bloody yank says hello!

[bugsonteeth]

It's a rainy day, so no riding today. So I looked around what other Drifter riders are doing in the world.
Shocking, the 800 Kawasaki Drifter is not available in NZ, bummer!
It's a very different bike from that unyielding waterbuffalo, the 1500.
Some minor mods to suspension and engine, and it's a very quick and nimble bike!
about 15'000 km on the bike, no hassles whatsoever, just fun fun fun!
Here's some pics,
ride safely
cheers
bugsonteeth

http://photobucket.com/albums/y37/bugsonteeth/

[Skunk]

Gidday mate. (Opps, that's Aussie)

Gudday. I think the Drifter is the VN800 isn't it? If so I have had the pleasure of riding it.

[Waylander]

Nice ride ya got there. used to be in the states myself but then realized NZ is much better as far as roads and weather.:niceone: But then I lived in Texas, Colorado has some nice roads but gets too cold for me in winter. Anyway Have fun with your upcoming summer and take that beast out for a ride.

[bugsonteeth]

Yes skunk, it IS a VN 800E, the Drifter. Same platform, but with a few comfy additions like floorboard, heel shifter, wide handle bar and the wide one-up seat in keeping with the "Indian Chief" theme.
Actually was some yank that came up with the idea of building a modern "Chief", and then Kawasaki picked up on the idea when the bike sold for good money at a prestigious auction.
From what I understand, NZ is rather mountaineous and so I don't quite get why the 1500, a very good and solid, but heavy and cumbersome bike in comparison, would be sold there, but not the 800? That's what I got off a post that came up on this forum, which is how I got here.
That really is too bad, and anybody who could get their hands on one should do so without hesitation. Got MUCH more than I bargained for with this motorcycle. A few minor mods, and that thing is now scaring the daylights out of me everytime I do it to it. All the while, absolutely no problems (other than self-inflicted ones doing the mods and customizing)!
So that's one thing, the other is that there are a few harleys here that sneer at it, but for the most part, it's the look as well. It's priceless, to have some oldtimers come up to me: "How you doin'? I had one of these when I was a young man, Indian Chief, just like this one here".


Mr. Rebel Dude, are you sure??? NZ has a reputation for being extraordinarily WET, you know? :-)

[Waylander]

... Mr. Rebel Dude, are you sure??? NZ has a reputation for being extraordinarily WET, you know? :-)

Yea but the storms that I have seen here are nothing compared to Dallas. Even the heavy showers here are nothing more than the sky spitting at you. Rain in Dallas was you were lucky to see anything 5 feet in front of you.


(edit) figures. soon as I say something it starts to rain. ohwell can't ride at the moment anyway.

[bugsonteeth]

you know, now that you mention it, you're right about that....
last year I went to visit my bud in Houston to go riding together, and on the way back I had the scariest experience ever: Heading towards Amarillo, there were black clouds and massive lightning as far as the eye could see. In too deep to turn around, I had no choice but to keep going....
When it started to rain, it was only because I very closely followed a big rig that I managed to stay on the road, visibility was so bad that 10 feet behind that semi, I could sometimes see its taillight. Then night fell, and I was truly nicked even though it did help keeping track of the tail lights. Kept going for what seemed forever, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed something like an overpass. Quickly pulled over (phew), and no sooner was I somewhat sheltered, a massive hail storm came down! I later learned that this hail storm had smashed countless windows and every single vehicle parked outside with hail the size of golf balls! And just as I was sitting there thanking my good fortune, the spookiest, eeriest and most frightening thing happened: It got real quiet, and then the barometric pressure dropped very noticeably.
You're from Texas, you know what I'm talking about: I found myself directly underneath a full blown Tornado!!!!!! I've been shot at, nearly drowned a few times, and I don't even want to think how many close calls I've had on my bike and in the car, but THAT fear was "beyond", and I will never again go through that part of Texas without checking the weather report VERY carefully...
By the way, speaking of rain, those big enclosed fenders "Indian style" had me worried about buffeting in crosswinds at speed, but instead they have been nothing but a pleasant surprise that makes me wonder why they ever stopped making fenders like that: they work really well and keep most of the water displaced from the tire away from the bike and rider!

