Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter
Encyclopedia
The Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter is a fuel-injected
shaft driven motorcycle
cruiser
created in the classic style lines of the 1940s Indian Chief. Kawasaki built this model between 1999 and 2005.
built by CobraUSA in May 1996. Members of the Cobra Special Products Division fabricated the Cobra Super Chief (Kawasaki Vulcan Super Chief) over a two-month period in 1996 by converting a Vulcan Classic
into motorcycle which closely resembled the Indian Chief of the late 1940s. The Super Chief was featured in several motorcycle magazine
s.
An article in Rider magazine 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 police motorcycle
.
, frame
, forks
, and shock absorber
s, as well as gray engine
base, served to emulate the classic look. While the Super Chief’s indicators had been located in the bike’s headlights
, the Drifter came equipped with conventional indicators. Kawasaki offered driving lights as accessories which could be added to the bike to enhance its appearance, while also serving a functional purpose.
The Drifter’s retro look was achieved by using the Vulcan 1500 as a base from which to generate a streamlined design which would evoke a classic appearance while delivering the benefits of modern technology
. Despite its 1940s appearance, the Drifter is powered by a fuel-injected liquid-cooled
1470 cc V-twin engine delivering power by a five-speed transmission
featuring an automatic neutral finder. A drive shaft is used to transfer power from the engine and transmission to the rear wheel, and the motorcycle has single disc brake
s both front and rear. The Drifter has a 1.66 metres (65.4 in) wheelbase
, and weighed 322 kilograms (709.9 lb).
In the 2000 model Kawasaki repeated the blacked out look, then in 2001 introduced a new look which included chromed
forks and accessories, a larger fuel
tank, and a modified seat
consisting of stock solo seating as opposed to the two-up seat which had previously been standard issue.
arrangement, and progressive front suspension made it a comfortable cruiser capable of covering great distances comfortably. Tire tubes were stock, as Kawasaki followed Cobra’s lead and used chromed spoke
wheels to complete the nostalgic look it was seeking to recreate.
Indian factory closed, Kawasaki withdrew the Drifter from the north-American market.
Following the 2005 model release, the 1500 Drifter was retired from the Kawasaki stable. Its lighter-weight counterpart, the Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Drifter
, introduced in 2000, remained in production for one more year before it too ceased production.
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
shaft driven motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
cruiser
Cruiser (motorcycle)
Cruiser is the term for motorcycles that mimic the design style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson. The market for models evocative of the early cruisers has grown to embrace 60 percent of the U.S...
created in the classic style lines of the 1940s Indian Chief. Kawasaki built this model between 1999 and 2005.
Inspiration
The Drifter was developed from a custom motorcycleCustom motorcycle
A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle that is highly stylized or which treats aspects such as frame geometry, engine design, or paintwork in an unusual way compared to standard manufacturing. Custom motorcycles are unique or individually produced in a very limited quantity, as opposed to "stock"...
built by CobraUSA in May 1996. Members of the Cobra Special Products Division fabricated the Cobra Super Chief (Kawasaki Vulcan Super Chief) over a two-month period in 1996 by converting a Vulcan Classic
Kawasaki Vulcan
The Vulcan name has been used by Kawasaki for their custom or cruiser motorcycles since 1984, using mostly V-twin engines ranging from 125 cc to 2,053 cc.-1984–2006: Vulcan 750 series:...
into motorcycle which closely resembled the Indian Chief of the late 1940s. The Super Chief was featured in several motorcycle magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s.
An article in Rider magazine 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
Fender (vehicle)
Fender is the US English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well . Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be...
light, rear luggage rack
Luggage carrier
A luggage carrier, also commonly called a rack, is a device attached to a bicycle to which cargo or panniers can be attached. This is popular with utility bicycles and touring bicycles....
, and leather fringe were deliberately omitted. Three years later, the team revisited this theme by creating a classic-styled police motorcycle
Police motorcycle
A police motorcycle is a motorcycle used by various police forces and departments. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officers in the United States...
.
