steering head bearings have a hard spot at center, and I'm concerned by the amount of vibration this engine produces.
The bike is equipped with a Roadhouse exhaust, with no freaking baffles (LOUD!!!) that is solidly mounted to the bike. Not certain if this would cause the vibration but it certainly does seem to smooth out with RPM's. As this is my first 1500 Drifter I'm not sure what to expect.
My questions are, how much mechanical noise/vibration should I expect from this engine?
What parts are interchangeable between the VN series of bikes? I've seen solid front rotors and the type found on the Classics. I'm having a tough time finding aftermarket steering head bearings for the Drifter.
What type of longevity do these bikes have?
Does anyone know where to procure a baffle for this exhaust or should I just make one?
Great looking bike, the miles are not too bad. Everything you described can be easily fixed for cheap. Alarming to hear about the front brake, glad everything is cool though. I have the same bike and the vibration is noticeable at certain rpms on mine. There is a recent thread on replacing the steering bearings.
Very nice looking ride, we have people who will fix your issues on line...lol...they are that good at what they do.......I have Roadhouse exhaust on my bike and really like them (with the baffles in), but I really like that serrated section of pipe......wish I could find them....
All Balls steering head bearings...The big problem will be getting the old races out of the tapered neck. Do you have access to a mig welder? Welding a bead around the center of each race, and when it cools, they almost fall out. I have almost 82,000 on my '01....stone reliable. Nice looking ride...you'll have that one for a long time, and yes, the solid mount pipes will induce vibration. Mine has a little "Harley shake" at 52-54 mph in 5th gear, otherwise, it's a magic carpet
Hey thanks for the input guys. I looked for the All Balls bearings but can't seem to find them for the Drifter which is why I was wondering what parts crossed between bikes. Main concerns right now are to get the rotor and the bearings done. I do have a mig so if that's the easy way, I'll burn a bead on the races. I've had ton of bikes but this is my first big twin. Seems to throw a lot more weight around than an 1100. I've mostly had 4's and this is also my first FI bike. Hell, I thought it would be a piece of piss to get it going with no carbs to clean. I have the feeling that the fuel pump tanked and the PO just put it up.
The worst thing is waiting for parts to come in the mail. What about the rotor? I saw one listed in an eBay link posted on here yesterday. It's solid but mine resembles the rotor found on the other models. I just want one that fits that won't break the bank. I also need to find the baffle for that exhaust. Not only is it loud, but I can't see an open exhaust like that being too good for the valves. I guess I could weld one up but I'd rather have a Roadhouse baffle if I could find one. Guess I'll continue my search for parts and hopefully get some ordered tomorrow or Monday.
Did you look here? http://www.bikebandit.com/all-balls-motorcycle-steering-stem-bearing-kits?m=149609
Nice looking bike. Hope the issues resolve.
The front forks on your bike are the same a F.I Classic 1500 (look for the 2000 model year F.I. Classic as it was the first year for F.I. on that model), except obviously the chrome vs. blackout thing. (Carbed models are different) The rotor you seek could be sourced off of that. If you have a wrecking yard that does bikes you might find a cheap one there. If you're looking for new parts, I've dealt with Ron Ayers ( http://www.ronayersmotorcycles.com/fiche_select.asp )quite a bit and they are fair priced with pretty quick shipping. They have a parts page that not only gives you part numbers and prices, but exploded views of the parts. Here's the page for your bike: http://www.ronayersmotorcycles.com/fiche_select2.asp?category=Motorcycles&make=Kawasaki&year=1999&fveh=8971
Your bearings show up in the frame section ( http://www.ronayersmotorcycles.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=388627&category=Motorcycles&make=KAWASAKI&year=1999&fveh=8971 ) and list for $48 each. The front brake disc is a bit more pricey at $365.60 ( http://www.ronayersmotorcycles.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=388653&category=Motorcycles&make=KAWASAKI&year=1999&fveh=8971 ), so a trip to the junk yard or Ebay might be worth it.
