99 Kawasaki VN 800 Drifter discussion forum:


"A real motorcycle, at last!"

"A real motorcycle, at last!" 
"Big Bad Bart" said 2005-07-04 17:00 
 
Hi guys (and ladies, I´m not THAT old, only a mere 58!) I was out perusing motorcycles today and saw the Drifter, and was amazed to see it was a modern Kawasaki! Kawasaki has always been a strange company, sometimes making absolutely wonderful masterpieces of engineering...and sometimes utter crap. The first I ever rode was a 250 rotary-valve twin in 1968, in Australia, and, with reworked suspension, a fabulous motorbike. What an engine! Until the rotary-valve seized-solid revving too hard, too long, in the scorching heat (a memorable experience, I was sideways at 85 mph, but it did straighten-up when I eventually pulled in the clutch). But keep it sensible and it was a very punchy and reliable engine, almost fourstroke-like. I loved it. I look at the Drifter and see genius at work again. But the spec-sheet doesn´t say if it´s OHC or pushrod. It looks to be pushrod. They aren´t everyday fair on the roads, is there a reason for this, other than they are utter crap? Are people stupid not buying one? I am seriously, for the first time in my life, considering buying a ´stodgy´, ´old-fashioned´ motorbike. Once again, years later, after a test-ride, I was really impressed. Any known weak points? Can you service it yourself? It had straight pipes on it, no silencers (common in Sweden, despite their being the same laws as everywhere else, re: silencers). What sort of cruising-speed can you reliably keep? The price is a bit high, but he will mull over a cash offer. Send me an email with your thoughts (especially the girls, I´ll need one as an accessary! As long as you like to read books, I´m game!) 
 
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