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I came across another issue when lowering my 1500 with shorter shocks....the kickstand is too long and the bike doesn't lean over enough....especially when parking backed in on even a slight slope....I almost had the thing tip over the opposite way when I got off....scared the crap out of me!!!  As it sits now with 1/2" shorter shocks and the 1/2" lowered front forks, on a lever surface, I cannot turn the front forks all the way right without it wanting to tip over in that direction......

hi - im really struggling with the instructions on how to do a front fork install of progressives.
hoping you could advise?
ive added  a thread in the forums with the details, just posted today December 23 2022. cheers, tim

Hi All,

well i bought the kit but now im really confused.

it seems that progressive do a 'drop in' kit and a 'non drop in' kit.

and there is no drop in for the Vulcan Drifter or any Vulcan.

the kit i received calls for 2 springs to be inserted onto the damping rod, as well as a spacer cut to size.

ive watched a few videos now and ive not yet seen anyone add the springs to the damper rod.

obviously doing the damper rod is a much more difficult task and in fact requires the forks to be completely removed, and a special tool be used to prevent the damper rod from spinning.

i checked with progressive and they say its a must do...but im not 100% sure im talking to the right person.

mine is the '99 and its assembly is as per the attached. ive also attached the step in the manual that states what needs to be done..again its not clear as it seems that the bike can only be lowereed 1 inch or 2 inches, and nothing in between.

which shocks did you use please?

ive lowered about 10 bikes so far..cut and welded a few stands...this is only 38mm which is pretty mild in comparison. i am surprised it affected the stand to that extent as ive lowered a few bikes over 75mm and they still were ok-ish. i didnt have to shorten the stands though on a couple.

im just trying to find the right shocks for now please if you can provide details?

cheers.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/154874509658?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=DEwM-6WHR9e&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=ix9fRejRSHq&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

or

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/175412069106?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=PrDVFqYbT_q&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=ix9fRejRSHq&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Hi All,

i want to put an 11" shock on the rear of my drifter, and as im in australia, i need to be sure that i get the right one.

can someone please advise me which to get?..does the 99 drifter have the same shocks as the classic?

im going to get the 1-2" fork lowering kit from progressive also, but it too doesnt mention the drifter specifically..just the classic.

hoping someone here can help me please? its very costly to have to return 12,000 miles..

cheers,

tim

hi all,
i thought i'd join up to see how and what others are doing to make their drifter unique, and i gotta say it seems a bit of a ghost town..here and online for parts.
i had envisaged some highway lights, engine crash guard, a different seat and some AM pipes..and i thought i'd look at gallery images and send the image taker a message to enquire about where they got their parts from.
but i cant see how i can do this..
im a bit flat now as i was excited to get the bike. .
any help would be really appreciated. i feel like i mightve bought a dinosaur.
cheers, tim

thanks for the replies. it's become too difficult to progress. so I sold the bike. I had no idea it would be so tricky to personalise.

thanks guys. its really appreciated.  however due to the difficulties with this bike, I've abandoned my plans. I advertised the bike the other night and it sold right away. now I've got brand new whitewalls, front shocks and driving lights I dont have a bike for. the 800 is probably less of a problem but we didnt get them in Australia. 

hello again,
well i decided to take the seat off and have a look at what was going on underneath this gnarly corbin solo seat that i have on my 1500.

and im shocked to see a great big ugly bracket which was obviously to hold up the banana and its an eyesore..so what to do?

ask here first, so here goes...has anyone came up with a decent, workable solo and pillion setup that has a removable pillion?..how about any permanent duo seats other than a banana?..

barring solutions there..im thinking of just cutting this monstrousity right off, welding a reinforcement bar between the shocks, and having a low sitting solo seat that might even extend, or work with a pillion seat..

the area where a solo can be fitted is quite flat and can have a cover made for it to facilitate a sprung seat, but i think alongside the shocks, a springer seat is overlkill and the ugly shock mounts will still be visible..

So im thinking some sort of existing H-D type heritage setup might work...does anyone here have any experience with this?..

cheers,

Tim

hey thanks for the tips.

in the past ive often just cut and welded the stand back together..im noticing a lot of the same parts are shared by the classic.

very useful advice as my questions are very direct..i appreciate it.

ive found some 11.5" heavy duty shocks..progressive 412s.

the harleys have a progressive shock that can be adjusted in length..does anyone know if such a beast exists for the drifter?

finally, i understand that the stock drifter 1500 shock is 12.5 inches..can anyone confirm this please?

obviously it means that at the shortest compatible shock i can find, its only 1 inch shorter in free length.

...

just an update...ive taken to cmsnl website and figure that items are compatible if they share the same base components..

it looks like the vulcan classic has the same triple/light arrangement at least as far as mounts go.

im not a fan of the shape of the drifter headlight anyway.

Thanks Gene..

a windscreen and lightbar would be a start....and light visors...

i know this is one of my early posts, but ive searched and not found a definitive answer, so here goes... please before saying dont do it- im doing it. ive customsied bikes now for years..i like them as low as they can be, and im happy to sacrifice turning.

here are my questions if i may?...
1. is there a dog bone or link that governs the vertical range of the swingarm?..if so, has any lowering links been made- are they still around, and from where?
2. im having a frustrating time finding a heavy duty 11.5" progressive shock in black...they are the only ones i have found..open to suggestions.

the plan is to lower it at least 2 inches...

trying to get a light bar has also proved difficult..

light visors for the highway and main light would be good also. ..hoping the experienced folk here can help me build a unique bike...please dont get mad that im lowering it..

i guess the issue i have is that its not easy to tell what would look right without seeing items in situ.
ive checked out things such as shocks and light bars and its not readily apparent if theyll look like the ones ive seen in pics.
for example, i want a set of progressive shocks, but the drifter showa shocks look extra wide to the shocks ive seen on other bikes- my softail and other cruisers ive had. its not apparent if a progressive has the same can width.
for light bars - i see national cycle makes a chrome one, but black seems to not exist.
its certainly making me question my purchase now as ive spent my time tweaking my bikes in the past and i thought i could do the same with this one.

Hi All - i have been mildly customising my bikes for some time and had an idea that if i purchased a drifter, i could snazzy it up with a solo seat, windscreen, light bar, and some new pipes..but now im not so sure and the bike is on its way.

i purchased a 1999 1500 and this link here is a pretty good example of what i'd envisioned.

https://youtu.be/BYD41MP6IWI

yes i know that its an 800, but i really thought that the 1500 would have the same parts or options.

specifically i was keen on the visored light bars, the windscreen and the solo seat- and it appears that this bike has been setup as a rigid as i cant see the shocks.

i was hoping to get some advice on where i can acquire these parts for a 1500..as im not having much luck finding them myself.

maybe this isnt the right forum?..if not, where would be the place to go?

perhaps someone has done similar things to the bike in the link and could share?

Cheers,
Tim