Welcome to the Forum, Beach Bum! Great looking ride. Sounds like a solid machine. Hope you get the few issues sorted soon.
I see you don't have the standard disc and you say it's warped too? I would think the drilled would run cooler and be less prone to warpage. I personally never ride fast enough to have to slam on the front brake because I'm too busy styling and waving to everybody ;D
Busy morning today. Got my rotor ordered last night and opted for the "correct" piece for the year (solid). Seller accepted my offer so it's on it's way for $40. Hope it's straight. Found my steering bearing kit and ordered it this AM as well. Had to call All Balls to verify the part # as the correct part as listed on their web site was showing as incorrect on Amazon. FYI the correct part number is 22-1031. On it's way for $31 shipped. Spent the rest of the morning tearing the front of the bike off. The bottom bearing race was so galled that I could feel the vertical ridges in the face with my fingernail. I went to weld a bead on the races to get them out of the neck then realized its time to get some argon and wire for the mig. Almost a good thing the wire was stuck in the tip and I was out of them as well. Would've sucked running out halfway through the job.
So here I am once again in parts limbo, with Biketoberfest less than a week away and my only ride missing the front end. I've also decided to take the opportunity to repaint the forks and covers as there are some unsightly stone chips that aren't visible in the pictures, but really bug me. The weather's going to be shitty for the next couple days so hopefully I can get the mig all squared away, the paint done and the bike ready for reassembly. Be nice to take a ride down to Daytona this weekend.
I put a grease fitting in the neck when I did mine, and I'm using high temp. waterproof grease for boat trailers. Around 35,000 miles since I did it and no problems. Grease the bearings every other oil change.
There's already a grease zerk in the neck. Don't see how the grease got into the bearings though as the stem wass full but the bearings were dry. Thinking you have to have the lock engaged or at least the bars in the opposite direction so the lock hole doesn't line up. I live 8 blocks off the ocean so I am intimate with waterproof grease. We have to use it in just about everything to prevent rust.
We'll see how she rides once I get things put back together and take it from there. Between the brakes and the steering being stuck in the straight position, I'm not exactly thrilled with the experience thus far. Still looking for a baffle as I just don't dig the noise anymore. If the can turns out to be a 4" diameter I think I can use a baffle out of a rice burner can which one can buy for around $20. Or, I can fabricate one. I really don't want to put more work into the bike than it's worth and the market for these is pretty soft around here. Most people don't like spending too much dough on bikes with high mileage, regardless of their reputation. I still haven't checked to see if all the plugs are firing correctly. Couldn't ride it long enough to do a plug chop. I have heat in both jugs but the vibration just doesn't seem right. I'm also going to look at fabricating a rubber mount for the exhaust.
Ya know...just having the grease fitting in doesn't mean he greased it. I pump mine until it comes out on the top and the bottom and then clean it up. If it comes out, the only way it can get out is by going through the bearing.
Beach Bum, my roadhouse exhaust was bolted hard to the frame, I just used rubber grommets to isolate them and it helped big time.
Quote from: Troll on October 12, 2013, 19:36:27 PM
...The big problem will be getting the old races out of the tapered neck. Do you have access to a mig welder? Welding a bead around the center of each race, and when it cools, they almost fall out.
Hey Troll, can you 'splain this to me? I've found lots of ways to get bearing races out, including cutting out with a torch, but honestly I've never heard this trick before. That is really a good trick to know. I'm familiar with heating and/or cooling things to make them tight or loose, but how does this work? I would think when you weld it, it would heat and expand, then when it cools it would shrink, but how does it shrink smaller than original?
Conversely, then, I assume if you were to weld a bead on an INNER race stuck on a shaft, then when it cools it would be even smaller (tighter)? I guess these are usually easy enough to burn off with the torch anyways.
When you weld the bead on the race, and it cools off, it will shrink the material it's welded to, not a lot, but enough to loosen it. Works good...it's like when you have a bolt broken off with almost enough to grab with a vice grip, but you put a nut over the stub, and weld down into it. When it cools, the bolt will back right out about 99% of the time...When you work on cars in the rust belt for 40+ years, you learn lots of tricks with heat...
