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There are several on Ebay for $10

I see that. Since it's the negative, looks like I would just unplug the current wire and plug in the new one?

I'd love to fix it myself but I don't have a soldering iron or the skills/knowhow to get it done right? I assumed it would just be a cable that connects to the frame, but there is a white clip/harness included... Any idea what that is for?

The connection on my negative battery cable snapped off. It's a '99 1500. Any insights on how I should tackle this problem?

I'm looking to strip down the look of my Drifter a bit. Plan on removing the light bar (which I never use) and also want to ditch the crash bars for a sleeker look.

I have a nice pair of Kuryakyn highway pegs that I use constantly but they mount onto the crash bars. If I did remove the crash bars I'm assuming I'd need different highway pegs, but where to mount them? Is there a kind you guys and gals use that mount to the frame or something? My buddy has a HD Heritage with "highway pegs" that mount underneath his floorboards and stick off the front. Is there something like that available for Drifter floorboards?

Thanks for any and all advice.

Congratulations!  I know how hard it can be to lose all that weigh.  I lost 70lbs a few years ago over about a year and I've never felt better. Also, the way I think about it, the lighter I am, the faster my Drifter will be!

Are there any custom air cleaner covers out there? I'm not looking to replace the entire intake system, just to replace the stock cover with a different one. Do these exist? All the covers I've looked at are complete replacements of the intake and cost a ton.

I hit both brakes about as hard as possible (with a strong but gradual pull on the front brake) . I felt it "hop" probably 5 or so times until I came to a complete stop. Felt like ABS only much more pronounced. I'm just making sure nothing actually went wrong! Rode on my lunch break today and everything seems fine, so I'm guessing it has to do with the suspension maybe being a little stiff.

I've had my drifter for a year now and the only gripe I have is the whole seat situation. There are only a few "bolt on"  seat options unless you plan on doing a little bit of modifications. That being said, the mod to switch from the two-up seat to a solo seat from a Vulcan Nomad is so simple, even I managed to do it with practically no idea what I was doing. The best part is, I can go from solo seat and no bags to dual seat and bags in less than 5 min (if the wife is wanting to ride with me).

Other than that I haven't come across any other Drifter-specific problems. Be aware, people will always want to talk to you about your bike, and you will definitely turn a lot of heads. I can't even count how many random people have struck up conversation about my Drifter in the past year (it's a good thing!)

So I'm on my way to work around 6:15 a.m. this morning enjoying the crisp 36°f air, when all of a sudden a pickup truck from a construction company came out of nowhere on a side street and turned right into my lane without looking. I hit the brakes hard and felt my back wheel hopping (almost felt like ABS) as I came to a stop. Looks like I stopped just a foot short of being hit. Whew...dont need any coffee this morning, as that incident has woken me up like a fire alarm from a deep slumber.

Anyway, why did my back wheel hop like that? I've never had to hit the brakes that hard before, and I'm assuming maybe I hit a little too much rear brake? Anyone have any insight? Any tips for next time?

LOL

That's awesome news, now I can just pick some up and not have to order some online and pay $6 shipping for a $.50 bolt! Thanks for your help!

That's about as standard a metric size as there is....considered "normal" thread. 6x1.25 is the diameter and thread pitch...the length is about 12 mm.

I'm not a very handy guy, so all of this is pretty foreign to me right now. They had M6 x 1.00 and M8 x 1.25 at both stores, but not the M6 x 1.25. Just doing to searching online and am coming across the same issue.

That front wheel is awesome! Loving the exhaust as well.

Went to 3 different hardware stores today and none of them had 6 x 1.25 . . . they more or less said "good luck finding it" because supposedly its a very odd size. Anyone know where I could find one online?

Before you rush off you might want to consider butterfly or wing bolts, it means you can remove  the seat without a spanner or wrench.

John.

That's a good point John. I think I like that idea. I'll pick some of those up today. A day isn't complete without a run to the hardware store right?

6x1.25 mm

That was quick, thanks Troll! Off to the hardware store.

