Greetings! I will be purchasing my first Drifter 800 (hopefully) shortly. I have ridden motorcycles before (mainly Hondas) but this will be my first Kawasaki. I was hoping for some seasoned advice as to what to look for when buying a used one. Any advice on what to look out for so I don't end up buying something that is going to cost and arm and leg to fix would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!
Quote from: shaman258 on December 20, 2016, 14:41:57 PM
Greetings! I will be purchasing my first Drifter 800 (hopefully) shortly. I have ridden motorcycles before (mainly Hondas) but this will be my first Kawasaki. I was hoping for some seasoned advice as to what to look for when buying a used one. Any advice on what to look out for so I don't end up buying something that is going to cost and arm and leg to fix would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!
Drifters are great motorcycles.
Like any bike, you have to listen to it. Does it spew dark smoke, or smell badly. Does it rev up strongly, rapidly when you throttle it? Look it over for leaks. ...This is just common sense things.
The best thing to do (although I never take my own advice) is to have an actually motorcycle mechanic LOOK IT OVER FIRST.
Of course, they were made from 1999 to 2006 and discontinued, so you can only get a used one.
I do not know how much you know about assessing the health of a motorcycle, so it is hard to give you direction. The fact you have owned motorcycles is not enough to go on here.
But I have owned and own Hondas. The Drifter is one of the best and coolest bikes I have ever owned. Different than my Ducati or BMW, yet for a cruiser, the best, I think for what it is.
Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it. I know its a fairly open ended and wide ranging question but any help will do. I wasn't sure if there were specific known issues with these bikes or notorious leaks, etc that should be specifically looked for. Anyone else have any advice?
:o advice...well ok and you will get a lot of info here,
what year is it?
What extra parts are you getting?
What aftermarket parts are on the bike, engine guard, front fender guard, passenger floorboards, 2 or solo seat.
Like Zoar stated, look for the obvious, oil leaks, noises, paramount , check the chain and sprockets, of course these are not deal breakers but nice to know what shape they are in, look close to the tires, and ask about the battery.
Who owns the bike, has it looked or does the owner look like someone who would abuse or not treat the bike right.
Once you decide to buy it, then get it home, change all the fluids, rad, oil, brake. Start fresh, check the miles and see how close to a valve check you are. Do that. Check the calipers new brake pads......
I have never heard of anything like they are prone to any one thing......just the normal wear and tear on a 15 year old machine.....my 99 is still running like it was made yesterday, I rode it this summer from North Bay ON to Sparta WI, then west to Billings MT, and decided that was far enough west and headed home by way of Winnipeg.......
Thanks! Its got engine guard, saddle bags and a windshield, but honestly I will likely take these extras off as I like my bikes as stripped down as possible. Love that back fender and don't like to see it covered up by bags for me since I wont be using them. Only has a solo seat so Ill have to get another dual seat so my wife can ride too!
its tough because the guy selling it doesn't speak English so his mother is doing all the translating. She said he has had it for about 4 months and needs to sell it because he doesn't have anywhere to store it. Weird. Didn't he think of that when he bought it??
Quote from: shaman258 on December 20, 2016, 16:00:25 PM
Thanks! Its got engine guard, saddle bags and a windshield, but honestly I will likely take these extras off as I like my bikes as stripped down as possible. Love that back fender and don't like to see it covered up by bags for me since I wont be using them. Only has a solo seat so Ill have to get another dual seat so my wife can ride too!
its tough because the guy selling it doesn't speak English so his mother is doing all the translating. She said he has had it for about 4 months and needs to sell it because he doesn't have anywhere to store it. Weird. Didn't he think of that when he bought it??
Passion makes us all do crazy things sometimes. I have 3 motorcycles. I don't have room for all of them. Geeee, you'd have thought I would have decided NOT to have 3 motorcycles until I had a garage sale OR thrown out the stuff in the other Bay so I would have room...But here it is DECEMBER with snow and ice everywhere and one of my bikes is still in the motorcycle repair shop because (quite frankly) I don't have room for it at home!
