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I dealt with him a few years ago...has a real attitude...made a negative comment about my Viking bags (about how they were not "real" leather).  I said "Wow! you really don't want to sell me something, do you?"  That made him even more cranky  LOL....everything I've on the Saddleline bags for Drifters has the tops warping and fading from the sun after a couple of years...The Viking bags that were on my Drifter (that I recently sold) never gave me any problems with warping or fading...just my 2 cents on the subject

Really missing my ride, but at least it went to a good home....

the wheels (both front and rear) are from a Vulcan 88.  The only thing I had to do was bore out the front wheel center to 22mm to accept the larger diameter axle and get another center spacer for inside the wheel and Vulcan 1500 front wheel bearings.  Everything else lines up perfectly with the stock spacers.  The front is 19" and fits nicely inside the front fender.  The rear is 15" but with a taller tire.  Very close in height to the stock rear.

BTW....it looks like the bike sold..the guy buying it has wanted one for a long time.  Used to ride Harleys but wants water-cooled Japanese quality.  LOL.  He said he wants to join this forum as well...so when he picks it up and applies to join, please welcome him as you all did me.  His name is Donnie Brummer.

thanks, all.

Just wanted to provide a link to anyone interested in purchasing another Drifter.  I have finally had to post mine for sale due to hip and knee issues.  Not something I really want to do, but I have only put 3K miles on in the last 3 yrs.  Just too uncomfortable for me to do more than very short rides....especially trying to lift my left leg back up after a stop....anyway, I am posting a link below...I have really enjoyed the time on this forum and learning things about these bikes that most people are unaware of....been the best rides I have ever had...I may put the bike up for sale on cycletrader as well, but for now, it is for sale locally on Craigslist.

2001 Vulcan Drifter - motorcycles/scooters - by owner - vehicle automotive bike sale - craigslist

OR Seedman

the hardest necessary item to find is the support rail.  I bought one a few years ago that was NOS (new old stock) so I could use the 2-up fire and steel seat I picked up cheap.  Only, it didn't have the cross support piece...so I fabricated one.  They very rarely come up on Ebay...I haven't seen one for a long time....

Your best bet is to keep asking on this forum or on the Drifter Riders Facebook page...maybe someone will decide to sell off one to you.  I keep mine as a selling point for when I have to sell my Drifter (I have knee and hip issues now and don't ride nearly as much as I use to).  A lot of Drifter fans don't really know that the 2-up seat requires the extra subframe...so they buy one with a solo seat thinking they can just find and pop a 2-up seat on it at any time.

There seems to be a few grab rails on Ebay at any given time, but prices vary.  I don't use one with mine, because I designed a rear passenger backrest/rack setup and don't really need one....plus it's so damn ugly.

Anyway, that's my nickel's worth..

here are some better picks of the way the EZ Brackets mount and with one of the bags removed.  I've been really happy with them and how easy they work.

I know they are kind of expensive, but the EZ Bracket saddlebag mounts for the standard Vulcan 800 (non-Drifter) work perfectly with the OEM Vulcan 1500 bag struts.  The mounting holes for the carrying pins of the brackets line up perfectly with the threaded strut holes.  One key works on both bracket locks.  Makes taking off and putting on the bags quick and easy without having to unbolt anything.  I have 2 sets for both my black saddlebags and my tan ones.  Plus I have a carrying handle strap locks into the brackets on the bags when you take the bags off so you can carry 2 bags in one hand....I don't really have close-up pic but you can see the top of the left side bracket.  the locking mechanism is on the top of the bracket (on both the left and the right)  only a slight turn is need and the whole bag lifts right off...

