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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Newbie here to learn /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1200501308 Message started by Jerry Eichenberger on 01/16/08 at 08:35:07 |
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Title: Newbie here to learn Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 01/16/08 at 08:35:07 Hello Folks - I'm Jerry Eichenberger, from Columbus, OH. I joined your forum to learn something about these bikes. I rode back in college, 40 years ago, but not since. I'm investigating what to get for my return to two wheels. I've looked a lot at Rebels, and various maxi scooters like the Silverwing and Burgman. So far, my fire isn't lit by them. So, any insight into the S40 would be appreciated. Are they durable? I'm neither a tinkerer nor a scrounger - I'm the kind who takes my car to the dealer for service, and would like to do the same with a bike. Thanks much for any help you have to offer. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by mornhm on 01/16/08 at 08:53:09 Welcome Jerry, There is a wealth of information about the Savage on this forum. Savages are plenty durable and rideable. Bottom line for someone like you this is probably an ideal MC. It's simple enough that even mechanics at the dealership will be able to fix it. Let me be the first to suggest a MSF course. It's a great refresher for someone who hasn't ridden in a while, plus you get to do it on someone else's MC. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Savage_Greg on 01/16/08 at 09:14:28 Welcome. What kinds of bikes did you ride "way back when"? That would be a good start in discussing your experience, too. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 01/16/08 at 10:13:58 Geg - Back in 1964 as a high school kid I had an Italian motorbike called an Itom. It was 50cc, and I've never seen one before or since. Then, a Honda 90, a Honda 150, and finally graduated all of te way up to a Honda 305 Dream. Back then, a 650 was a huge bike. The big bikes of the day were the Triumph Bonneville, Norton Atlas, Royal Enfield. Of course, Harleys were around, but they never interested me. I've always been an imported vehicle guy - I've only had a couple of Detroit cars; I mostly have driven British or German cars. Lots of VWs, a couple of Audis, 4 BMWs, and after I stopped riding in college and bought cars, I had a Sprite, TR-3, Jag XK 140, MGA. So, that's pretty much my vehicular history. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Savage_Greg on 01/16/08 at 11:14:48 525D515B505D565A5D4A5F5D4A380 wrote:
Ah, so then it sounds like we went to different schools together ::) Just to see if you can fit a "Savage40", are you a tall guy? Seems like guys that are over 6 feet (I'm not) find the bike to be a little short on leg room. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 01/16/08 at 11:24:39 Greg - I'm not all that tall - about 5' 10.5". I've sat on a Rebel and the Suzuki 250 comparable to a Rebel, and both seemed to fit OK. The Rebel has the footpegs a little farther aft than I'd like, but most people get used to it. I'll go to the dealer and sit on an S40 and see - I don't anticipate a problem..I found the Suzuki 250 (can't recall the name) more comfortable than the Rebel, particularly the seat is much nicer. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Savage_Greg on 01/16/08 at 13:39:25 I will admit...the Suzuki GZ250 has a very comfy seat and is easy to ride, but in today's traffic it is just low on power above 45. My spouse had one for a year. She got it up to 60 once, but she was cheating. She had a tailwind :P I guess that what I mean, is that since you do have experience riding (though somewhat rusty), the Savage40 still might be the better bike to get. It doesn't have trouble getting up to interstate speed and is fun to ride too. Follow that up with the MSF course, and you'll be even better than you once were ;D |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Oldfeller on 01/16/08 at 13:56:40 S40 is very good for us older riders -- you can get all the thrills of dragging a peg and dodging traffic and have VERY FEW of the expensive maintenance aspects of bigger, more modern construction bikes. You can do ALL of the maintenance on your S40. Try that on a whoop de doo computerized injected modern style bike. 30-35 HP out of a S40 gets you around town better than a 883 Sportster can, period. Short seat height and such means a partial crip can ride just like a kid again (and this is a rare pleasure as you get older). Lastly, you can pick the sucker up yourself when you let it fall over in a Hardee's parking lot. Try doing that with a bigger bike ... Plus there's us -- the lot of us -- which is a good place to be when you got a question. Get a modern bike and you can talk to the teenager squid types about how to take care of it. Oldfeller |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by azjay on 01/16/08 at 18:50:20 my dad is 65yrs(5'6" 165#s), and absolutely fell in love with the savage, when i bought it for my wife's first bike. he rode street in the 50s & 60s, AJS, Norton, Mustang, he rides the suzuki daily now and is perfectly comfortable with it. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by viper on 01/16/08 at 19:10:15 Hi Jerry Get the bike I'm 63 6'1 165 Mines 06 S40 got it used no regrets I've had it just over 1 year. If you need help or just a question this is the site to be on. These guys and gals are great. Last bike I owned was a yam. big bear @250cc. and thats when we had to mix oil&gas. Ride on Ride safe Viper |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by SavageWahine on 01/16/08 at 19:30:33 524D544156240 wrote:
