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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1218433636 Message started by hdblueangel on 08/10/08 at 22:47:15 |
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Title: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by hdblueangel on 08/10/08 at 22:47:15 I bought a used 2007 S40 with about 3000 miles on it and haven't had any real problems with it. It did run like it didn't have any gas once, but I think that was because I let someone ride it around a parking lot and he kept stalling it out. Anyway, before I bought my bike I did some research and decided the S40 was for me. Figured it was pretty reliable since it's been around for about 20 years, but reading so many posts about problems I'm wondering if I made a mistake. Or maybe many of the problems happen after people change something in the carburator or something, or some of the bikes are older. I don't know, but I sure don't want to stall out while on the entrance ramp to I95. I would appreciate your comments. I really like my bike and plan on it being my last one since I'm not getting any younger or taller. HD |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by FreeSpirit on 08/10/08 at 22:55:57 Hi,I was worried when I first came into the forum also....It scared me to say the least...LOL...as far as problems. But...dont worry,its not that bad ;) I think some have bought older bikes that maybe werent taken care of previously. And yes,some of the problems I think are due to some of the mods. I have had no problems with my bike and its a 2002. I also think the previous owner took care of mine. I have only had to replace a battery...and do the routine maintenance. So,dont worry! Many here dont have problems ;) But I can certainly relate to your first impressions :) I have 2 girlfriends with Savages,well one is a previous owner of a Savage...and they love their bikes...no major problems at all. Plus,alot of the guys just love working on their bikes,changing things,etc. Just do the routine maintenance and learn a lttle here,what to watch out for,have a good mechanic or someone to do the RM and you'll be fine! Plus your bike is near new :) Happy Riding!! |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by hdblueangel on 08/10/08 at 23:07:01 Thanks, FreeSpirit, your reply made me feel better because I sure have fun riding it! :) HD |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by FreeSpirit on 08/10/08 at 23:08:13 Plus,our bikes are so easy to work on,you may want to learn to do the work yourself! But if not,like I said,have a good person lined up to keep it in good shape :) (I've been in the forum a year now) Your welcome! Just keep having Fun :) |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Gort on 08/10/08 at 23:42:16 There is a rule in engineering that states," mechanical sophistication leads to unreliability." The more parts a mechanical device has, the more likely it is to malfunction as a whole assembly. Your Savage is mechanically unsophisticated compared to other multi-cylinder motorcycles. Its solid state electronics are reliable, and by design eliminate various moving parts which would require maintenance. The drive belt is another reliable improvement over chain drive. It has few design problems, those most noticeably the "Plug-Cap" oil leak and the vacuum petcock valve. These are fixed somewhat easily, and there are detailed instructions in the tech section. The seat is often considered to be uncomfortable, and there are many mods explained on this site to resolve that issue. Many of the problems you may be reading about are because owners decide to take a very reliably engineered motorcycle and change the design. You don't have to do these design alterations unless you insist on a little more power or want raise the decibel level of the exhaust noise. If you just leave the bike alone and don't try to re-engineer it, and if you service it according to the owner's manual, you won't have any nagging problems. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Jay on 08/11/08 at 00:41:12 The Savage (for that is what we've all agreed to call it, regardless of Suzuki's rebadging) is an extremely reliable machine. I too had some reservations when I first joined this site, but have since realized that a good many of the problems that other owners experience are self-induced. As Gort mentioned, they change a designed engineering element, and then pay the price for it in unreliable operation. Also, as was previously mentioned, some of the bikes were simply not properly cared for by their previous owners. Do the routine PM and you should be fine. It's a great bike. Easy to own, easy to operate, easy to maintain, and easy to repair on the rare occasions when it is required. The only thing you really need to worry about is the cam chain adjuster (you'll find plenty of references to it in the forum), but it shouldn't cause you any worries for another 10,000 miles or so. Enjoy the bike. Have fun! |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Oldfeller on 08/11/08 at 02:57:03 The easy way to avoid most of the "fuel issues" you see on this list is to put gas into your tank at every 100 mile roll-over of the odometer. This always maintains "some gas" in the tank to avoid all petcock and fuel starvation issues that are mentioned every few days. These issues are nothing but variations of running out of gas and having problems getting the petcock system reprimed. So don't do that and you won't have to go there. If your bike runs fine with gas in the tank, you don't need to worry about all the "crudded