The Drifter is a straightforward motorcycle with attributes of the Japanese precision and reliability with some old school attributes and easy to work on overall.
Ok so now I have to ask where are you located?
If you remove the item from the bike just store them and do not ruin them they are getting hard to find, windscreen and engine guard really getting hard to find originals.
Finding a 2 up seat will be difficult to find also but they do show up the odd times.
At this stage I think I would go and look at the bike and if you are well versed in maintenance on a bike or have someone you can take with you. It can not hurt to go and look at the bike check the oil look at the brake fluid, look at how things are and start from there.
Here is one.......
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-motorcycle-parts-accessories/cambridge/2up-seat-and-custom-cover-kawasaki-drifter-800/1224695424?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Thanks! I'm in San Diego. I'm going to go and look at it for sure, its not very close to me (2hr drive away). I really hope all is well with it. I will definitely let you all know how it goes!
Well FYI I travelled 3 hours (one way) to go and get mine. I know MikeakaFred travelled from Nova scotia to Montreal to get his.......Plus Indian_fan travelled from Jamestown ND to Ingalls IN to buy a broken 1500 for parts....lol so we all do what we think needs doing......
The 800 is a great bike, and it can do many things, but I see that you mentioned riding with the wife. If it's just an occasional ride, no problem, but if you want to do some touring, like state to state stuff, a 1500 might be a better choice. The 1500, with it's dual rear shocks, is better suited to touring then the 800 with it's mono-shock.
Don't get me wrong. The 800 is a fantastic bike. It's just that you mentioned a passenger, and the 1500 is better suited to touring.
Quote from: CDNRatMan on December 20, 2016, 21:36:08 PM
Plus Indian_fan travelled from Jamestown ND to Ingalls IN to buy a broken 1500 for parts....
That was a sad, yet happy day for me. Sad to see her go, yet glad she kept another Drifter on the road.
Quote from: pcarrell on December 20, 2016, 22:39:40 PM
The 800 is a great bike, and it can do many things, but I see that you mentioned riding with the wife. If it's just an occasional ride, no problem, but if you want to do some touring, like state to state stuff, a 1500 might be a better choice. The 1500, with it's dual rear shocks, is better suited to touring then the 800 with it's mono-shock.
Don't get me wrong. The 800 is a fantastic bike. It's just that you mentioned a passenger, and the 1500 is better suited to touring.
Yes, I should have clarified, I will only be riding rarely with my wife. Its primarily just going to be for me to cruise around town and go to work on. No rush on the dual seat. Really hoping that this deal goes through, Im going to look at it tomorrow (maybe xmas present? fingers crossed!)
It would really be a GREAT present...
Good luck!
Quote from: shaman258 on December 21, 2016, 10:23:36 AM
Yes, I should have clarified, I will only be riding rarely with my wife. Its primarily just going to be for me to cruise around town and go to work on. No rush on the dual seat. Really hoping that this deal goes through, Im going to look at it tomorrow (maybe xmas present? fingers crossed!)
An 800 will work great for that! I hope that the bike you're looking at is everything you're looking for!
shaman258 I bought my 800 for the same reasons as you have said, just to ride around the local area and to and from work. I worked really fine for that and it was really fun to ride. But I got tired of all the people with their big engine bikes telling me that the 800 was too small for any touring. Real sad but I can remember when the Honda 750 four was the big bad bike....I also remember my Honda 550 four which I rode near across canada one summer.
I have customized my 2 up seat on the 800 I now can ride for 8 to 10 hours without issues, and while the 800 runs really well at the 80 to 120 km range, this summer I ran in the 120 to 130 km per hour range for the full day and the bike never flinched,faltered, it ran strong and was a dream to ride.
It is all about what you can afford and what you can make due with.....my 800 fits all my needs and I make it work.....
It would be nice to have your bike under the tree xmas morning with a big bow on it........
I was merely suggesting the 1500 for touring because it has a 2 shock rear suspension, verses the monoshock on the 800. The 800 would certainly work, but I just thought the 1500 might be more comfortable for 2 people and a bunch of gear.