Quote from: Troll on October 14, 2013, 20:33:19 PM
When you weld the bead on the race, and it cools off, it will shrink the material it's welded to, not a lot, but enough to loosen it. Works good...it's like when you have a bolt broken off with almost enough to grab with a vice grip, but you put a nut over the stub, and weld down into it. When it cools, the bolt will back right out about 99% of the time...When you work on cars in the rust belt for 40+ years, you learn lots of tricks with heat...
Makes sense. We use the nut trick you mentioned on exhaust manifold bolts that are broken off in cylinder heads all the time. I knew it worked, but hadn't considered the "shrinking" factor. That makes sense, though.
Thanks for sharing that one.
I'll be doing this tomorrow or Wednesday. I'll try to take some pics and post them when I'm done. As far as the grease zerk goes, again, the stem was full of grease (coming out the bottom), but the bearings themselves were dry. I guess I'm just old school and expect to have to repack them occasionally like wheel bearings. I will say this, if you're serious about working on anything, get yourself a decent mig welder. I'll figure out something with the exhaust.
So I just finished pulling the races out of the neck and I have to say.... Piece of piss. The bottom one was a bit awkward to weld on and I was a bit nervous that I'd end up welding the race to the neck but I got a bead (ugly!!!) around it and it just fell out. The top race was loose after shooting only half of it. Took longer to get the welder running and my mask on than it took to finish the job.
Not my best work in a tight spot but it was effective. Still have to cut the bearing off the stem, buy another 36mm socket to make the tool to torque the nut down, and reinstall all the stuff but without that tip Troll, I'd still be trying to knock out the races. Mucho gracias Amigo!!!
Welders...whether gas or electric, are magic....We old guys have lots of tricks....
Very nice looking bike. Once you get it the way you want it, you'll love it. These Quiet-Riot Baffles (http://www.jpcycles.com/quiet-riot) look interesting at JP Cycles. Or, you could revert to the stock exhaust. I'm really happy with mine. Here's a Craigslist posting (http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/mpo/4039446059.html). The guy wants to sell everything listed in one pop. It's been listed for awhile and you might be able to talk him into selling the exhaust only.
I found this 4" adjustable baffle and ordered it this morning. Looks interesting... I'll post a review once I've had the chance to install it and tune it a bit. I can always add baffling to the pipe if necessary. The dimensions fit my can perfectly and at $25 shipped 2 day it seems like a pretty good deal for an adjustable stainless baffle. http://www.genkituning.com/Universal-Adjustable-Sound-Silencer-p/1-mus-40950-adj.htm (http://www.genkituning.com/Universal-Adjustable-Sound-Silencer-p/1-mus-40950-adj.htm)
Busy afternoon Friday. Got my parts in the mail and went ahead and installed them. The rotor I took off was completely screwed. After removing it and laying it on the floor, I noticed it was convex as mounted on the rim. It had warped outwards from the hub at least 1/8th of an inch. I can see why the stock rotor is solid. That's a lot of weight behind a single front rotor. Next I installed the steering head bearings. Simple enough but the seals that came with the All Balls kit weren't right so I had to reuse the old ones. No big deal. Got it all put back together and noticed that the the lower fork tube covers are now loose. So, either have to R&R the forks again or live with it. I only read the service manual after the fact and noticed that the clamps are supposed to measure 226.6mm from the top of the fork tube. Kind of stupid. I've only gone for a few short rides and it's night and day. I'm still waiting for the baffle to arrive and want to go over the entire bike before putting any serious miles on it. Seems to be running a bit rich and I don't know if the PO adjusted the TPS after doing the intake and exhaust mods. Maybe I just haven't got it hot enough.
