Hello all! I have always liked the Drifters and so yesterday I rode my 2015 FZ-09 649mi to Colorado to trade off the Sportbike for my new (to me) 1999 Kawasaki Drifter 1500. Rode it all the way back today and I must say that I am pleased as punch with it. No pics yet. I had looked at this site a LOT trying to decide between the 800 and the 1500. In the end more torque won me over. Well, that and price ($3100USD). Anyway it's good to be here. I don't socialize very much but I will try to work on that here on this site.
Welcome, congrats on the new bike. I see you know about the pictures and PC will hound you till the cows come home about pictures. Enjoy the best summer of your life now that you have a Drifter, and we might see you in WI.
Welcome aboard!
I can't tell if the 1500 is the best choice, but what I can say is that our Drifters are soooo nice!
Keep on ridin' yours and you'll be amazed over and over...
Welcome!...looking forward to the pics.
Welcome to the forum! I'm sure that the more you ride your new Drifter, the more you'll wonder why you didn't get one sooner! They are great bikes, that's for sure! Looking forward to pics!
Welcome to the forum...from another '99 1500 owner. You'll love the Drifter!
Welcome from a fellow Okie. Like you I love my Drifter.
Got a couple of Pics for ya! ;D
Awesome colour scheme, is that a Malcolm spoke cover on the front tire?
When I first saw the color on the interwebz listing I really didn't like it, but I figured with my body shop background, a motorcycle "tins" paintjob would easy enough. I wanted it to be darker like the Indian "Springfield Blue" two-tone with creme/beige. But after I saw it in person I really liked it and I think I will keep it until it actually needs new paint. As far as the wheels, I have never heard of a malcolm spoke cover and truth be told, I really do not like it. I feel that it looks, and probably is, like flimsy thin tin that has been chrome plated. I was afraid that it would catch the wind the way many were afraid of the late 90's - mid 2000's HD Fatboy wheels would. But I didn't notice anything like that at all. Still I very much dislike the way they look even though they are way easier to clean than spokes. I would definitely prefer painted (black) spokes with whitewall tires. Maybe when the money starts rolling in...
Malcolm is a gentleman in the UK who has designed and built some parts for the Drifters, one part has been the spoke covers, rectifier covers and front hub covers. Not sure if F&S or anyone else made such an animal.
WELCOME :) Thats an awesome color combo. Very Nice
Nice 2tone.
But now you need to add more black stuff (crash bars, rear bars, etc.)...
cool ride.
Very nice bike. I do love a 2-tone Drifter... You into Elcamino's as well???
Yeah. I'm a bit of a tinkerer and as such I just could not leave the 305 in my '86. I built a 327 from a 68 Impala and swapped it in. It was more power than my 2004R trans could take and burned it up. Now she's rockin' a 700R4 that has been built to handle up to 450hp. Not that I am running quite that much (375-ish, 400lb-ft ish) but maybe a few years down the road there maybe a procharger or turbo involved, unless I get my hands on a BBC 427 at a steal of a price.
Sounds cool. Feel free to post pics of the ElCamino too ... we like all that stuff.