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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> some encouragement please
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Message started by RTC on 04/29/10 at 20:49:17

Title: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 04/29/10 at 20:49:17

I am having a problem being content. it's funny, i just got done with a short ride through the foothills in el paso and telling my wife how much i loved this bike i got with 900 miles for 2000 bucks and how it ran so great. well, i went to work and took my buddy's brand new 883 sportster iron for a spin. the shifting was so solid like BAM 2nd, BAM 3rd. i told him i was only gonna ride around base but after a few minutes i couldnt resist the nearly empty highway a block off post. that thing was at 90mph before i knew it and was smooth as glass. :P
so anyways, my friend pays and hundred somthin a month for it not to mention ins. i pay 98 a year for ins. right now thats all i got on him.
can you guys tell me why i love my savage so much. i really do but i need to be reminded...besides my happy wallet :)

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by BurnPgh on 04/29/10 at 21:00:07

you could sell you bike and buy a sportser for $7k. $7k minus $2k (assimung you get what you paid for it) and your $5k in the hole. OR you can spend another $2k and turn your savage into a harley eater.
Wiseco piston $200
Cam carb kit from Lancer $650
Exhaust porting $10 for the dremel bit + a little time
Motolanna exhaust to match the port $150 (raask $450)
Head shave $150
Overbore $150

Lancer's expecting 55-60Hp with 300# of bike with stage 2 cam, 97mm wiseco piston, .04" head shave, and I forget what carb he's running, with an opened exhaust port and custom header to match w/ supertrapp muffler.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 04/29/10 at 21:03:37

thats true thanks...it was just something about the solidity of that shift that really set me off. i am not loaded and dont buy on credit so even if i wanted something else i cant have it. so i need to learn to love what i have

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by LANCER on 04/29/10 at 21:17:53

The Savage will handle easier, quicker, and more nimbly than the sporty

The Savage weighs basically 1/2 what the sporty does, try pushing the sporty around after doing the same with the Savage...BIG DIFFERENCE, especially if trying to back it up hill on a driveway or something

The power to weight ratio is pretty close to the same, and with a few tweaks the Savage will outrun the sporty up to about 80.
I had a sporty for a couple of years and liked it, it was smooth and I liked the sound, but the performance was not comparible...my Savage ate up the sporty. And I got really tired of pushing the 550 lb sporty around at home...very hard.

Keep in mind that a sporty is built to a higher state of tune than a Savage is in stock form, so some mod's need to be done to thSavage to bring it up to an equal starting position. At this level the Savage takes the first half of the run and the sporty takes the top half. Top speed for both is about the same in the mid 90's.

Savage is half the price of the sporty and maintaining it is MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE and a whole lot easier to do yourself.

Performance parts for the sporty are everywhere and even under the rug. The Savage is another story, but some performance parts are available for it and I think I know someone who has them available...REALLY GOOD DUDE TOO ! ;D

If you want a Savage to be made to RUN, then this is DOABLE.
I think mine will be well into the 50+ hp range, but the dyno will tell here shortly...we shall see what it will do.
One thing for sure I learned on the previous build, with a 42+ hp engine, I never ran into a HD of any model that could hang with my Savage from 0-85 mph

For a long time I REALLY WANTED A SPORTY...REALLY BAD and I finally got one; a great deal for it. Riding it was nice for sure, but everything else was much more of a chore and the desire for it faded within a year so off to ebay it went. Now I have one primary Savage, my '96 that goes by REX, and also an '85 & and '87 model that may be brought back to life once other things in my life setttle down. total cost for both of the older models was $500 and I have all the parts needed to make them both run.
Yes, life is pretty good that way.

Oh, just a small correction from some above info:
-Performance Carburetor Kit $400
-Performance Camshaft $200
-NO NEED to shave the head if you get the high compression piston to start with from Wiseco

Notice indents on each side of piston top for valve clearance and the center portion of top is raised 2 mm above normal, which for the LS650 engine with this 97mm piston/bore brings the compression ratio up to 10.5:1...A VERY NICE NUMBER INDEED.
http://images1e.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp%3A83%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E639%3E697%3EWSNRCG%3D335%3A%3A9%3C765339nu0mrj

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by verslagen1 on 04/29/10 at 21:18:45

I'd do a stage 1 lancerotomy.
carb, k&n or OF-nufoam-air filter, header work, sportster muff or supertrapp.