Thanks for including us gals Viper! :-* Welcome to the site Jerry! Hope you find your Savage soon! |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Trippah on 01/16/08 at 20:22:12 Welcome Jerry, I also started with the S-90 and then up to the 305 Superhawk. Left the 305 at Fort Holabird when i did the overseas thing. Drove MG-B's '64, '67, and the really fab Sunbeam Alpine Coupe :D If you don't want to tinker, that's ok cause the bike doesn't need too much EXCEPT if you want to ride over a couple of hours, you'll probably need a seat upgrade. If its been a while, this is a forgiving bike to ride with so much torque you can stay in third for almost everything except the highway. And one thing hasn't changed, practice makes perfect which is a great reason to ride as often as you can. I use a windshield, makes for a longer more comfortable riding season and I really don't miss the bugs in the teeth. Enjoy. :D |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Savage_Greg on 01/16/08 at 21:37:31 425D445146340 wrote:
Well, that blows my theory...I thought that we've had a couple "tall" guys that sold theirs because they felt cramped. Oh well. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Savage_Greg on 01/16/08 at 21:40:04 7268777A757F6C7A7372757E1B0 wrote:
Thanks for including us gals Viper! :-* Welcome to the site Jerry! Hope you find your Savage soon![/quote] Yeah. Thanks for including us guys Viper ::) |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 01/17/08 at 09:07:39 Thanks to all who have replied. The S40 is certainly on the "short list", and, at least for now, at the top of it. The only thing that I see as a negative, and I may be reading too much into it, is that these bikes' engines seem to have a shorter life span than some others. Maybe it's because some people are just running a thumper too hard for too long on highways. Opinions? Thanks again |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by skrapiron on 01/17/08 at 09:18:37 The lifespan of the engine is eitirely a function of the maintenance attention paid to it. Buy a 20 year old Savage that hasn't had an oil change since the Regan administration and yes, you may develop engine problems on a bike with realtively low mileage. On the other hand, if you keep up with your oil changes, periodic adjustments and don't ride the crap out of it, it will last darn near forever. It is a mechanical engine and things will wear. Don't worry about the banter about the cam chain. Yes, it tends to stretch on the Savage. But every other bike on the market that had an OHC engine has to worry about 2 cam chains. While they may have longer service intervals than the Savage, it costs twice as much to fix when the time comes. I've put just over 10k on mine since July. One member (Beatduck) rode his clear across Canada last summer. The bike is plenty powerful enough as a daily rider and is just as home as a solo touring bike. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Gort on 01/17/08 at 20:09:34 1D283F3D056C6F6A5A0 wrote:
I started on a 1952 Harley Davidson Hummer. I bought it off a farmer who had it and a 1936 Harley V Twin for sale, at $50. each. Both were in his barn and beat up. The '36 was so darned heavy and hard to handle that I passed it up for the Hummer, which was a 2 cycle with a medium weight frame. I drove the Hummer for a month around Pennsylvania until the engine seized up. No one told me it was a 2 cycle and I ran it on straight gas. How many 2 cycle bikes can you name that will run for a month on straight gas? |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Savage_Greg on 01/18/08 at 03:55:18 4576706C7176040 wrote:
I started on a 1952 Harley Davidson Hummer. I bought it off a farmer who had it and a 1936 Harley V Twin for sale, at $50. each. Both were in his barn and beat up. The '36 was so darned heavy and hard to handle that I passed it up for the Hummer, which was a 2 cycle with a medium weight frame. I drove the Hummer for a month around Pennsylvania until the engine seized up. No one told me it was a 2 cycle and I ran it on straight gas. How many 2 cycle bikes can you name that will run for a month on straight gas?[/quote] Must have had plenty of oil leaking thru to run, until the tranny ran dry. They don't make bikes like that anymore :) |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by geo on 01/18/08 at 21:48:33 This is a good bike with a long history. The bike has been around from the mid 1980's, and has had very few changes. The machine is very reliable, this website attests to that. There are no more small displacement motorcycles because of clean air requirements. The 2-stroke bikes are gone now. The only thing left are the big bore 4-stroke engines. These big bore engines tend to run cleaner and now dominate the market. The big S40 single is fairly clean but, needs minor changes at the factory to meet requirements. These minor factory adjustments can be undone to make this machine to perform properly. |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by T Mack 1 on 01/20/08 at 11:00:52 I have a tendency to buy things for the long haul. Another thing to look at, if that's your intent also, is parts availablity. There are only a few world-wide brand bikes that haven't changed much in 22 years. For the LS650, yea, there are people here that had problems, but there are more that haven't. I know several Harley riders that have problems with their bikes and they harp that I need a Harley for reliabilty...Ha! |
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Title: Re: Newbie here to learn Post by Savage_Greg on 01/21/08 at 11:11:06 057C1C30323A60510 wrote:
That's another good reason...22 years means lots of NOS, OEM and spare parts to find for the Savage. |
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