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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Now thats something to make you proud.
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Message started by skrapiron on 05/21/08 at 18:38:56

Title: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by skrapiron on 05/21/08 at 18:38:56

On my way to Erie this morning, I passes a couple riding north on I-79. They had the bike loaded down with a sleeping bag on the forks, saddlebags, bags on top of the saddle bags, a tail bag and another bag tied to the rear fender.

I thought, wow, they're dedicated. It was cold and raining at the time. (no, I drove the cage today. Too much to carry to the customer for me to use the bike). Then I pulled out and passed them.

I glanced back over, then did a double take, then a triple take just to make sure.

They were riding....... (drum roll)...... on a Savage.

Yes, the much maligned thumper that is chronically labled as a girls bike or just a starter bike was thumping up the interstate with 2 adults and all their gear. I couldn't have been prouder. Both of them and the Savage.

I LOVE this bike! ;D

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by demin on 05/21/08 at 18:49:32

Just FYI I-79 isn't a piece of flat land either.

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by Duane on 05/21/08 at 21:08:10

Poor person on back is gonna have a sore tail.

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by Jack_650 on 05/21/08 at 22:03:50

SkrapIron, if you like seeing a fully loaded 650 you need to go to my BikePics page and check out the last picture. Granted it's loaded for only one person, but that person has run two 4,200+ and one 3,000+ mile runs loaded as you see it sitting in that field. And it ran through the Smokey Mts. as well as running interstate for big chunks of those trips without a qualm. In July and August down south to boot.

http://bikepics.com/members/jazzcarter/00savage/

Jack

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by Gort on 05/21/08 at 22:28:38

62494B43771E1D18280 wrote:

Did the bike handle differently with all those items piled on it, when trucks passed by or in gusts of wind?

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by FreeSpirit on 05/21/08 at 23:57:13

I have been wondering if ....the more "weight" on the Savage,saddle bags filled,other bags,etc,etc......would make riding on the expressway easier?? Handle better. :-/

It sounds like it would,but no experience in that yet.

(I would have loved to have seen that Savage ;)

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by Jack_650 on 05/22/08 at 09:08:04

The only problems I have with the fully loaded Savage is when it's parked. I try to keep the heavy stuff low, but there's still stuff up high. When you put it on the kick stand it wants to just keep leaning. I carry a small chunk of 2X4 to put under it or look for a place to park it with the stand on the high side of a slant. Of course when you're stopped at a light you want to be very careful with the balance. It's much harder to get back to vertical if you let it lean much with that weight on there.

As to handling on the highway, I don't really notice a difference. This is my first bike ever so I have nothing to compare it with, but even empty I'm not bothered much by the wind from trucks. Sure there's the quick buffeting but there doesn't seem to be any control issues. The only problems I've had that put a bit o' scare into me is when I've been in high speed, gusts from the sides situations. I rode through a storm last year with the bike fully loaded where the side gusts pushed me clear into the other lane on the interstate. Needless to say I found an abandoned gas station to catch up on a little reading for a while.

This is the little bike that can.

Jack

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by Coleman on 05/22/08 at 15:10:22

Good lord yes. My first real trip outa town when I bought mine was on mother's day. I was riding to my parents house and it was about 45 degrees outside with about 30-35mph winds. Being the first time I had really road at speeds higher than 45 wow was I doing a white knuckle the whole way there.

Oh and yes it was freggin cold. Last time I do that without some sort of sweat pants under my pants.

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by KWKaletta on 05/22/08 at 20:26:59

Is that a hitch I see? How did you attach it? ;)

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by Duane on 05/22/08 at 20:33:42

I hope the hitch is just for looks. :'(

Title: Re: Now thats something to make you proud.
Post by Jack_650 on 05/23/08 at 07:08:01

The hitch is not just for looks, although I wouldn't want to use it for towing much more than some camping gear and such. It's not that I'm worried about the bike pulling stuff, it's more about the bikes limited braking abilities to stop it with a lot of extra weight behind it.

I came up with a basic design and had an artistic minded welder in western ND flesh it out. It goes on and comes off in five minutes and is stronger than most of the rest of the bike.

Jack