Now the conundrum.... After telling a buddy about the bike he told me he was selling his Honda ST1300. I have always had an affinity for these bikes and have always ridden sport bikes in general. Another friend saw the Drifter and questioned my sanity as it's the opposite of any bike he's ever seen me ride. I'm concerned that if I try to sell the drifter to buy the Honda, that the mileage will be a serious impedance. It's a good looking bike and runs well, but I have no idea what the market is like for these things. It was an impulsive purchase and I'm hoping I don't get burned if and when I do decide to sell. I installed the 2 up seat and bag and although it's a bit imposing, the GF is happy and the amount of cargo space is phenomenal. Will post pics later. Can anyone offer some advice as to a realistic selling price should I decide to go for the ST? I'm just not sure the shoe fits at this point.
Those 2 clamps on the fork tubes serve 2 purposes. ! and most important, they prevent the tube from moving up through the tree, and 2, they hold the lower slider covers in place. H_D uses 2 bolts per side to secure the cowbells to the lower clamp, Kaw. uses the internal clamps. Loosen the upper and lower clamp bolts a little and bounce the front end a couple of times..should fix the problem. You should do this any time on any front end to seat the tubes, anyway.
Heed Troll's advice - if I remember when I had mine apart, if the lower tube covers can move up and down, then so can the fork tubes, so they need to be tight.
On prices- I can tell you I've been scouring for-sale's all over for just the right 1500 for my next bike. Something like 90-95% of what I see are between 5000 to 40,000 miles on them and I've seen asking prices between $2800 and $9000. The majority of these, say 75% of everything, are between 10-25,000 miles and most are listed (asking price) of $4-6000. It's really hard to put an "average" on something like this b/c they all have so many different features and accessories. If you're competing with the overall market, though, I've seen a lot of bikes with around 15-20,000 miles, windshield, bags, lightbar, stock seat (single or 2-up) (give or take a couple add-ons) for around $5-6000. I've seen some better deals and some poorer.
Quote from: Troll on October 20, 2013, 09:56:44 AM
Those 2 clamps on the fork tubes serve 2 purposes. ! and most important, they prevent the tube from moving up through the tree, and 2, they hold the lower slider covers in place. H_D uses 2 bolts per side to secure the cowbells to the lower clamp, Kaw. uses the internal clamps. Loosen the upper and lower clamp bolts a little and bounce the front end a couple of times..should fix the problem. You should do this any time on any front end to seat the tubes, anyway.
What I did was set the forks in the upper tree to .5mm below the rim of the clamp as described in the book. it's possible that the clamps moved on the tube itself because I jumped on the front end pretty good to settle the forks with the clamps loose and they did come up through the upper tree about a 1/4". If I settle the forks down on the lower covers they will then protrude too far out of the upper tree. I think I'll probably end up having to remove the forks and set the clamps to the factory spec and see where they end up.
Based on the info provided regarding sale prices I think I'll try to get $3500 for the bike and see where it goes.
If you didn't loosen them, they should not have moved. Makes you wonder what the P.O did to the bike...different rotor, etc.
Quote from: Beach Bum on October 20, 2013, 10:38:41 AM
Based on the info provided regarding sale prices I think I'll try to get $3500 for the bike and see where it goes.
I have no idea what you can actually get out of your bike, but just based on what I've been seeing, for 59,000 miles, with the options it has on it, If $3500 gets you what you need to get, that doesn't seem out of line from the other prices I've seen the last couple months. Of course, your biggest selling point, IMHO, should be "needs nothing". As you know a "ride-ready" bike is a lot easier to sell. Sounds like you're getting all your bugs worked out.
Personally, though (and I think most of the others on this forum would agree) I think you should just keep it. They're not making any more.... ;D. And it's a LOT sharper than a HONDA! ;)
Quote from: Troll on October 20, 2013, 11:21:57 AM
If you didn't loosen them, they should not have moved. Makes you wonder what the P.O did to the bike...different rotor, etc.