up carburetor" threads that you keep reading on the list -- your carb is fine if it runs good normally. I put gas in my bike every Saturday -- this habit plus the habit of watching the odometer on the trips avoids all this nonsense. Oldfeller |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/11/08 at 04:56:38 I wonder what the results of the alcohol in the gas will be. I know I was reading the Suzuki book last week & it stated that it was okay to run less than 10%, the pump says 10% & I suspect there may be a tad more. Why? Cuz I am a SUSpishyuss cuss thats why! So, I am waiting to see what it does, whatever it is, We can handle it. I,too, saw all the "Its busted" threads & got worried. I'va had some hassles, one electrical gremlin that seems to have sorted itself out, but overall, its been solid & fun. Some folks find one thats been sitting for a couple of years & go to work & suffer some pretty time consuming hassles, some run low on oil & suffer BIG problems, but the average rider has to maintain it, check & adj. valves, mess with brakes & tires & put gas in it. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by rpgpgmr on 08/11/08 at 05:28:55 I bought my '05 new last year (was sitting in the showroom for 2 years so they gave me a great deal on it). Other than the backfiring problem (which I HATED), it never gave me any problems whatsoever. I learned to ride on it and fell in love with motorcycles. When did I start having problems? .... when I started messing with it!!!! I put on a new muffler and that caused me to have to rejet and put in a better air filter. I STILL don't have it tuned it right and I've worked at it for 6 months! Then I had to do the speedo rattle mod, the headlight rattle mod, the seat mod, white spacer mod, etc. The point is for your own sanity, LEAVE IT ALONE. No matter how good an idea on here may sound, if you bought your bike new, LEAVE IT ALONE! Save yourself, it's too late for me. :'( |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by mornhm on 08/11/08 at 05:37:42 Pretty much any vehicle forum you go to is going to have lots of posts about problems, hashing them out, solving them, making them out to be more than they are, and revisiting them everytime someone asks a question. This is what people use the forums for. There are also lots of people who visit this forum and don't talk about not having problems. They may talk about everything but MC's but they are still out there riding. Unfortunately there are also trolls who go around and look at forums and decide what the "hot" buttons are to push and start threads just to see the effect, these threads (and there are a bunch of them) will make it seem like there are more problems that actually exist. The Savage has its shortcomings, and you have to decide whether or not it is a "fit" for you and your riding style, but reliability is not one of them. I agree with your thought that some people cause their own problems (or inherit them) by tinkering with the Savage trying to make it something it wasn't intended to be. I'm not saying it can't be done, (and some people have built supreme examples of what the Savage can be) just that getting more hp is more involved that just re-jetting and removing the white spacer. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by T Mack 1 on 08/11/08 at 05:51:51 If the bike is running, you will not see people posting HELP requests ;). They are too busy riding ;D. You might see then in the CAFE or offering advice (like me). I think if the bike has it's regular maintenance, it should run a long time. Another thing to think about. The bike has been build since 1986. If there was an issue, Suzuki would discontinued manufacturing it. Easier to do that then face liability. The local salvage yard here in East-Side PA only has 2, an 87 & a 86 (or was it a 88 & a 86.. :-?). The yard is only about 40 miles from Philly, so it's in a populated area.... The one had a loose head (finger tight head nuts), but he couldn't find anything else wrong (other than the rust from sitting in the yard). So, if the bike has been made for 22 years, why aren't there more in the salvage yards??? If they died, they would end up there. IMO, I think people just upgrade and put the LS650 in the back of the barn/shed ..... Keep an eye open in 2011, that's the year the bike becomes an antique. Antigues get pulled from the back of the shed, dusted off and sold.... Wouldn't that be a picture.... You're shiny new S40 pulling into a event and parking next to a shiny Savage that looks almost identical to yours.... with antique plates on it.. :D 8-) |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by flcruzr on 08/11/08 at 06:34:55 Hd: Great Question and great answeres also! I'm a fairly new S40 owner and I have had nothing but fun on my bike. I have added cosmetic mods only and plan to keep the mechanics alone so i'm sure that with timely maintenance my bike should last a long fun time. ;D |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by shadowman on 08/11/08 at 17:03:26 Your question solicited comments on the positive attributes of the Savage. Interesting that the initial responses focused on the well-known (and, IMHO, quite manageable) maintenance issues. Here's a positive: the way it looks. There are a lot of fine looking bikes out there, and this is one of 'em. First time I saw one in the flesh I was hooked. The torque, the maneuvaribilty, the affordabilty and ease of maintenance are frosting. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by ALittlebird on 08/11/08 at 17:44:22 The positive - all the good people here on this list. It doesn't get any better. Well except for a gorgeous day like today on the Savage tootlin' down the highway. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by nhgader on 08/11/08 at 19:00:45 I bought my '08 in May and absolutely love it. Its simplicity is what I think makes it such a great looking bike. I get compliments and questions about it almost every time I ride it. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do! Kim |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Skid Mark on 08/11/08 at 19:46:01 nhgader: That about sums it up!! |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Sandy Koocanusa on 08/11/08 at 19:54:23 I figured one of these randy youngsters would point this out. Since they haven't, I'll say it... The chicks dig it. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Kirk on 08/14/08 at 08:57:50 Yes the babes do seem to dig a man on a bike espically a zuki 650/s40 I had two ladies hit on me just because of the bike. One was a chiropractor that gave me a card and said if I had any back issues she would be happy to straighten them out. Of course I cant take her up on the offer Im married with a kid and a mistress names Savagina. ;D Any how the bike is as awesome to ride as this forum is to be a part of. I say if she cranks when you get on her ride it and enjoy it. I know I do. Mine is still stock with 940 miles on it. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Robertomoe on 08/14/08 at 10:25:43 now I would say that a new, clean, and sparkly savage attracts the ladies, cause my bike ain't winning them over with the oil slicks all over the engine and the ratty paintjob. Or maybe its the guy on top of the bike.... nah, cant be. 8-) |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by PerrydaSavage on 08/14/08 at 11:48:25 I loved my '03 Savage ... and now love my '05 S40! Postive attributes are many ... looks, relative light weight and mechanical simplicity are but a few! Have noticed that the LS650 seems to get more compliments, questions and looks than any other Bike I've owned! Bought my '03 LS brand new and had zero mechaical issues with it in 5 Riding seasons of ownership ... I looked after that Bike to the best of my ability with reg. oil changes and routine maintenance, etc. No mods other than cosmetic ... Bike was stock. Bought my '05 S40 used ... and though it was 3 model years old, it was essentially "new" with only 980kms (600mi) on the clock and not a mark on her anywhere. The previous owner however had not followed proper storage proceedures (Bike was laid up for over a year) nor had she done any preventive maintenance ... and despite an improperly torqued front axle and pinch-bolt (which I discovered only AFTER Riding the Bike for 350 highway miles! :o), she performed flawlessly on that maiden voyage and hasn't given me any trouble since (knock on wood!) ... starts everytime and is joy to Ride! |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by ALittlebird on 08/14/08 at 14:59:00 635E535443455E5C5E54310 wrote:
And personally I don't want to attract ladies. I'd much rather attract the guys. WHich by the way, isn't happening. :( |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Sandy Koocanusa on 08/14/08 at 18:12:51 Are you kidding, A Littlebird? You've got Jimbob and Lonniebob down at the shop bending over backwards to get their hands on your valves, and look at all the attention your landlord paid you just yesterday! :) |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Digger on 08/14/08 at 19:42:52 I paid $3000 for my Savage in 2001 (it was used). I've got two other bikes that cost me a total of $30,000. I get double the compliments on the Savage than I do for the other two bikes, combined! |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by Robertomoe on 08/14/08 at 21:22:30 676A4F52524A43444F5442260 wrote:
And personally I don't want to attract ladies. I'd much rather attract the guys. WHich by the way, isn't happening. :( [/quote] Go after them! |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by vargas on 08/14/08 at 23:23:48 I really like the look of this bike. I watched "The Wild One" this morning on AMC for the first time everand the only reason i watched it was for the bikes.This is about the only bike made with classic type lines. I don't care much for the seat profile, but the"hump" gives me a place to slide back to so i can lean into the wind blast.i raed the latst post on windshields , and really,when i lean forward a bit with a full face helmet on, the wind doesn't bother me much. A guy on a Valkyrie was lookng over my S40 monday. I thought he was laughing to his friend as he climbed on his ride , but he walked back to mine and spent maybe some 10 minutes checking it out |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by ALittlebird on 08/15/08 at 01:17:49 565051534E4853523C0 wrote:
Well if JimBob and LonnieBob were so into my bike then perhaps she'd be running right and now cutting out. Besides I scare the pee out of both of them. And rightly so. And while my landlord is very sweet he is only interested in guys. Which means we are both eyeing up the same thing. ;) Not working for me somehow. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by shadowman on 08/15/08 at 07:13:31 LB: It's working. I can sense the planetary forces multiplying as we approach syzygy. Faith is required. |
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Title: Re: What are the Positives of owning a Savage/S40? Post by ALittlebird on 08/15/08 at 18:09:18 687B797B68737D747B741A0 wrote:
:) :) :) |
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