20 Most Recent 2000 kawasaki VN 1500 Vulcan Drifter Questions & Answers

Try the fuel filter

I have owned my 1500 since new, the vibration around 50mph I would say is normal for this motor..I think it is just the resonance of the engine at this RPM...On my own bike I replaced the U joint( which wasn't defective) wheel balance and brg problems eliminated,etc. As for the remaining vibration by pulling in the clutch and the vibs go away.Gagets stated in an
e-mail it could be rubber harmonic balancers in the engine that got brittle may be the problem..Also I think worn motor mounts may contribute to the problem. My only concern is getting stuck somewhere...My drivetrain is ok so I'll live with a little vibration until I have to take the engine apart for some reason.

hook a vacuum gauge up on the side of your carbs are a screw not same color as you carbs if you have 2 carbs you need 2 gauges bring your vacuum up to the highest vacuum match carbs go to harbor frieght for your gauges

Check the fuses in the starter relay. It is in the side cover by the fuse box.

Hi there,

Firstly, very nice bike.

Your problem sounds as if the clutch actuator is bent or not engaging/disengaging properly in first gear.

Open up the clutch housing and look for any damage. Check the condition of the gear lever. With heavy use (and it being 22 years old) it could be bent, causing the shifter to twist.

This is a little more extreme, but the gear casing could come off and you could look at first gear. The selector fork or 1st gear syncro sounds damaged. Check the teeth on the gears, if they are worn (rounded) it is new gear time or gbox if that is cheaper.

I hope this helps your cause. Happy riding!

You vote counts :)

yes goto bikebandit.com

same thing happened to me....these bikes need alot of amps to start......I bet its turning over good but just wont start huh? It's probably flooded try taking the spark plugs out and cleaning or replacing them and then it might not hurt to jump it off from your car/truck just to give it that extra boost.........now i did all of that and still had no luck....but all is not lost twist the throttle wide open (it cuts off the injectors when its not running) and hold it there while spinning it over and see what happens............careful not to burn up your starter.......................its gonna smoke when she starts but it will clear up in a few. best of luck JAE

Hi,

On Few Models Kawasaki Drifter they never Disclose the Production Number. But on Few, they have. On 1999 Model, if your VIN tells you, KAW17000XX1200 then you have the 1200th of 1999.

Let me know, if needed further assistance.

Hope i helped you.

Thanks for using ' Fixya ' and have a nice day!!

Your looking at about 46+ mpg in trike form from what I can gather

hello,I guess you could take an injector out and crank it over to see if its spraying, point it into a bucket first though...if you need more help you can get the service manual for the vn1500 im sure it will help you u can get it from the below link:http://goo.gl/j0P6YGood luck

2nd

CHECK FOR SPARK. IF SPARK IS GOOD NEED TO OVER HAUL CARBURETORS

Hi,
These are usually mounted to the main frame or sub frame of the bike. The bracket which it is mounted or screwed into is just a small half channel bracket with a nut welded to the underside of it.
It has no specific name as it is part of the main bike frame/subframe.

it may be due to following reasons
oil level more than specified
high blow down gases due to weared out piston rings,do the compression test if the compression is less than the specified limit , go for one size bigger piston

Well if you can remove the oil filter it will have about 1/2 quart or less in it.

Hi, I had the same bike a few years back with the same problem. It was u-joints that were worn. When I pulled in the clutch, this removed torque to the rear wheels and less stress on the driveshaft, when you accelerate this placed enough torque to take up the play, therefor eliminating the vibration. These bikes did vibrate naturally, but not like you are describing and your symptoms lead me to believe the your drive shaft needs some attention. I'm also assuming the engine is running fine and not missing slightly. Just an educated guess at this point, but something to look at.

Together. The kickstand just interupts the start circuit. But! Replace the switch asap. A forgotten down kickstand will ruin your day. Goode luck, Ned

You can use a mild solution or there is a special cleaner used for cycle winshields to keep from scratching them and get the bugs off easier. I use some from Harley that works great. Try your local cycle shop, they will have a cleaner to do the winshield and/or a cleaner for the body of the bike as well

It is is firing out of the carb and the exhaust, the timing must be off, but also slipping. Is the flywheel tight? https://www.google.com/search?q=1984+kawasaki+klt+250+backfiring+problem ..