Quote from: CDNRatMan on December 21, 2016, 11:47:37 AM
shaman258 I bought my 800 for the same reasons as you have said, just to ride around the local area and to and from work. I worked really fine for that and it was really fun to ride. But I got tired of all the people with their big engine bikes telling me that the 800 was too small for any touring. Real sad but I can remember when the Honda 750 four was the big bad bike....I also remember my Honda 550 four which I rode near across canada one summer.
I have customized my 2 up seat on the 800 I now can ride for 8 to 10 hours without issues, and while the 800 runs really well at the 80 to 120 km range, this summer I ran in the 120 to 130 km per hour range for the full day and the bike never flinched,faltered, it ran strong and was a dream to ride.
It is all about what you can afford and what you can make due with.....my 800 fits all my needs and I make it work.....
It would be nice to have your bike under the tree xmas morning with a big bow on it........
I'm with you 100%. I know what I want and what I'm looking for and from what I've read the drifter is the bike to give it to me. I'm 5'10 155lbs so I don't need a huge engine to get me moving. I had a little Honda 400 that was fun as hell and plenty fast for me! Big Harley guys always razzed me until they saw how fast I got going. An 800 has all the guts I need I believe. Thanks for your insight!
shaman 258, Just a heads up. The 800 Drifter with a solo seat sits high. I am 6' and 170. I consider myself average to lanky in build. My point is, that in normal thickness sole boots or shoes, my boots were not flat on the ground with the bike upright at a stop light. I opted for a Corbin seat that lowered ride height. Lowering springs are also available for our Drifters, but at a somewhat substantial price. Not trying to be a spoiler, but to give you honest info on the 800( as I see it). I love my Drifter in all ways. It is almost bullet proof, easy to work on and so unique that you will always be telling someone about it at the gas station or cruise night. Good luck on your purchase. CDD
Quote from: CARPE DIEM DRIFTER on December 21, 2016, 16:09:53 PM
shaman 258, Just a heads up. The 800 Drifter with a solo seat sits high. I am 6' and 170. I consider myself average to lanky in build. My point is, that in normal thickness sole boots or shoes, my boots were not flat on the ground with the bike upright at a stop light. I opted for a Corbin seat that lowered ride height. Lowering springs are also available for our Drifters, but at a somewhat substantial price. Not trying to be a spoiler, but to give you honest info on the 800( as I see it). I love my Drifter in all ways. It is almost bullet proof, easy to work on and so unique that you will always be telling someone about it at the gas station or cruise night. Good luck on your purchase. CDD
Thanks for the heads up! I appreciate it. They look pretty low but I guess I will see when I go tomorrow to check it out.
I had my bike come with the stock 2 up seat, and had it customized to my specs. and it is perfect fit now. I am 5'11" and just tipping the scales at 245 lbs. I am the perfect weight for my height if I was 7 foot 9 inches but other than that, I can reach the ground flat footed and not a issue. I had a Corbin 2 up seat, but found it was to wide. Very comfortable while riding but when you stopped it was really wide.
Hope you get what you want.
I pm'd him with my info to sell my 800 the starfire pearl one :-) yes Ratman I still have it.. Couldn't pull the trigger since all u guys with your sob stories made me regret it... But now cash is what I need
Quote from: shaman258 on December 20, 2016, 14:41:57 PM
Greetings! I will be purchasing my first Drifter 800 (hopefully) shortly. I have ridden motorcycles before (mainly Hondas) but this will be my first Kawasaki. I was hoping for some seasoned advice as to what to look for when buying a used one. Any advice on what to look out for so I don't end up buying something that is going to cost and arm and leg to fix would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hey, I've been there, I've got 4 kids of my own so I know about $ issues believe me! I am definitely interested. I'm gonna go check out the other one (sorry, its cheaper and I saw it first) and see what kind of shape its in. If things don't work out then I will most likely make the drive up and have a look. Getting close to Xmas so scheduling might be a tad difficult but we can try and make it work...