Production
The Kawasaki Vulcan Super Chief was eventually shipped to Japan where it would inspire the creation and launch of the 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter, whose blacked out handlebarHandlebar
A handlebar is part of the steering mechanism, in lieu of a steering wheel, for vehicles that are ridden on, instead of in, such as bicycles, motorcycles, tricycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft. It may also be simply the handles on a device such as a zip line trolley or a floor buffer...
, frame
Motorcycle frame
A motorcycle frame includes the head tube that holds the front fork and allows it to pivot. Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing, stressed member. The rear suspension is an integral component in the design. Traditionally frames have been steel, but titanium, aluminium, magnesium,...
, forks
Motorcycle fork
A motorcycle fork connects a motorcycle's front wheel and axle to its frame, typically via a pair of triple clamps. It typically incorporates the front suspension and front brake, and allows the bike to be steered via handlebars attached to the top clamp....
, and shock absorber
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
s, as well as gray engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
base, served to emulate the classic look. While the Super Chief’s indicators had been located in the bike’s headlights
Headlamp
A headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by...
, the Drifter came equipped with conventional indicators. Kawasaki offered driving lights as accessories which could be added to the bike to enhance its appearance, while also serving a functional purpose.
The Drifter’s retro look was achieved by using the Vulcan 1500 as a base from which to generate a streamlined design which would evoke a classic appearance while delivering the benefits of modern technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. Despite its 1940s appearance, the Drifter is powered by a fuel-injected liquid-cooled
Liquid cooling
Liquid cooling may refer to:* The cooling of a liquid.* The cooling of machinery or devices by convection or circulation of coolants* Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment, a garment worn by astronauts.* Liquid metal cooled reactor...
1470 cc V-twin engine delivering power by a five-speed transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
featuring an automatic neutral finder. A drive shaft is used to transfer power from the engine and transmission to the rear wheel, and the motorcycle has single disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s both front and rear. The Drifter has a 1.66 metres (65.4 in) wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
, and weighed 322 kilograms (709.9 lb).
In the 2000 model Kawasaki repeated the blacked out look, then in 2001 introduced a new look which included chromed
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
forks and accessories, a larger fuel
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
tank, and a modified seat
Motorcycle saddle
A motorcycle saddle is a term for a motorcycle seat in some parts of the world. It is a seat for carrying a rider and, possibly, a passenger, and which is attached to a motorcycle often but not exclusively, behind the fuel tank....
consisting of stock solo seating as opposed to the two-up seat which had previously been standard issue.
Response
The Drifter’s design drew a positive response from those who like the Indian Chief’s deeply valanced classic fender skirts as opposed to the more traditional motorcycle fender style. Rear air shock absorbers, original swingarmSwingarm
A swingarm, or "swinging arm" is the main component of the rear suspension of most modern motorcycles and ATVs...
arrangement, and progressive front suspension made it a comfortable cruiser capable of covering great distances comfortably. Tire tubes were stock, as Kawasaki followed Cobra’s lead and used chromed spoke
Spoke
A spoke is one of some number of rods radiating from the center of a wheel , connecting the hub with the round traction surface....
wheels to complete the nostalgic look it was seeking to recreate.
Ceasing production
Shortly after the GilroyGilroy, California
Gilroy is the southernmost city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 48,821 at the 2010 census. Gilroy is well-known for its garlic crop and for the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, featuring various garlicky foods, including garlic ice cream. Gilroy also produces...
Indian factory closed, Kawasaki withdrew the Drifter from the north-American market.
Following the 2005 model release, the 1500 Drifter was retired from the Kawasaki stable. Its lighter-weight counterpart, the Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Drifter
Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Drifter
The Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Drifter is a 1940s-styled cruiser loosely based on the lines of the circa 1940 'Chief' produced by the Indian Manufacturing Company....
, introduced in 2000, remained in production for one more year before it too ceased production.
External links
- Vulcan Drifter Riders - Vulcan Drifter information including pictures, technical information, customization tips, accessory sources and historical information.
- Birth of the Drifter - Vulcan Drifter historical information including original material from Denny Berg.