1999 Drifter

[Rasta]

I saw this 1999 Drifter with about 56000 miles at the Indianola Bike Night last Friday. Must have been Vulcan riders since the other two next to it were a classic and older Vulcan from the 80’s. It has a little sticker on the windshield that said,” If you value your ass as much as I value my bike, don’t fuck with it” So I just had my wife stand next to it and took a picture!

[davidhollinger]

Nice bike but just not my cup of tea. Love my Nomad. I am not big on the fringes.... Mine has them on the handlebars but only because the PO put them there.

[Loafer]

Great looking ride. I love it that you had your wife stand there.

Check this one out.

http://burlington.craigslist.org/mcy/3816633979.html

[ringadingh]

I like the second one better, and it seems fairly priced as well.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

I like the second one better, and it seems fairly priced as well.

Why would he list it as a 2006 Indian? He could put blue oval badges on it and that wouldn't make it a Ford.

[Top Cat]

I don't understand why the owners of Drifters want to label them as Indians.
They are Kawasaki Drifters. You see Drifters all the time with Indian head fender lights and Indian decals.
My Drifter is a Drifter and is labeled as such.

[Rasta]

I catch your Drift(er) TC

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by Rasta

I catch your Drift(er) TC

[Loafer]

Jared bought a Drifter?

[audiogooroo]

I've always liked the look of the Drifter...except for the a$$-ugly two-up seat. When they are set up solo, they look good.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by Loafer

Jared bought a Drifter?

Try to keep up Gerry.
I was talkin about my Drifter and posted a pic of my Drifter.
I have no idea how Jared got in there. He must have photoshoped the pic.
He is pretty good with the photography thing.

[WoodCarver]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

I don't understand why the owners of Drifters want to label them as Indians.
They are Kawasaki Drifters. You see Drifters all the time with Indian head fender lights and Indian decals.
My Drifter is a Drifter and is labeled as such.

One reason might be Kawasaki's failure to develop a solid range of accessories for this bike. (My 99 below immediately after I'd finished setting up the sidecar - which explains the boards under the hack ;-)

[The Black Knight]

Nice bike

[tazfl]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

I don't understand why the owners of Drifters want to label them as Indians.
They are Kawasaki Drifters. You see Drifters all the time with Indian head fender lights and Indian decals.
My Drifter is a Drifter and is labeled as such.

I couldn't agree with you more, it kills me to see a drifter with the indian logo on the tank.

[WoodCarver]

Originally Posted by tazfl

I couldn't agree with you more, it kills me to see a drifter with the indian logo on the tank.

What some seem to forget/overlook is that the Drifter is a direct descendant of the Indian. The original Drifter was actually the "Cobra Super Chief" (photo below). CobraUSA commissioned California bike builder Denny Berg to create a bike which would serve to show what Indian (at that point out of production) might look like today (that was in 1996) had this manufacturer had access to modern technology. Over a two-month period, Berg modified a Vulcan Classic into the Super Chief. This concept was later confirmed in an article in "Rider" magazine which quoted the creators as saying that "the object of the exercise had been to marry classic Indian styling with contemporary technology in order to create a motorcycle which one might have expected Indian to manufacture had it still been in existence at the time the project was launched". In replicating the nostalgic look of the Indian, the front fender light, rear luggage rack, and leather fringe were deliberately omitted. Three years later, the team revisited this theme by creating a classic-styled a police version of this bike (third photo). The Super Chief was shipped to Japan where the concept would be modified further and Kawasaki Heavy Industries would eventually produce its new Vulcan Drifter in 1500 & 800 versions (the initial run of 800 Drifters - the 1999s - being released in Europe and Canada only, and being made available to the U.S.A. the following year. There is also a 400 c.c. version. The 400 is sold in Japan). Both bikes (Super Chief & Police Bike) sported an Indian-style exhaust which would be among the original aftermarket products offered to Drifter owners seeking to personalize their bikes. Given the bike's origin, one might conclude that it's perfectly normal for Drifter owners to turn to Indian accessories as well as those of other manufacturers to dress up their bikes. Osprey, for instance, adapted Indian style saddlebags specifically for the Drifter. Older Indians (and Harleys) had hand shifters. An entrepreneur created one for the Drifter, and so on...

My bike seen here sports Indian fender tip, fender light and air cleaner cover, Osprey Travelleer style bags, Indian shift knob on the hand shifter, Harley fairing, risers, grip fringe & trunk, TravelHorse saddle (no longer available), and, by this point, the Cobra exhaust referenced above had been replaced by Roadhouse Dooleys, along with assorted Fire & Steel accessories, and later, Zambini Bros Indian tank emblems were added, the bike having been personalized from various sources. But the one thing that does not appear on the bike is the Indian name given that the IMC did not manufacture it.

For more about the Drifter - my Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasak...n_1500_Drifter