Keep us posted Shaman, We're all on the edge of our seats... If you haven't been to see it yet, one thing the Drifter's are known to have problems with are steering neck bearings. If it has a bad one, it will handle real squirrelly on corners, and you should be able to feel a "click" when you turn the bars back and forth. Not a lot of money if you do it yourself, but something to check.
Did anyone mention pictures? We really like pictures of nice shiney Drifters....
hey, I hope you make the purchase of a drifter. I have one as a second bike, my primary being a 1500 Honda cruiser, and the 800 drifter is a run-about for just having fun around town or secondary roads. mine is an 06, last year of production, with all the chrome kawi could fit on there, and it's a classic that gets me compliments almost every time I ride it--at least when it's warm enough that guys can say something from their cars at a red light;-). One guy asked me how much one costs, so I held up three fingers--he though I meant 30k but I clarified. (I acutally got mine for under 3k) I should have let it go and said "but I'll let you have this one for 20k!" ;D anyway, all that to say, these bikes are great looking, dependable and fun to ride. what else matters?! buy one and enjoy!
I've been flaking on sending him a video of my bike. Will do it tomorrow since I was outta town. Sorry man.
Quote from: shaman258 on December 21, 2016, 18:17:54 PM
Hey, I've been there, I've got 4 kids of my own so I know about $ issues believe me! I am definitely interested. I'm gonna go check out the other one (sorry, its cheaper and I saw it first) and see what kind of shape its in. If things don't work out then I will most likely make the drive up and have a look. Getting close to Xmas so scheduling might be a tad difficult but we can try and make it work...
Soooo, how did the Drifter work out?
Any news?
We are all like little children around the tree waiting to hear the news........
Quote from: CDNRatMan on December 28, 2016, 11:12:55 AM
We are all like little children around the tree waiting to hear the news........
Yea, true. And happy for the other kid with the train set or in this case his very own Drifter. But no pressure. I looked at a few Drifters before I bought mine.
So, even if it is just a good story about LOOKING at a Drifter, we'll take it. You don't need to buy it to satisfy our prurient needs. :)
Quote from: Zoar on December 28, 2016, 10:55:09 AM
Soooo, how did the Drifter work out?
Any news?
Sorry guys, didn't get up to see tit yet. Its been difficult to schedule with this guys since its the holidays. When he has been available I haven't been and vice versa. I'm looking at probably next week though. And I will DEFINITELY let you all know how it goes! Thanks for checking in everyone and I hope you all had a great xmas and got all kinds of new drifter goodies under the tree!
;) well no pressure but some of these people they live their lives through others......so you are just messing with their minds....lol......I am going to go upstairs and tinker on my bike now because there is nothing here to keep me.........
Haha! It'll be about another week guys sorry! Trust me, no one is more on edge about it than I am! Wishing you all a great 2017!
WOW so now we have to wait till next year.....oh man......wait a whole year now to see what you buy......cruel, you are just plain cruel
Brutal! A whole year!
How are we going to keep Chief from going on the warpath for pics?
Quote from: CDNRatMan on December 30, 2016, 10:58:46 AM
WOW so now we have to wait till next year.....oh man......wait a whole year now to see what you buy......cruel, you are just plain cruel
Haha! no, not another year, just another week or so...
But that is still next year no matter how you look at it...... ::)
stop it ...you're scaring him....LOL
Well it is the new year...............and still waiting..........I like when people get their 800 makes me feel good to know that family is growing.......
Yeah, it's nice when people get their new baby Drifter.
It's even better when they nurture it till it's a full grown 1500!
***Now to hide in the corner and watch the fireworks go off!*** (https://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi83.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fj319%2Fpcarrell%2FAvitars%2Fdevil.gif&hash=1d68c7be248446428cd05305c3611d58e9297fc8) (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/pcarrell/media/Avitars/devil.gif.html)
Quote from: CDNRatMan on January 03, 2017, 16:00:51 PM
Well it is the new year...............and still waiting..........I like when people get their 800 makes me feel good to know that family is growing.......
