2000 Kawasaki VN1500 J-1 Drifter, 1470cc. Registration numbe...

Hammer

£3,050

2000 Kawasaki VN1500 J-1 Drifter, 1470cc. Registration number J15 OOK. Frame number JKBVNT50JJA002441. Engine number VNT50AE075821.
The Drifter is a fuel-injected, shaft driven and water cooled, part of the Kawasaki Vulcan line of cruiser motorcycles created in the classic style lines of the 1940s Indian Chief, built between 1999 and 2005.
The Drifter was the result of a discussion between Ken Boyko, Don Emde, son of Indian legend Floyd Emde and John Hoover of Kawasaki. Retro motorcycles were becoming the rage and the question was posed "What would a modern up-to-date Indian look like and what kind of technology would it have?" They enlisted Denny Berg of Time Machines Inc. to build such a machine. They gave him an early 1995 Classic and the drawing and turned him loose. The final result was a motorcycle called the "Super Chief", which was taken to several shows in 1996/97 and was such a hit with the riding public that Kawasaki took the Super Chief to Japan and put it into production. Due to patent law they couldn't use the Chief moniker and up until its release the name had not been settled on. The Drifters are intended to be a "tribute" to the 1948 Indian Chief and so closely resembles the Indian Chief of the late 1940's that the uninitiated mistake it for an "old" Indian.
The Drifter's design drew a positive response from reviewers who liked the Indian Chief's deeply valanced classic fender skirts as opposed to the more traditional motorcycle fender style. Rear air shock absorbers, original swingarm arrangement, and progressive front suspension made it a comfortable cruiser capable of covering great distances comfortably.
OOK was first registered in September 2000 and serviced by KJM Superbike of Wigan at 794 miles the following year, serviced again at 2,047 miles, 2004, 2,095 miles in 2006, 2,260 in 2008, and at 3,560 miles.
Purchased by our vendor in April of this year at 23,485 miles but he finds it too heavy to use.
Sold with V5C, MOT until April 2021, complete MOT history back to 2003, confirming the current mileage, service book and owners manual. The machine has been well looked after and started up easily when viewed for photography and it certainly has street presence.