So I got my Nomad solo seat a few weeks ago and finally decided to put it on. Realized I have everything I need except the bolts themselves. Made sure the seat I bought had those hard-to-find brackets included, but completely glossed over the fact that no bolts are included. Anyone know what size the bolts are that connect the solo seat brackets to the bike?

[Again, thanks everyone! Have a whole list of things to do this spring:]

Having painted quite a few parts in the engine compartment of my Mustang, I would recommend against using a brush. I didn't do a full teardown of the engine when it was out, and as such had to use a brush on some of the parts I couldn't spray since I couldn't mask off the areas. I'm glad that you really can't see many of those parts I used a brush on. Glancing under the hood when they're fairly hidden they look okay, but up close they don't. If they were easily visible, they would not look very good and I would have had to take a lot more time to spray them. I didn't have stuff like finned cylinder heads to paint, so you might end up using a combination of a brush and spraying. If you decide to paint, you might have to find a place and try out different ways to see which one you like best. I'm also guessing that you will want to remove the engine to paint unless you just want to paint the visible places.

Whatever method you use, be sure to thoroughly rough up and clean everything. If you don't it won't matter how you paint it, the paint will just end up flaking off.

Thanks for the tips!

Not sure how much experience you have with Platidip, but if very little read up all you can and practice first. I dipped my 800 classic completely and it was a learning process.

I have zero experience with Plastidip but I good buddy of mine dipped part of his HD bobber and it turned out great. He's a mechanic and used to be a airbrusher, so I think I'll lure him over with a few beers and have him give me a hand.

If the paint is just oxidized (as opposed to chipped or worn off) trying using S100 Engine Brighter. http://www.s100.com/s100_eb.htm.  I was amazed how it brought back the black on my Honda Ascot engine.  I use it sparingly as I'm a bit suspicious about what it's actually doing to the paint to make it look like new again, but if your other option is to repaint anyway, I don't think you have anything to loose.

Wow, didn't even know this stuff existed! I think this is going to be my Plan A, as it seems to be probably the best way to start. I really appreciate it!

I have painted a number of both bike and car engines. VHT works well but I prefer POR Black Velvet High Temp Paint.  This paint can be either brushed of sprayed on.  It recommends sandblasting before hand but I have used this on both cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds without great results shout blasting so long as the surface is clean.

http://www.por15.com/HIGH-TEMP_p_104.html

Good to know. I've only ever heard of VHT, but will definately give POR a look as well. Yeah, I could sandblast (buddy has a sandblaster) but I don't know if I will. I guess I'll be able to tell pretty quickly if I need to start over and sandblast it first. Thanks!

I did my engine this past Spring. I used non chlorinated brake cleaner to wash the engine after I'd done a regular cleaning, to remove any residue that would interfere with the paint. I removed everything I didn't want painted, or masked it off to prevent accidental painting. I used satin black Krylon colormaster which has a "primer" built it....Been about 8,000 miles or so and quite a few washings, and the paint is holding up quite well. I got some cheap acetone nail polish remover and after the paint dried for a few minutes, I used it on a clean cloth to clean the edges of the fins down to the original aluminum. It was also used to remove any overspray from some of the hard to mask off parts....First pic is before, just clean. All the rest are after the job was done. No need to create angst where there isn't need ....

Looks great Troll! I like the idea of cleaning the edges of the fins off too. I think I'll just play it by ear and see what I think looks best. Good idea with the brake cleaner to get a good wash on the engine, hadn't thought of that. Do you know how high of temps that paint is good for? Also, I'm really digging that leather over your crash bars . . . does it act kinda like fork lowers and displace some of the wind? Very cool!

Again, thanks everyone! Have a whole list of things to do this spring:

—paint engine
—install new Nomad seat
—modify my F&S seat (shave down some foam on the pillion for the wife)
—purchase and install fender flaps
—get bars, cables, and grips installed
—install new levers and mirrors
—new tank bib
—bag for between the handlebars (not sure what it is called exactly)
—purchase and install Brake-Away throttle lock
—possibly new paint job this fall! (I want to go with a green/cream two tone paint) Wife said "do it now before we have kids, or you'll always find something else to spend your spare cash on" Love that woman!

Its going to be an expensive and AWESOME summer!