Well I'm hoping to be a new member of the family within the next few weeks! Seems like this is a really great community and everyone has a good laugh (sometimes at each others expense---my kind of people!)
Quote from: pcarrell on January 04, 2017, 10:40:54 AM
Yeah, it's nice when people get their new baby Drifter.
It's even better when they nurture it till it's a full grown 1500!
***Now to hide in the corner and watch the fireworks go off!*** (https://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi83.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fj319%2Fpcarrell%2FAvitars%2Fdevil.gif&hash=1d68c7be248446428cd05305c3611d58e9297fc8) (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/pcarrell/media/Avitars/devil.gif.html)
Not going to bite on that one! I'm sure others won't be able to resist though...
Quote from: shaman258 on January 04, 2017, 10:54:10 AM
Not going to bite on that one! I'm sure others won't be able to resist though...
As you can see, we are conditioned... No one will touch that one (anymore). ;)
shaman we have all learned to ignore Mr. PC and his comments.
I have since I owned my 800 put more km's on it then some people on their 1500's and ridden longer and farther, but then I am still healthy and young, not grumpy and old........
As for your comment on family and picking on others at their expense. I would have hoped that you have seen we are really one huge family albeit a huge dysfunctional family. We have a few black sheep in this family we do not talk about, we have others that are old and grumpy, like that Uncle we hide in the corner on those family holidays we all have to attend. There are the ones that are like older brothers with a lot of experience, and we trust them, then the ones whom we listen to and the when they are not looking we laugh at their advice. There are the few that are like a younger bothersome brother.
Then the ladies, oh the ladies, they are all like that sweet girl next door that you had a twinkle in your eye over, and they are so nice words fail me.......
Ok notice I did not mention names and I was polite.......
Quote from: CDNRatMan on January 04, 2017, 13:07:25 PMOk notice I did not mention names and I was polite.......
Yes, very uncharacteristic of you!
Let's see,.....he get's in the ring, takes a few jabs at the air, then gets out.
That can only mean one thing! Everyone......check your Email, and if you have something from a strange address with an attachment, delete it right away! Remember, you can't unsee whatever that attachment is!
Ah and a new year starts........perhaps I have not sent anyone anything but my favorite Pastor dude.......like that TV show Impastor.........
shaman258 you just relax and when you finally get your bike you clean it up and get it nice and shiny then post a few pictures for us that like to see what others have and see if there are any cool ideas on that bike we can steal for our own ideas. So of course we want close up and detail shots to best see what we are going to do........
PC = Uncle Fester on the Addams family, you like him sort of, but keep him hidden under the stairs......lol......
Wow!!! I graduated from Cousin It to Uncle Fester!
I'll take it! :D
Hi, I am enjoying all the information everyone shares on this forum...thank you.
I am hoping to be a proud owner of a Drifter one day soon!... I am a new rider as of April 2016 and purchased my first bike June 3rd....'07 VStar 650 Classic white pearl with less than 8k....I am looking to sell the VStar and purchase a Drifter ...I'm just unsure of the purchase price for a Drifter. An example of a Drifter I've seen... '02 Drifter 800 60,000miles on it ...no leaks, engine bars, shield and bags. Asking $5,000....what's a good price for something like this?
Suzie:
Is that the 02 on St. Catherines? It looks to be in decent shape. It does have a few of the items you will be hard pressed to find, engine guard, saddle bags and windscreen. I would at least go and look at it. If you check the prices of Drifter 800's across Canada at the present time you will see that they are running from the lowest price $4,500.00 to the high of $6,000.00. That particular 800 has been on Kijiji for awhile, so you should be able to talk them down a bit. I would call and offer $4,000.00 and see what the reaction is. Perhaps some of our Ontario member when they wake up can weigh in what they think is a fair price in Ontario for a Drifter. When I bought mine the start price the seller was asking for was $5,000.00.
