Hi guys, I'm new to the forum and I have a 2000 Drifter 800. I've owned it for about 6 months now and I absolutely love the bike. As you know the 2000 model didn't come with a solo seat. A while back I checked on what my options are with the Kawasaki dealership here in town and the guy told me that I could use a solo seat from any later model Drifter but I would have to buy certain "brackets" as well to make it fit my 2000 model. Have any of you guys done this before and do you know what brackets he's talking about? Also, I am looking into buying a Corbin solo seat and I was wondering if those brackets are needed as well if I would buy this seat? I just need to know if I do need brackets if I would buy any kind of solo seat. Can anybody please give me some advice on this?
Thanks!
You can use any solo seat from an 800 Drifter. The 1500 Drifter seat will not interchange. The brackets he was refering to were those little triangular brackets on the bottom of yout current seat. They unbolt, so you can swap them. Don't lose them though! You can't buy them seperately. You have to buy the whole seat assembly from Ma Kawi just to get those two silly little brackets, so treat them like gold. If need be, you could make some from angle steel. I have a friend that mad some from an old bed frame. It's a lot of work though!
As for the Corbin seat, I don't have one, so I'm not much help there.
Oh, and welcome to the forum! Got a pic of that scoot?
Thanks for the info pcarrell! Here's a picture of my Drifter. It's still a work in progres. I just got a black light bracket that I will put on, then I need the solo seat and I will give it a new paint job in the spring time. I just past 4K miles on it yesterday.
Shoot! She's barely broken in!
You have one fine lookin' scoot there! Have fun customizing her! What color are you going to paint it?
Thanks. I was thinking about white...would look nice with a black frame, but I'm not 100% sure yet. Once I decide and get it done I will let you know and post another pic :)
Doc painted his white pearl this last year. Turned out great! Maybe his bike will give you an idea on how yours will look? I have a few pics of his ride here: http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Drifter/Other%20Peoples%20Bikes/Docs%20Bike/
That's very cool looking. I was thinking about going with a matte white finish...no decals or anything. But that's a cool looking bike though.
Does the round bar on the 2 up seat(pic above) come off, and be used with the oem solo seat for an 800?
I have a 2000 800 also and I just put a solo seat from a 1500 on it and didnt need to buy any brackets ( I made my own and it only took one flat piece of aluminum that fits under the seat, plus some altering to the bottom of seat)
Can you take some pics and do a "how-to" on this for us. I'll add it to the mods section of the website. We get asked about this all the time.
Cheers.
That would be awesome to see someone post the process of converting a 1500 seat to an 800. Then I can sell my loser factory 2-up seat.....unless I need to dog rob parts off of it for the new solo seat setup.
I just poste a pic of my 2000 800 drifter. you cant see it very well but that is a vulcan 1500 solo seat. Im just now figuring out how to get pics from my camera to the PC so I am going to take some closeups of the seat and other things. I will be posting them soon.
George (teeble) the "Butterscotch Drifter"