I put an edelbrock quicksilver in and got 15mph extra uphill. And it wasn't fine tuned yet.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 04/29/10 at 21:27:38

thanks lancer..btw i do plan on getting jet kit from "that dude" here in about a month... it wasnt really the speed or the acceleration of the sporty that caught my attention but what seemed like purely the quality of the bike. it was really solid. i am novice rider and the only bikes i have ever been on besides this have been suzuki's...s40,s50,m50. the sporty just seemed like a better build. BUT i have a savage and i ride it A LOT. like i was telling my wife..i got a hell of a deal and i love the bike. i have done the head plug thing and the dyna thing so i have gottne my hands dirty on her ;D. i am just trying to keep my eyes from wandering like an adulterous husband ;D

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by Routy on 04/29/10 at 21:38:53

Well, if I ever needed to be reminded that I have the right bike, all I'd do is climb on a Harley for a minute.
I always thought if I ever started riding again, I'd like a H Sporty, so I looked at several, finally one day I climbed on one, leaned it over a bit, and that ended that idea real quick. I couldn't believe how top heavy that bike was. So I tried other heavy twins that didn't turn me on all. I was down to a 250 to be in the weight I would be comfortable w/, untill my bro turned me on to this single cyl s-40. I was lucky and found a nice used one at a dealer, took one little ride and bought it.
But I won't soon forget how heavy that Harley felt !

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by LANCER on 04/29/10 at 21:39:42

77627A6F6C71030 wrote:

YES, I understand the adulterous wandering eye thing.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by LANCER on 04/29/10 at 21:41:52

514255544B4640424916270 wrote:

YEP, the Edelbrock works great on a Savage/S40.

Mikuni VM carb with UFO can be made to work the same way as an Edelbrock Quicksilver, and they are extremely responsive to the throttle.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 04/29/10 at 21:53:08

forgot to mention that in my ten minute sporty ride i scratched my buddy's peg protector rod thingy on a turn that i didnt think was all that challenging. i guess learning to ride on a savage has tricked me into thinking that all cruisers can corner like me

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 04/29/10 at 21:58:26

i never thought about the standing weight. it seemed well weighted as i backed it out and rode but obviosly i never took it for a 360 in my driveway....but you have to admit that the 883 iron is one sweet lookin bike

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by onelunger on 04/30/10 at 04:29:14

It's paid for (I assume from the way you were talking). That's reason enough right there. ;)

I can tell you why I like the Savage (even though it's my wifes bike ;D). It's nimble. Yes, it's lacking in power (nearly all cruiser are to me) and it doesn't get the respect it deserves from the "big bad" V-twin riders but it is so nimble it will run circles around them all on a curvy back road. It's such a fun bike to ride it leaves a smile every time you get off of it. W/ a few simple mods it can be made to run like the "big boys" or out run them in some cases.

I can tell you this, it's a heck of a lot easier to make a Savage run like a Harley than it is to make a Harley handle like a Savage. 8-)

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by Routy on 04/30/10 at 07:45:08

Not long ago someone posted a pic here of a sporty alongside a Savage,....amazing the little difference,.... both are very good looking......very similiar looking "motorcycles". Fact is, at speed, they are so similiar, I think thats the reason why all the sporty riders wave at me ;D

77627A6F6C71030 wrote:

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by Serowbot on 04/30/10 at 09:27:14

What you think of as "solid shifting",... I always thought of as "clunky"...
Harley's shift like a box of rocks.....

but,.. if you like them, it's not for me to talk you out of it...
Life's short, ride what you like...
Plenty of others must like them,...they're all over the place...

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by dasch on 04/30/10 at 09:58:51

I hate to admit - but I like the CLUNK HDs get into gear with. I like it a lot. Dunno why, but it's just... great! No japanese bike gets that loud, clunky, metal shifting sound. Whether that's good or bad, I don't care, but I really enjoy riding besides HD's. Bulldozer-heavy pieces of American machinery at it's best (or worse). Only reason why I don't have one? Too heavy for me.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/30/10 at 10:00:59

Too heavy for me.

Heavy bikes? Not for me. Passengers? Not for me.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by BurnPgh on 04/30/10 at 10:33:19

Ural is bringing the solo to the US soon. You want classic looking and a clunky shift Ural is the way. Shaft drive and they weigh about the same as a savage. You're only getting 40HP out of it stock, and the pricetag is $8000 but they also have a 2 year unlimited mile warranty.
If only I had $8k laying around.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by jef.savage on 04/30/10 at 10:37:05

The greatest asset of your Savage is also what makes you look at other bikes-- It's yours.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by dasch on 04/30/10 at 10:38:53

Ural? Oh man... They have a distro network in US now. $8000 doesn't sound too bad, not sure about the quality, though.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by Mr. Hyde on 04/30/10 at 11:01:06

For me one of the biggest assets of owning a Savage is this forum.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by BurnPgh on 04/30/10 at 11:11:06

424755454E260 wrote:

Ural? Oh man... They have a distro network in US now. $8000 doesn't sound too bad, not sure about the quality, though.

I briefly considered getting a sidecar version and looked into them pretty deep. There's two really good forums for them that together come close to equalling the resources on this site. Apparently every year Urals quality goes up considerably with the low point being in the early/mid 90's. The new ones from '05 and onward are apparently quite well made. And if they're not, for whatever reason, the 2 year parts/labor unlimited mile warranty comes into play. A lot of the parts are sourced now where they used to be primarily russian made. Brembo discs front and back on the solo, i think they're using keihin carbs now, herzog gears, Nippon Denso alternators (as the russian ones could take out your engine. refered to as russian hand grenades). Just by looking the solo seems like a very solidly built bike. Like i said, if only I had $8k.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by LostArtist on 04/30/10 at 11:14:05

keep the savage!!!!! Love the savage!!!!! Mod the Savage!!! for that all new bike feel 8-) The savage is a unique bike that is full of good surprises and possibilities, not sure the same is true about other bikes.