I have made several different styles in the past.  The one I like the best is on my ride now and incorporates an adjustable solo seat backrest.  It can slider about a total of 3 inches from front to back so you get the perfect fit.  sold a few of them on here and on facebook a while back.

the mounts are decent but ....but their bag lids have a tendency to warp in the sun....I use chrome oem mounts with Easy Brackets for Vulcan 800s as the mounting holes line up perfectly....makes it easy to take off the bags when needing to get them out of the way.  I don't like bags that are permanently mounted to brackets....makes taking them off for any reason a much bigger pain in the butt.  I have both black and brown saddelbag, seats and crash bar chap sets to match whatever color I decide to run with for a while.

Good job....I did that swap a couple of years back....but had to do it on my own.  You will like the increase in torque....Since I already had a 2001 with the full chrome side cover, I left it as is...I did put a new clutch pack in it as someone in the shop that sold it to me had swiped the original one out of it....made them give me back over $200 for that little issue...

OR Seedman

Sounds like you have it under control....

It's not really hard to do...but you definitely have to split the frame on the right side to slide the motor out after removing all the carrier bolts and disconnecting the driveshaft (make sure you don't loose the little pressure pin in the driveshaft when you disconnect it).  you then just basically drop the motor down a couple of inches and roll/slide it out the right side.  I used a frame jack on rollers that the motor easily balanced on, but I did have the bike raised up by putting several 1 inch thick wide boards under both the front and rear wheels to give me more room.  I then stabilized the bike with tie-downs on the front handle bars to a big board with S hooks to attach to and that was set up like a "T" by being attached to the boards under the front wheel.   This kept the bike in place while I wiggled the old motor out and the new one in.  take lots of pictures while working on it to make sure all your connections are correct when putting it back in.... 

there are some real frame differences between the two....for instance the way the saddle bags mount to the frame is completely different between them.  Just swapping the rear swingarm won't solve that issue....Wiring harness are different too...and the way the fuel connect from the tank to the injector manifold it completely different...lots of little issues would be cropping up.  I suggest, as others have, just swapping the motors.  Not really very hard to do...as long as you have a rolling floor jack for a motorcycle, one person can do it.

My bad....I didn't read your post correctly....I have not been able to locate the other brackets....I will be back out at my research farm (where all my spare parts are) this weekend to clean up some stuff as the farm is being sold....hopefully I will find them.  If not, I will take some photos of the ones on my bike and some measurements.  Any decent fab shop can cut them out fairly easily....

yeah...that was me...and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  The bike really benefitted from the increased torque....hp is about the same, but the torque is about 11 ftlbs greater....noticeable difference.  I used a new 1600 out of a 2003 Vulcan 1600 that had been wrecked.  I had to keep the throttle body and intake setup due to different tank/fuel line configurations and the 1600 has an inner stator that I left disconnected (has 2), but otherwise, absolutely no issues swapping them.  didn't need change the ECU either.  engine runs smooth and gets me 40mpg with a Baron's air filter and V&H Longshots set up as duels.  No power module, either.

I guarantee if you leave them uncovered or unwrapped you are going to experience some severe radiating heat issues to your right leg...even if you don't actually touch the exposed pipe....The covers and or/wraps are there for both aesthetics and for heat protection.  But, hey, your choice to take the risk...just my 2 cents.....

OR Seedman

You need to relocate the rectifier to the front under the radiator with different bracket and remove the goat bladder as well. I actually used some custom made brackets that I had designed for the stock Nomad exhaust to mount my V&H longshots as a dual set but I had to cut them down to make them work with the side mounts on the pipes.  If you have Nomad exhaust with the top mounts, you will need to fabricate some brackets to attach them to.  Mine were mounted between the rear floorboards and the frame using slightly longer bolts.  I may still have the brackets that I had made....I will check and see later this week as they are out at a different location.  Otherwise, you will need to have some fabricated.

OR Seedman

When I first got my 1500 the sending unit wasn't working at all.  I got a new one and it would read full at 3 gallons...and it's a 5 gallon tank.  I removed it and bent the float arm up so the angle wasn't as severe...now it reads full until I go about 50 miles and then it starts to drop.  has one gallon in it when the light comes on.....might be worth it to do what I did to make the adjustments.