If or rather once you buy your Drifter, you will be so happy you will be on cloud nine all the time. Also don't forget I am going to be hosting a Drifter event here in North Bay 28th July till Aug 1st, you are invited no matter what bike you ride. Check it out on the forum.....
http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?topic=44427.0
Suzie, Just a point of reference. Craig's list in Little Rock, Arkansas USA has a nice looking 2003 800 Drifter with 17000 miles for $3000. Happy drifting, CDD
That's a pretty lil' Drifter..offer them 2500 and shoot for 2800. It's worth 3 though.
;) lads Suzie is in Canada and to AK is like a 2 to 3 day drive and then deal with customs to get the bike across the border, the cost of fuel there and back, cost of taxes to cross the border, the bike just might end up cost more then it is worth.
Suzie just keep looking on Kijiji and perhaps CL in Canada, you will find a Drifter when it happens.
CDNRatman, Understood on the geographical distance and expense and time of travel. Just a point of reference. CDD
Seems like I've noticed the Drifter price tags are dearer above the 49th. Maybe part of it is the exchange rate, but perhaps they just appreciate a good thing up there more, and so the prices go up accordingly.
Understanding all the stuff talking about but that $3,000.00 US bike in the US after the exchange is now $3,979.24 CDN, then we have to deal with the HST, a must pay tax, at 13% so an additional $517.30 so now we are at $4,496.54. Than depending on where in Ontario she lives the on in St. Catherines would be perhaps a day's drive, 2 tanks of fuel.......
So really comparing prices in the US vs Canada can sometimes not be as easy as just the price. How many times I have seen someone sucked in buying on ebay and not factoring in the exchange rate and the cost of shipping. Something to be very aware of.
I totally get why someone in CA wouldn't want to buy in the US, but a few years back somebody from BC drove down and got my Honda XR650, paid all the fees and went through the hassle. I'm sure he had no regrets, though it was only around 4 hrs drive (each way) for him. At any rate, if Suzy wants to come to the Seattle area here's the CL posting for my 800, which I think is worth 4k with only 13k miles. Don't really want to sell her but if I can get my price I'll let her go. These bikes are already collectible, so if you can HANG ON TO YOURS!
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/mcy/5966539680.html You folks up north would probably change to the maple leaf flag ;D
The flag would have to stay with you and then the bike sadly is only worth $3500.00 and the reason is it lacks that pop that WWW would give it......lol.......
A few years ago when the exchange was closer it might have been a deal, and 8 hour drive is ok, I drove a round trip of 8 hours total to go and buy pick up my bike and come home with it.....
Well I deleted my ad on craigslist, at least for now. (some flake in California wanted to try and pay by check even though the ad clearly says "cash and local pick up only") I'm going to hang onto the girl for a while and if my wife bugs me at all to sell it, like later in the season, I might put it back up for sale but I really want to keep it. After all I bought it because I like it! I love the way the bike looks and I really enjoy riding it. What else is there?
Quote from: Tfrank59 on January 21, 2017, 11:40:43 AM
Well I deleted my ad on craigslist, at least for now. (some flake in California wanted to try and pay by check even though the ad clearly says "cash and local pick up only") I'm going to hang onto the girl for a while and if my wife bugs me at all to sell it, like later in the season, I might put it back up for sale but I really want to keep it. After all I bought it because I like it! I love the way the bike looks and I really enjoy riding it. What else is there?
Glad to hear that you're keeping it, good decision. You know what you have and it doesn't eat much sitting there.
Yeah I just took her out today for a short ride and reminded myself how much I like this bike. And you're right, it doesn't cost me a thing except tabs every year and very little room in the garage to store it.
::) well time to add them WWW's to make her pretty and then when your wife wants you sell it put i back on CL and ask for $85,000.00 and tell the missus you have it listed but strange no one is calling you......
Well that settles it. I bought myself some fishtail exhaust and I'm going to keep this girl at least for the foreseeable future. Once I get the pipes I'll have to do some custom work and will post pics when done.