I just traded my S 40 in for a S 50, it was the same payment (yeah I know, but if I didn't buy on credit I wouldn't save the money, bad discipline, working on it) so I figured what the hell. not really seeing much performance upgrades (I need to get it tuned though, something isn't right) and the thing ways 100 lbs more, a harley sportster would weigh 200 lbs more. I think the finish on harley's is very nice, but do you really wanna pay that much more for a paint job and detailing? Harleys also have great road manners in that at the wheels they feel great on the road. the shifting on a harley is what it is, wish they made finding neutral easier though.

going to start saving my pennies for a savage/s 40 project bike

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 04/30/10 at 18:57:44

I knew i could count on you guys for some good replies on this topic. :)

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by james may on 04/30/10 at 19:15:25

has anyone done a motor swap on their savage? Could ya fit a harley powerplant inside the frame? I think that'd be a sweet bike.
I really do like the low riding stance and good corning of this bike. Was talking to my neighbor who has a crotch rocket(GSXR 600). He said he couldn't ride it for more than 20 minutes without hurting. I take my savage out for an hour or so on average and I don't feel any discomfort.

If you are looking to get a harley sportster and dont' have alot of money look into anything pre 1995 ,but post 1985(that's about when they came out with the evo engine and started making good bikes again). They are 100lbs lighter or so than a modern sportster and can be had for about 4,000 used with about 25k on the clock. I like the looks and stance of the harley fatboy myself and it can't hurt that it was riden by Arnold Scwarzenegger in terminator 2. But those are 10,000 used or 17,000 new.

Another thing is the savage is very low maintenance and easy to work on. And probably alittle cheaper on gas, so it is the more practical bike.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by miker on 05/01/10 at 06:31:14

484952594E48454C593C0 wrote:

Without a LOT of cutting and stretching, you will never fit a sportster or big twin into a savage frame. You just can't get that square peg in a round hole. As far as post '85 Harleys- it is all a matter of opinion. I have ridden the harleys for many years. In 1985, the evolution engine came out and was a bit improved over the shovel and iron heads. But 1985 was also the year that Harley-Davidson started turning on the very people who made the prior survival of the motor company possible. Dealers who had to start selling outboard boat motors through the 70's to overcome the lost profits from AMF trash, had their dealerships revoked because they did not fit the "image" that the new and improved motor company wished to project. The harley evo, to me, symbolizes the 20 year decline of the motorcycle culture, which seems to be coming back now. The evo also symbolizes the beginning of the prostituting out of the HD name to every product that has nothing to do with motorcycling. I have never had a need for HD splash on cologne , underpants, or active footware!

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by crabpainter on 05/01/10 at 08:23:27

To your original request as already stated, it's yours not the banks. Title is in your name. Insurance is dirt cheap as a result. It doesn't matter what you ride or end up buying, you'll always look at other peoples rides and dream... But that Savage is yours. You're friend can't say that about his bike.
I detest payments. Me and Dave Ramsey.

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 05/01/10 at 18:29:47

"The evo also symbolizes the beginning of the prostituting out of the HD name to every product that has nothing to do with motorcycling. I have never had a need for HD splash on cologne , underpants, or active footware! "

In el paso we have Barnett HD which claims to be the worlds largest. More than half of the entire store is clothing and ridiculous junk with the logo on it! I have never understood that. If I like a product I may own a shirt that supports the product but these guys go way overboard! I think I counted about 10 people at different businesses wearing harley shirts and I watched most of them get into a car and drive away. ha!

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by RTC on 05/01/10 at 18:32:57

0110030012030B0C160710620 wrote:

very very true and this is why I DO love my savage. if i was making payments it would prob be on something else. BUT...i wouldnt be making payment. so Dave Ramsey got to you too huh? ;D he got to me as well. the only thing i make payments on is an $80,000 home which i rent out and make a litle profit on. even my car is paid off and what would be a car payment is being saved to pay cash for the next. most of my friends call me cheap. oh well they are all in debt ;)

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by Oldfeller on 05/02/10 at 04:54:12

Lots of us have second bikes (generally big open road bikes).

Some of us were silly enough (or financially pressed enough) to have to sell the Savage.

Of those, over half picked up another Savage fairly soon afterwards.

Something was missing.

The Savage is THE BEST quick nimble get around town bike ....

"don't it always seem to go

that you don't know what you got 'till its gone?"

Title: Re: some encouragement please
Post by 12Bravo on 05/02/10 at 05:30:21

1330383A393030392E5C0 wrote:

I feel the same way. I bought a Suzuki Burgman 650 do to my disability but couldn't make myself get rid of the S40. I ride the Burgman when I can't get my leg over the S40. I can't go too long without riding my 1 lunger.