They were tight before I pulled them apart. Thinking I may have jogged them when adjusting for depth in the trees. The bike was immaculate when I first saw it, as was the PO's garage and Harley. No reason to think that the bike wasn't cared for. The rotor might have just been a miscue. Guess I'll just have to pull them apart again and adjust like it says to in the book. Just wish I'd noticed before buttoning everything down.
Even though these bikes were made in small #'s, still seems to be a rather niche market. I don't get the stigma on bike mileage, as from what I gather, these engines last longer than most VW Jetta mills. Most of my friends have miles on their touring bikes from actually
RIDING them.
BB understand about this part of your statement
QuoteThe bike was immaculate when I first saw it, as was the PO's garage and Harley
I looked at a 04 black and the 99 red 800's the same day,
The 99 was in a super clean Business shop (owner has a safety business) owner was really cool about the whole deal and just let me look over the bike and he said it had not been started in about a week. He let me start the bike after showed me the choke and suggested I use it, bike started right nice and clean. Everything about the guy was clean.
The 04, was at the guys house, end of the road in a subdivision, all nice houses, his had a 40 ft. van trailer parked next to the house. Ok a tractor trailer van next to your house in a subdivision, ok, garage was a total mess, 2 Harleys inside covered in blankets, rags, towels, floor covered in trash, Sellers buddy was inside the trailer looking for the solo seat and stock exhaust. Yard was a mess, both sides of the house were a mess. Bike did not start, he said it needed a battery, and he would knock off $100.00 the price so I could buy a battery. OK enough said......
love my Sunbeam Red Drifter 800
Quote from: Beach Bum on October 20, 2013, 12:11:31 PM
Even though these bikes were made in small #'s, still seems to be a rather niche market.
I think you're right on that - I don't know why, but I've seen several for sale at what I thought was a decent price that seemed to be for sale for quite a while. I'm just glad EVERYBODY doesn't appreciate them and want them, or I couldn't afford to buy one!!
It just occurred to me that if I somehow managed to press the lower bearing down on the stem by an additional .5mm it would effectively raise the lower tree by the .5mm that is now present between the tree and the covers. Theory works for me. I think I'll just shim the covers and be done with it.
Exhaust baffle arrived this morning and it fit perfectly. With the adjustment plate in the closed position, the exhaust still had a decent rumble to it and some punch under heavy throttle. With it open, there's a big difference in the volume but it's still below the raucous noise of the open chamber. I think it'll provide just the right amount of back pressure to keep the engine right, yet be free flowing enough to add the desired performance improvements. The fact that it's removable is an added benefit to those who are looking for the ear splitting effects of an open exhaust. I would highly recommend this baffle.
Hi, just reading your thread, I have my front end off/apart to change the fork springs to Progressive. I want to check and lube the steering neck bearings.
Can I just take off the handle bars and risers, then access and remove the steering hear nut? Just wonder if that will be all I need to remove to check and lube these. Thanks, Mike
ps: you'll love this bike!
After you remove the top triple clamp, the funny looking nut with all the teeth on it is what is holding the steering stem into the frame. Remove that, and the stem will slide straight down, exposing the bearings. Be aware, these bearings are supposed to be covered with grease, but will most likely not be. Examine the races (the parts in the neck tube on the frame) carefully. Any vertical lines in the race what won't wipe off are damage, and require replacement. If you can feel them with a finger nail, they require replacement. The bearing cones (the part that has all the rollers on it) very seldom show any wear, unless you have a rust problem, like Racemom91 did with her 800. http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?topic=24500.msg50472#msg50472
I'm using a wheel bearing grease designed for boat trailers...it's more waterproof than the normal stuff. Don't be afraid to pack the neck full when you reassemble...I have always put a grease fitting in the neck on all my bikes, the first time I have them apart for this service, and that saves time and labor down the road. You are supposed to repack the bearings every 10,000 miles...for me that's once a year.
I know this an old thread but I really had no problems removing the races, didn't need to weld anything.
Thanks for the update!
Also flush your clutch fluid, same as the brake fluid and while your front end is apart, since you are waiting on parts, replace front fork oil, it probably never been done.
Good luck.