Excellent! Glad you are investing in your Drifter. I started mine up over the weekend. It sounded beautiful as always. Did not have time to ride it even tough we had nice weather. I saw about 8 bikes on the road Sunday. I plan to invest more into mine as well. I have soft bags on it and even though they look quite 1939-ish they don't really have much room in them and/or are that conducive for when I start longer over night rides.
Best bike ever!
I ride a 1500-99 Drifter. Four days ago looked at a 800 . AT 75 I still put 2500 up k on my bike in b.c and alberta.during the summer the 800 has shims to adj. valves and I understand has to be done every 6000 miles with the engine taken out. expensive if not done oneself. Wow sure like the looks of the800 c/l Kelona b.c.
I think the idea with the 6000 miles on valves is to check them, and if they're out of spec to adj with shims. I have 13k on my 06 and don't plan to do anything unless engine performance or valve train sound changes.
Ok set the record straight, The manual calls for the first inspection at 30,000, second at 60,000 I bought my bike and at 30, 000 did the inspection. The engine does not have to be taken out of the bike. You need to remove the seat, and the fuel tank. I am doing my 60,000 valve check today and will take pictures because really it is simple, if you can find TDC on the piston you can do the job and it takes less than an hour once you have everything ready. When I did mine last time everything was bang on so a simple check.
Also in the manual there is a chart that tells you which shim to use in each case required, so simply take one out replace it and start your check over till it all mets up and is correct. The rear cylinder cover is the only hard part and it just requires a little finesse to get it out. But the engine does not have to come out........
Good info CDNRatMan! When I saw this post, I knew you'd respond since you've done it before and are doing it again soon.
My mechanic buddy had a family emergency today. So we will be doing the Valves either Sat or Monday. I will make a picture document of the steps required, now that being said I am not a mechanic nor even close to one, but the last time we did this Dave came over and read from the manual for me and I did the work. I just have a hard time with finding TDC and he told me that there is a really simple way for doing that on a VN 800 engine. But the steps are fairly simple,
remove seat;
remove tank;
there is 2 rad hose bolts on each side of the engine need to be loosened or removed so the hoses can be moved around;
remove the hose connecting the two covers;
remove spark plug;
remove the three bolts from the cover;
you might need to tap the covers, not hard DO NOT use a screwdriver here, there is a rubber gasket that is reusable.
it is like opening a jar you need to just tap the cover to break the seal.
remove the covers;
open the inspection plugs on the engine left side to check for TDC
then with your manual see that the shims are the correct ones with feeler gauges,
there is an o ring that needs to be greased inside the cover were the spark plug comes in.
Best way to remove the spark plug is with the tools from the tool kit,
in fact this whole job can be done with the tools from the tool kit other then feeler gauges.
The covers come off and with a wee bit of finess they will slide out to the right side of the engine,
when you replace the covers make sure the gasket is not twisted or pinched, it is visible.
I will be making a picture document of the steps involved shortly.
Quote from: CDNRatMan on January 29, 2017, 11:09:51 AM
Ok set the record straight, The manual calls for the first inspection at 30,000, second at 60,000 I bought my bike and at 30, 000 did the inspection. The engine does not have to be taken out of the bike. You need to remove the seat, and the fuel tank. I am doing my 60,000 valve check today and will take pictures because really it is simple, if you can find TDC on the piston you can do the job and it takes less than an hour once you have everything ready. When I did mine last time everything was bang on so a simple check.
Also in the manual there is a chart that tells you which shim to use in each case required, so simply take one out replace it and start your check over till it all mets up and is correct. The rear cylinder cover is the only hard part and it just requires a little finesse to get it out. But the engine does not have to come out........
Well that's a relief because I got to looking at that rear cylinder and it sure looks tight. Who wants to take the motor out just to check valve clearances?!
Once you break the seal, you then lift and move it to the right and it slides right out, if you have three hands it can make it really easy................
Quote from: CDNRatMan on January 29, 2017, 21:09:27 PM
Once you break the seal, you then lift and move it to the right and it slides right out, if you have three hands it can make it really easy................