Thank you.  I am currently in rehab for my knee....hoping I can get at least a decent portion of my left leg strength back.  The hip may be a bigger problem as the labrum is pretty messed up and I am waiting to go under the knife (scope ) to see if it can be repaired.  I have not listed the bike yet as I may give it to my son (he is bigger than me and can handle it...just needs more riding experience) just to keep it in the family.  Hard to let it go with all the time and effort I have invested in it....

This forum has really been great to be a part of....and my wife even mentioned that I should put my Original Drifter signed and dedicated to me by Denny Berg himself up in my shop.

We'll see how things go after the hip surgery....may be a long fall and winter...

OR Seedman

website says they aren't available yet.....I like the tilt idea....but man, the set up is FUGLY! Don't think that is going to be an option either...

I'm thinking that a price of $5500 is fair considering what the bike is and what actually comes with it....I will post it here as well as on the normal selling sites as soon as I get a full set of pics done in its current configuration (Brown/Tan setup right now)

I have really appreciated all the information and topics discussed here on the forum...I'll continue to keep my account open after I sell the bike so I can keep up on everything Drifter related in the future.

OR Seedman 

too cost prohibitive...I won't ride a trike with the 2 wheels in the back...I use to ride 3-wheeler atc on my research farm and they just are not suited for higher speed cornering...There is one guy on here that turned his into a front 2-wheel trike, but I'm not that interested in doing so with mine....

Yeah, my left side took the brunt of the fall....left knee and hip are torn up pretty bad...harder to recover at my age.(almost 63).  Plus my wife is against me getting back on it not being 100%.....

Well...It looks like I am going to have to sell my customized 1500 Drifter.  I recently had a bad fall off of a ladder and damaged my left knee and hip.  I've been told by my surgeon that my 2-wheel riding days are now behind me.  So, I'm here to try and get an idea of where I should price my bike.....list of features are as follows:

1600 cc engine (only 3,000 miles on it, way more torque than the stock 1500)
Big Thunder air cleaner kit.
Custom 2-tone cream and Navajo red paint.
Full batwing fairing with mechless marine stereo and 6x9 speakers.
2 full color schemes with quick release saddlebags (black studded, brown/tan studded, tan Fire & Steel 2-up seat with custom backrest)
Custom chrome frame mounted rear racks (1-light duty, 1 heavy duty)
Rack-mounted backrest for both racks (1 pad in black and 1 in tan)
Extra set of custom painted wheels from a Vulcan 88 that are fitted for the Drifter (match the red paint - 19" front)
Dual V&H Longshots with Nomad exhaust cross-over includes 3 different tip sets.
Passenger floorboards from Denny Berg himself
Lindby Multibar with matching tan or black studded chaps

Bike runs excellent and handles great....wish I could continue to ride, but I would have to switch to a 3-wheeler (spyder maybe)

So, I am trying to get an idea of what I should list it for here in the PNW....any input would be greatly appreciated.

Best to all

OR Seedman

I know he is in Palm Springs....his brother is on the VDR facebook page....I actually have Denny's Cobra rear passenger footrests on my Drifter 1500.  Got them from him a couple of years ago....but I cannot find his business card (I moved my office and now I can't find anything, of course)  I think his brother's name is Tom...you might try and find him on there and get in touch with him

just remember that when you loosen the Stem head nut, you will need to take the weight of the bike off of the front wheel...keeps it from binding and getting off center.  So use a jack to lift the front of the bike up just enough to get the weight off the wheel...

Remove handle bars and then the mounts.  You can leave the wire looms hanging and then loosen and remove top of the triple tree.  The cover will then just slide off.  Put everything back together in reverse.  Not really very hard.  Cover your tank with a couple of heavy towels so you can lay the handle bars down on it without scratching....

I did post the minor issues with the swap...all easily corrected.  Mainly the extra innner stator needing to be disconnected and having to use the original throttle body due to the fuel inlet configurations not being compatible...but no other issues.