EDIT: I worked up an image in PhotoShop as to what type of colors I would like. If anyone else is thinking of painting and would like me to make a "mock up" of your bike with different colors, I'd be happy to do so . . . its fun for me!

I have a '99 1500, so of course it has the "blackout package." The black paint on the engine could use some help. I've heard of people using VHT paint on engines and exhaust, and wondering if anyone here has any experience with it.

I definitely want to repaint the engine to bring back that dark black,  and contemplated painting the crankcase as well (black),  but I'm not too sure if it will look good or not. I think I might also plasti dip the air cleaner cover, just to get rid of that last bit of chrome off the bike. I like that I can remove the plasti dip whenever and not have to worry about not liking it and be stuck with something more permanent.

I just purchased some new black handlebars, black Kuryakyn grips, black mirrors, and black levers.  I am going to do my best to de-chrome as much as I can.

So, does a anyone have any experience with this? I'm assuming I will have to take the engine completely off the bike if I wanted to spray it, but I read in another Vulcan forum where someone painted the engine with a brush and they were pleased with how it turned out.

Any tips, suggestions, or warnings?

Well I did some tinkering (checked all connections, removed battery/reinstalled battery, checked battery power, etc.) and charged the battery up overnight. Started instantly this morning when I took it to work, and thankfully, started instantly when I left work to come home as well. I'm going to do some test again this evening and see if I can't figure it out. I decided to make a habit of hitting the switch on my light bar as sometimes I've left it switched to the on position (not sure how much that could drain a battery). I'll report back after some additional tinkering.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Having an issue today . . .

Haven't ridden in over a week due to bad weather and just being extraordinarily busy. Went to start it just now and it tried to turn over a few times and then just a click. I know I didn't leave the keys in it (really anal about checking that). Pushed the "Test" button on the battery and it is showing "LOW" so I have it on a battery tender currently. Any ideas how the battery could be dead after just a week of not riding? Are there any other things I should check? I'm having trouble finding the 'vehicle down sensor' and I've also heard about something with the clutch lever that can become loose and prevent the bike from starting . . . what should I be checking? (can you tell I know next to nothing? 

I got a chance to demo the 2014 Indians and had similiar impressions. The engine was so smooth and very forgiving. It did feel a little under-powered to me . . . maybe I was expecting to much? The bike was extremely well balanced as it felt super lightweight and very easy to turn at low speeds. I definitely prefer my Drifter though!

Do you wax your Drifter frequently? I use this soap/wax liquid to wash my bike, but I'm not sure how well it works as a wax, but its a great soap.

Being that my Drifter is a '99, the paint could definitely use some additional gloss. Do you think I would benefit from waxing/buffing my bike the old fashioned way?

What was the price compared to a standard battery?

The standard battery they had was $99 and the lithium ion battery that I bought was $139. Sure, more expensive and probably unnecessary, but I like the feeling of having more than enough 'cold cranking amps' to fire up the drifter. If the battery lasts a year longer, it will be totally worth it to me, as it's not just about the money, but the hassle of finding the right battery in stock and buying, installing, etc.

Bike started yesterday, went to go visit my 7 week old nephew, and bike wouldn't start after that without a jump. Picked up a new Lithium Ion battery today... Can't believe how light it is! Came with a 1 year warranty, stronger starting power than the other options, and had a button with little LEDs to check the charge level. it probably weighs 1/5 of a regular acid battery. Hope it works out well!

Was the FI light flashing after the tip over? The tip over switch will kill the engine until the key is cycled off and on.....I can speak from personal experience, since it happened to me while demonstrating ERC exercises. I had the bike leaned over far enough in a double S turn to trigger the switch, and it killed the engine right there...right in front of the class.....

I don't really remember any flashing lights, as I was concentrating on pushing the bike out of the street and into a parking space. I removed the key several times and tried to start it many times over about 15 minutes.

Tipped bike over last night trying to pick up someones iPhone I found laying in the street (last time I try to be nice!), and wouldn't start after that until a friend jumped it with his bike battery. He informed me that sometimes tipping your bike over can ruin an old battery. Is this true?

I don't mind spending a bit more cash for a reliable battery. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions for a good replacement battery?