Wow, I always wondered what that third hand was for!
Okay, here's the skinny girl with the new custom exhaust. budget for this project: $200. Actual cost (so far): $180. Thank you ebay. Just need to paint the thermal wraps.
turned out nice.... What do you use to paint the wraps with??
>:( duh paint of course....lol......heat resistant......
Quote from: greenbarn on February 01, 2017, 19:40:17 PM
turned out nice.... What do you use to paint the wraps with??
Yeah there are basically two choices one is to try and seal them from water and stuff with high heat silicone and the other is just to give the wraps longer life with high heat paint I'm going to go with the latter.
Well a little feedback on the header wrap painting... The stuff I used underneath the wraps, which was supposed to be some sort of ceramic high heat paint, didn't really do the job and cracked away up near the flanges. And of course with the many heat cycles from riding a few times the white wraps are now more like tan/brown, but they look OK and stopped stinking once everything got fully cured. All in all I'm pretty happy with the job, but if/when I do it again I won't put more than one coat of header paint underneath the wraps.
Is there a new owner of an 800 Drifter yet? This thread seems to go on and off topic...I lost track. Did I miss it??? ???
Quote from: Old Drifter on February 14, 2017, 08:45:54 AM
Is there a new owner of an 800 Drifter yet? This thread seems to go on and off topic...I lost track. Did I miss it??? ???
'Last I heard the topic was scheduled inspections, paint, etc. It does not seem to me that there is a new 800 Drifter owner.
I can tell the almost 800 Drifter owner that I started mine and let it run and I listened to the music of its deep voice and admired it lines all with the garage door open and snow on the ground outside and not for a minute have I ever regretted buying my 800 Drifter.
It is enjoyable art and music even when it is winter in NY State.
Quote from: Old Drifter on February 14, 2017, 08:45:54 AM
Is there a new owner of an 800 Drifter yet? This thread seems to go on and off topic...I lost track. Did I miss it??? ???
Well sorry if some of us "drifted" away onto other stuff but it was all in the name of how marvelous our bikes are and why everybody should own one, and in my case why I decided not to sell ;D
Quote from: Tfrank59 on February 14, 2017, 10:29:08 AM
Well sorry if some of us "drifted" away onto other stuff but it was all in the name of how marvelous our bikes are and why everybody should own one, and in my case why I decided not to sell ;D
Yes, it is quite understandable and I often drift away either when riding or when contemplating or writing about my 800 Drifter of discussing Drifters as a whole, any part of them and any flavor of them.
Drift A Way.
Quote from: Tfrank59 on February 14, 2017, 10:29:08 AM
Well sorry if some of us "drifted" away onto other stuff but it was all in the name of how marvelous our bikes are and why everybody should own one, and in my case why I decided not to sell ;D
Not complaining, no apologies needed...Drifting off topic is OK. ;) Thought I missed the new Drifter...just sayin'.
Quote from: CDNRatMan on January 15, 2017, 23:12:54 PM
Suzie:
Is that the 02 on St. Catherines? It looks to be in decent shape. It does have a few of the items you will be hard pressed to find, engine guard, saddle bags and windscreen. I would at least go and look at it. If you check the prices of Drifter 800's across Canada at the present time you will see that they are running from the lowest price $4,500.00 to the high of $6,000.00. That particular 800 has been on Kijiji for awhile, so you should be able to talk them down a bit. I would call and offer $4,000.00 and see what the reaction is. Perhaps some of our Ontario member when they wake up can weigh in what they think is a fair price in Ontario for a Drifter. When I bought mine the start price the seller was asking for was $5,000.00.
If or rather once you buy your Drifter, you will be so happy you will be on cloud nine all the time. Also don't forget I am going to be hosting a Drifter event here in North Bay 28th July till Aug 1st, you are invited no matter what bike you ride. Check it out on the forum.....
http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?topic=44427.0
Thank you
Suzie:
Did you pick up that 800 in St Kitts? Or what did you pick and where?