Drifter

[joeykid]

I would love to give my nomad the drifter look. Do they sell the fenders for the 1600.

[Tony Smith]

I don't think the drifter fenders will fit the 1600's..I know the fork width is wider & possibly the rear fender struts due to the wider rear tire. That's a question that will be better answered up in the 1500/1600 section..there are alot of very knowledgeable guys in here for these bikes...and Welcome to the board!

[badboy194]

Originally Posted by joeykid

I would love to give my nomad the drifter look. Do they sell the fenders for the 1600.

Joey, a stock Drifter fender would probably not fit a Nomad because of the dual front brakes the Nomad has. If you were really serious about doing it the best thing would be to buy an Indian Fender made from steel and use that. They are made in 3 pieces and need to be welded together. But by being in 3 pieces it makes the fab work much easier to do or have done. They are available for @ $150 shipped.

[dmyers]

I would love to find a drifter and put a side hack on it. Use it around town for halling the stuff that won't fit on the vaq. :-)

[Rasta]

Originally Posted by badboy194

Joey, a stock Drifter fender would probably not fit a Nomad because of the dual front brakes the Nomad has. If you were really serious about doing it the best thing would be to buy an Indian Fender made from steel and use that. They are made in 3 pieces and need to be welded together. But by being in 3 pieces it makes the fab work much easier to do or have done. They are available for @ $150 shipped.

You can put a Drifter fender on a Nomad....have seen plenty done! I am not sure if it would fit the 1600's though. What most guys do is eliminate one of the front calipers to make it work without messing with the fender!

[WoodCarver]

Originally Posted by badboy194

If you were really serious about doing it the best thing would be to buy an Indian Fender made from steel and use that. They are made in 3 pieces and need to be welded together.

Or you could get fiberglass Indian fenders from Oldies where you can order them made to your custom width if the standard won't be an exact fit for the Nomad: http://www.oldinc.com/oldys.htm He also makes the Drifter 800/1500 model. The 800 & 1500 are basically the same (OEM) except that the 800 rear fenders are trimmed to different dimensions to accomodate the mono-shock on the 800. To be factored in when choosing a fender - the fronts differ from the Indian's in terms of design in that on the Drifter there is a recess built into the fender for the fork tubes. The late-model Indian fender I have here came pre-assembled.

[WoodCarver]

Originally Posted by badboy194

Here is a Nomad with a Drifter fender. Both pics are of the same bike, just repainted.

Here is the flip side - a Drifter with Nomad bags. This one is located in Australia. The owner has posted a PDF with detailed instructions on installing Nomad bags on a Drifter on Delphi's Drifter Riders Forum.

[Top Cat]

I'm sorry but that is not what a Drifter is supposed to look like.
Just my opinion but if a person is going to do that buy a Vaquero.

[Monkeyman]

Doesn't the rear Drifter fender move with the rear wheel? Seems like it would be difficult to make a Drifter rear fender work on a Nomad since the Nomad fender is stationary. Besides, with the bags, you wouldn't see much of the fender. Regarding the front fender, I wouldn't give up 1/2 the brakes just for a different style fender.

[WoodCarver]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

I'm sorry but that is not what a Drifter is supposed to look like.
Just my opinion but if a person is going to do that buy a Vaquero.

That might have been an option if Kawasaki had been manufacturing Vaqueros when this bike was modified. One problem though - a Vaquero is not a Drifter and Drifter owners tend to be loyal to their bikes. For instance, simple truth - if I had to part with a bike, I'd put my Nomad on the block before I agreed to sell my Drifter... Drifter owners are resourceful people who will personalize their bikes to suit their needs. If we waited for industry to create the accessories we need, my bike would still sport this windshield - instead it's now equipped with a fairing because my brother-in-law & I made the mounts for it (there still are no fairing mounts made for the Drifter), just as Mak, the owner of the above bike, figured out how to adapt mounts for his Nomad bags. I wanted dresser bars for the rear - I had them custom made, they don't exist on the aftermarket. In fact, Drifters were not intended to remain as they were on the showroom floor. When the Drifter was introduced to the market, Kawasaki Canada distributed brochures which encouraged buyers to personalize their bikes. Many owners took that to heart and did just that.

[WoodCarver]

Originally Posted by Monkeyman

Doesn't the rear Drifter fender move with the rear wheel? Seems like it would be difficult to make a Drifter rear fender work on a Nomad since the Nomad fender is stationary. Besides, with the bags, you wouldn't see much of the fender. Regarding the front fender, I wouldn't give up 1/2 the brakes just for a different style fender.

Yes it does move up and down on the Drifter. I have both the Drifter and the Nomad and a spare set of Drifter fenders, but when I considered modifying the Nomad front, I ordered a late model Indian fender. Judging from an Ontario bike I spotted near Daytona Beach during Bike Week, its cut-outs may line-up with a minimum of fuss with the rotors on the Nomad (but I haven't had a chance to set the fender against the bike to verify that this is the case - so for now, that would fall into the category of wishful thinking).

[Top Cat]

I realize we all personalize our bikes and that was only my opinion as to the looks.
I own a Drifter along with my Nomad. Probably will never sell the Drifter.
I will never put bags or a faring on it either. I think it looks best with a windshield but that is all.
To each their own as they say. No , I don't know who they are.

[canuckrider]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Probably will never sell the Drifter.
I will never put bags or a faring on it either. I think it looks best with a windshield but that is all.

TC,
I have to agree with you 100%. The whole idea of the Drifter is to capture the vintage Indian look. To put a fairing and modern hard bags on it defeats the whole purpose.

But again, each to their own.

[kawboysix]

the drifter has always been special to me. The first bike poster on my wall as a child. But I could never get past the look of the two up seat. I find it obnoxious and distasteful. Now when I see it with the nomad bags It finally looks good with the two up. but then it doesn't look like a drifter anymore and defeats the purpose of even owning the thing in the first place and the fairing is a huge no no on this. Still beautiful in its own right but no longer a drifter.

The nomad with the drifter front fender on the other hand seems quite tasteful and I'm intrigued.

hmm.... my 06 nomad is stock and my tax return is free, clear and burning a hole in pocket as we speak.

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by canuckrider

To put a fairing and modern hard bags on it defeats the whole purpose.

I take it you haven't seen the new Indian lineup. The INDIAN Chieftain has a "full" fairing and hard bags and still looks like an Indian.