[Waylander]

Yea and peaple here wonder why I laugh at them when they put on rain gear. You just get used to it when you live there. I've ridden in hail before not fun but it was something I had to do so I did it, same thing with snow, ice and even a small flood. I think a tornado would have made me pull over though. Ass for the fenders, I think they quit making them cause people wanted the bikes to wiegh less and stuff like that. I'm more of a fan of the smaller more discreet fenders though. But then I also don't like the look of al those wires, cables and other assorted junk that clutter up the front end of a bike. Clean is sexy.:niceone:

[Ixion]

I like those big mudguards (fenders are things that you have in front of fireplaces, or on wharves). Although I'm not a cruiser fan. But good mudguards keep water away, as you say.

[John]

Welcome to the site, some amazing roads over there to explore on bikes, I'd love to do it myself one day - also very nice bike now thats a real mans bike :niceone:

Keep safe and lots of pictures for us :yes:

[Ixion]

Incidentally, Mr Alucard_draken, aren't good Texans supposed to be agin them damn Yankees ? :devil2: :devil2: [ wanders off, whistling "Dixie, Dixie.. " :whistle: and waits for renewal of The War Betwixt the States]

Don't mind me I'm just extracting the Michael :msn-wink:

[Waylander]

Incidentally, Mr Alucard_draken, aren't good Texans supposed to be agin them damn Yankees ? :devil2: :devil2: [ wanders off, whistling "Dixie, Dixie.. " :whistle: and waits for renewal of The War Betwixt the States]

Don't mind me I'm just extracting the Michael :msn-wink:

Considering that part of Colorado was part of Texas when Texas was it's own country, and that Colorado wasn't officially a state, only a teritory at the time so it wasnt really involved.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/states/sf_states_pop_map.html

That shows you wich states were involved and on wich side.

[Ixion]

Considering that part of Colorado was part of Texas when Texas was it's own country, and that Colorado wasn't officially a state, only a teritory at the time so it wasnt really involved.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/states/sf_states_pop_map.html

That shows you wich states were involved and on wich side.

Ah yes, I saw the Colorado bit. But he called himself a Yankee ! :devil2:

[Waylander]

Ah yes, I saw the Colorado bit. But he called himself a Yankee ! :devil2:
Becouse all you people down here seem to have this facination with calling everyone from the states a yank. It was self mocking humor.

[Ixion]

Becouse all you people down here seem to have this facination with calling everyone from the states a yank. It was self mocking humor.
Yeah I know. I was extracting Michael ! (Taking the mickey)

[Waylander]

Yeah I know. I was extracting Michael ! (Taking the mickey)
Would have helped for you to have explaind what "extracting Michael" meant in the first place. I thought you were takling about MJ and thinking why is he at your house?:msn-wink: Don't mind me though I just woke up and havn't had breakfast yet.

[bugsonteeth]

all right, learning kiwi already! see what I mean, another highly suspicious indication of extraordinary levels of precipitation: "mudguards"! not "dirtguards", which is what mud is called in its DRY form! As any desertdweller can assure you, keeping mud off your bike is truly the least of your problems.

thanks for the welcome, and I've heard about NZ being great motorcycle country so it'll be great to visit in this forum to get a feel, even though I came blown in trying to figure out why New Zealand of all places would NOT have the Drifter model available in the 800 version, it rocks. And yes, boat loads of heavy sheetmetal wrapped around the wheels are not ideal, but if you promise not to tell anyone, the ones on the Drifter are lightweight plastic, like what fairings are made out of.
So my bike looks big and heavy, but it's actually very light at 650 lbs, with a close to ideal power to weight ratio.

yes, I said "yank", being the worldly traveller that I am, having been to Oz for a year once.
but I must protest, Western Colorado was not considered Texas, you are thinking of the eastern plains, friend. we're just this side of the Rockies, next to Utah. So close, my street address is the distance to the stateline in miles. It's pretty sweet here for riding, the Rockies are beginning just at the end of our valley to the East, in the North there are plateaus with woods and views, to the south it's red rock canyons, and going west will take you straight into the desert. It's cool, and mostly sunny too with little to no traffic.

[magnum]

howdy yank and welcome :ride: