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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Information Requested from New Member /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1286485633 Message started by ut1205 on 10/07/10 at 14:07:13 |
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Title: Information Requested from New Member Post by ut1205 on 10/07/10 at 14:07:13 Greetings all. I am a new member and reside in East Tennessee. My current "ride" is a 2009 Sym HD200 scooter and it is great. It does 90% of what I need to do but I am looking for another bike to fill that 10% gap. My SYM is great on any road with speed limits up to 55. I can go just about anywhere without getting on the interstate but would like to have that ability also. The SYM will do an indicated speed of 80 on flat roads (about 72 actually) but that is full throttle. I am not looking to "tour" hundreds of miles but just to jump on the interstate for 20-30 miles. I have narrowed it down the the Savage/S40 or the Vulcaln 500. I am looking for a used one and looks like either one can be purchased at a reasonable price. I would really pefer a single cylinder to keep maintenance cost down but not if it won't do what I need it to do safely. Many of the reviews I have read indicate that the Savage/S40 is not really comfortable at interstate speeds. Is that correct? I'm sure the interstate highways here are jus like everywhere else. If the speed limit is 55 the traffic runs 70. If it is 70 everyone runs 85. Since 4 major interstate highways "merge" in this area there is a lot of high speed "thru" truck traffic. If you missed it in my ramblings my question is can the Savage handle the interstate safely. Thanks in advance for any replies. I though that the best answeres would come from the folks that ride the bike everday in all kinds of conditions. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by babyhog on 10/07/10 at 15:01:11 We have many members who ride interstate all the time. I've done it, but don't necessarily like it. I'm light (110#), the bike is light, so the wind seems to whip me around. But all in all, the bike will do it, no problem. Especially short jaunts like you are talking.... I've never ridden a VN500, so sorry, I can't compare that part.... Oh, the extra benefit of the Savage/S40 is this fabulous forum!! :D |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Lupo on 10/07/10 at 15:34:19 I think the interstate complaints are from people (writers) expecting too much from the bike. The riding your explaining is very well suited to the machine just as it's better around town then a heaver large displacement bike. Rider weight isn't as big a factor as size because it's got an abundance of torque. I'm double the weight babyhog just stated however I"m 5'11" which is at the limit for seating comfort. I have larger bikes for distance but prefer the LS for the riding you described. Remember, many writers reviews are biased because they wouldn't want anyone to know they were having fun on such a simple machine. That's what most here appreciate most. Do some test rides and see how it feels. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by jef.savage on 10/07/10 at 16:26:25 Although I love riding my Savage I greatly prefer my S50 on the highway and if I had something bigger I'd prefer that even more. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by bill67 on 10/07/10 at 16:36:09 I have had about 15 different bikes been ride 38 years,And I can tell you the S40 isn't a good interstate bike,It vibrates at speeds above around 60mph,Its geared to low for the interstates,the front end is light at speed,The suspension has the least travel of any bike I've had so stock it rides pretty hard,People seem to have a lot of problems with this bike,My wife had a 1980 GN 400 Suzuki and drove it 24000 miles with no problems.It is a good back road bike with speeds up to 60mph,Lot of power and handles good. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Boofer on 10/07/10 at 17:40:11 My bike seems just right anywhere from 60-70, but on concrete with expansion joints it can wear me down. As mentioned, 352 lbs gets buffeted by wind and trucks. I weigh 190 and am 6' tall. Love my Savage, but it's better on twisty 2 lanes in my opinion. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by 12Bravo on 10/07/10 at 18:31:29 I think that the S40 does fine going down the interstate. Mine is bobbed so is quite a bit lighter than stock and the wind isn't any worse than when I am on my Suzuki Burgman 650 that weighs around 750 lbs. My major complaint is the stock seat, but I do have arthritis and fibromyalgia which makes it worse. Even with my health issues and the seat the way it is, a 250 mile day isn't bad. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by lukeduck on 10/07/10 at 19:30:10 Welcome to "The Great Savage Place". I'm pretty much in line with the other responses, 60-70 on the freeway is OK. Thumprat seems to prefer around 60. It is alot smoother and more comfortable than my CB250 on the freeway. Any light weight bike will beat you up more at speed than a heavyweight. I've run 250 miles at 60+ one morning no problems, would most likely call 400-450 a max. day. Get the one you like best and then ride what you got---Luke |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Trippah on 10/07/10 at 20:33:17 I do 60-65mph with a windshied with no problem (other than the sitting position is tough on my back); the stock tank limits your distance to @100 miles between fillups..so if you want to do 500-600 mile days on the superslab..frankly I'd look elsewhere, otherwise it is a wonderful ride. Actually, if all your riding is going to be all multilane highways, get a Miata - it'll be more fun. (IMHO) Of course. ;D ;D Both bikes and sports cars are fun on back road and twisties, only sports cars are fun on the superhighways. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Dj12midnit on 10/07/10 at 21:22:37 Since feb 2008 I have done 22222 miles but highway and city street. Most I have done on the superslab in a single day is about 400 miles. It is all about what you are willing to do with it. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Paladin. on 10/07/10 at 22:01:56 636227242623160 wrote:
On the other hand, I have never riden a overweight sow of a bike, so I do not know how comfortable they are. 636227242623160 wrote:
On the other hand, when speed of traffic is 80-85, usually some are slow at just 65-70 and you can pace with them and be comfortable. 80 mph versus 65 mph, on a 20 mile run, is just 18.5 minutes versus 15 minutes. Is 3 1/2 minutes that important? |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Phelonius on 10/07/10 at 22:32:48 The savage can handle the interstate. Perhaps the question should be can you? The savage will not make up for lack of riding experience or skill. Just how new a rider are you? There are many lesser bikes that handle the interstate because the riders are skilled and experienced. This is not intended to offend, we do not know what kind of rider you are. Phelonius |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by grandpa on 10/08/10 at 01:31:21 I commute 50 miles roundtrip in Memphis almost daily. About 50% freeway. I have the factory sport shield. I am 6 ft and 250 lbs. My morning run is with little traffic at 65-70 mph. Evenings about 40 mph. The bike in my opinion is great for what I ride. I am nearing 18,000 miles on my '06 and have had no issues with the bike. Rejetting the carb and a freer exhaust makes it a lot happier at freeway speeds. I went to larger tires and it makes the bike totally different at freeway speeds. Doesn't follow grooves in the road as bad and the taller rear tire moves the sweet spot to appx 70 mph. I have family in North Carolina and have many trips across I40 in the car. The east TN roads are great compared to the Memphis roads. If you are happy with your scooter you will love the Savage. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by kimchris1 on 10/08/10 at 06:38:59 I have not found it a problem riding freeway or going freeway speeds. I am more concerned about the crazy cager that does not pay attention, than I am about my riding the freeway.. kim :) |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by ut1205 on 10/08/10 at 07:17:04 First of all, thanks for all the great replies. I read a lot of forums and am a member of a few and this place beats them all for quality of information. I think I need to do what Lupo suggest and find one I can use for a test ride. As for my experience, I guess you could call me a “new old rider”. Back in the 70’s I had a Honda CB750 that I rode for about 3 years. Things were different then. Not as much traffic, interstate speed limit was 55 mph, trucks were smaller, and cell phones and “texting” had not been invented. I sold the Honda in 1979 and did not ride any type of bike for 30 years. Fast forward to 2010 and I got the “urge” again so I took the MSF course and purchased my scooter. Before you get the wrong idea, I am not a speed demon. I’m way too old for that. In my perfect world people would run 80 mph if I am driving my “cage” but would slow to 55 if I am on my bike. The comparison that I was making was based on “CC’s” only. I know two locals that ride single cylinder Maxi Scooters. One is a Burgman 400 and the other has a Majesty 400. They ride the interstates and cruise at 70 with some power to spare. I assumed that the 650 Savage/S40 would have similar or better performance but based on your replies it seems that 70 is about the max comfortable speed. I know this is not a “Scooter” forum but since that is what I currently own it is what I have to compare other bikes against. I don’t want to spend two or three thousand dollars and find out that the Savage is only marginally better performer than what I already have. My SYM has 16” wheels so it rides and performs more like a motorcycle than a scooter. The 200 engine (actually 171 cc) puts out 15.5 horse power and the “wet” weight is about 315 pounds. That is getting very close to some of the 250cc motorcycles. I have the tall GIVI windshield and get a very comfortable and vibration free ride up to about 62 mph (68 indicated). Above that it starts telling me that maybe I should slow down. Most of my riding is 55 mph two and four lane highways and the scooter excels in that environment. Based on your “feedback” it seems to me that the Savage/S40 would be fine if it were my only bike but not much of a performance upgrade from what I have (I’m not selling the SYM). I guess that no matter what you have you always want something “just a little bit bigger”. I will try to find one to ride before I make a final decision. Again, thanks for all the great replies and even if I don’t purchase a Savage I will probably hang around for the impressive conversations here. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by J2 on 10/08/10 at 08:30:08 You and I have a lot in common. I too have been riding for many years and have had many bikes. I too have a plastic pony (a scooter) but I also have my iron horse (S40), which is really more like a quarter horse today. I bought my S40 just a few months ago because I consider it to be a great compromise bike. With thumper torque, it is a tiger in town, but it will also do the superslab. Now, as somebody said, it depends upon your experience and what you really WANT to do as to whether or not it is the best interstate transportation for you. The S40 is a light bike, the only kind I want to ride because a body in motion tends to stay in motion. So, I depend upon maneuverability to stay alive, and the S40 will out maneuver a Harley any day. The big scooters, like the Kymco 500ri and the Burgy 650, are built for interstate travel, heavy and solid in the lane (not twitchy) at 75 mph and very comfortable. In town, they lose that quickness advantage. I have done a lot of interstate travel (actually, on a Honda 400-4 when I was young and crazy). Today, I doubt my arse would appreciate traveling sun up to sun down at 70 mph on an S40. I would also have to contend with the buffeting a light bike takes. But a day trip is splenderifico! I ride my scooter to work often (150 cc, water cooled Kymco - 80 miles per gallon). But when I want joy, I throw the leg over little Suzy. The Kawa Ka Ka Vulcan 500 is a twin, believe it may be water cooled, but it is 75-100 pounds heavier than the S40. It's a good choice, if your main idea is interstate on the motorcycle and in town on the scooter. I can do a little of both on the S40. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by ut1205 on 10/08/10 at 13:53:28 Thanks for the reply J2. This is my first scooter and I don't know how I got along without it. Lightweight and nimble (you can almost do a u-turn in one parking space). With the underseat storage and the clone 40 something liter GIVI top case I can carry 4-5 bags of groceries. Try carrying a large pizza, a dozen eggs, and a 12 pack of your favorite beverage on a motorcycle. Might get them home but not in good condition. With that said I see the scoot as more of a truck. Not the fastest or best looking but it does a great job for what it was designed to do. Now I need the bike that will just take me anywhere I want to go. Maybe the Savage will do that. I just need to find one I can ride. BTW, the Kymco is a real quality scooter. Kymco and SYM are the only two that I am aware of that gives a two year parts and labor warranty on their bikes. I've had mine about 3 months and am approaching 2000 miles and have not had any problems. I heard yesterday that due to a "lack of business" my dealer is closing the end of October. I don't know what I will do about warranty should the need come up. Should have bought a Kymco! |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by cornfuzed on 10/08/10 at 23:26:01 656421222025100 wrote:
If its of any help, Im 6'2 an aint skinny... I ride 52 miles to work rain / shine... has never Never let me down so while i do agree to find one to ride... Believe that this platform is quite capable of doing 70+ all day long... Now do i wanna more comfy seat like on my 800+ lbs of v4 anger? Yep... would i trade this lil thump ? Nope... put 10k on her the first yr... so i think reliability and ease of maint has to come into play ... but yep ride one then come back here an ask what Oil you should use... ;D ;D ;D |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Lupo on 10/08/10 at 23:57:09 NO!!!NO!!!! Don't even say the "O"word ;D Keep this to yourself but today someone actually asked about....( I've got to be strong here, give me a second)...someone asked about tires! I left that thread faster then you can say Bridgestone ;) |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by Starlifter on 10/09/10 at 03:56:02 In the mid 1960's I was in the USAF and the only means of transportation I could afford was a Honda 150cc Benly touring model. I rode that bike from Topeka Kansas to Chicago Illinois (home town) many many times. Then after being reassigned to Taiwan China for a year, and then returning to McGuire AFB New Jersey, I rode that 150cc bike back and fourth from Chicago to NJ on many more occations, (traveling for the most part in the wind shadow of big-rig semi's). ...anyway I'm now 65 years old and in comparison, to my mind the 650 cc s-40 is a comfortable and solid ride on any road at legal speed in the USA. But the best fun that I have ever had, is riding on the back roads here in Michigan. Being retired from the US Government after 43 years of service, I can now ride at my leasure where I want, and when I want, at whatever speed I want....It doesn't get any better than this. 8-) |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by 12Bravo on 10/09/10 at 06:12:28 Nothing wrong with having a Savage/S40 and a scooter, I do. Depending on my mood and on how I'm feeling on which one I ride for the day. Sometimes its nice to hop on the S40 and have fun yet its nice to be able to go grocery shopping on the Burgman too. I love the looks on peoples faces when I push a loaded shopping cart up to it. ;D |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by cornfuzed on 10/09/10 at 22:41:39 223F252A2F3E490 wrote:
;D ;D ;D yer killin me!!! ;D ;D ;D Any who dude, trust us... you might get bigger, i and others here have em... but theres just something about these animals you wont be able to shake once you ride it like you stole it and yes if you listen to others here WAAAY smarter than me, youll be able to run at speeds all day long and have a blast doing it... 8-) Versys Ol Feller Denmin many many are happy to help... |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by J2 on 10/11/10 at 10:06:08 646520232124110 wrote:
I had a Honda 80cc for 20 years, and it is still running ... somewhere on the NC coast. Bought it for my daughter to take to college. I rode the Kymco BW 150 for four years and 14K miles before I had to do a belt job ... screwed that up and had to have a real mechanic machine the splines and threads on the crank shaft. Now, I think the plastic pony may have a vacuum leak (surging idle), but it still runs great. Kymco dealerships around here are scum. I told Kymco I might have purchased their 500ri if it were not for their lousy dealer chain. Obviously, I choose my rides to ride, not spend hours wondering where I took that screw out from. The Suzi S40 seems like it is going to fill that bill. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by J2 on 10/11/10 at 10:18:25 4E697C6F71747B69786F1D0 wrote:
Had a Honda 50 in about '65 (at college). Had a Honda 100 ... Left Jackson, Miss and rode all over the Mississippi/Alabama gold coast on a Honda 305 Super Hawk (vibrated fillings out of my teeth). Had a Ducati 160. Had a Honda 350, a Honda 450 and finally a Honda 400-4 ... four perfectly balanced 100cc jugs. Rode that all over Illinois, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota. Smooooth. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/11/10 at 10:47:06 Having ridden both a Savage and a Vulcan 500, I can say that my wife's Vulcan will run at 75-80 mph, my stock Savage would not. My definition of running is getting up to that speed in a reasonable distance and still having more hp (5-10 mph at least) to pass a semi and push through a headwind. WOT is not what I want to be doing going down the interstate, merging or anything else. If I'm merging and the guy behind me speeds up, I want to be able to roll on the throttle and forget about him. Enough HP at interstate speeds is one of the reasons I don't ride a Savage currently. If the fastest I ever wanted to cruise at was 60 mph maybe I would still be riding one. FWIW I ride a liter ST - Concours. For probably 95% of the riding that I do I would prefer a smaller MC, and if my wife's MC was a standard or sportier riding position, there would be a lot of days when I would leave the Concours behind, but as it shook out, there were very few days in a year when I chose the Savage over the Concours. So I sold my Savage. I do sometimes grab my wife's Vulcan if I'm not leaving town. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by J2 on 10/11/10 at 12:04:49 For what it's worth ... I definitely prefer to cruise at 60-65. I am there to enjoy the ride, not sit tense, hanging on for dear life, watching for that road gator to send me off into oblivion. So, the S40 is a good bike for me, both in town and doing the little bit of highway I do. Smell the roses, man ... don't flame through the garden! |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by ut1205 on 10/11/10 at 14:31:36 I agree with both of you. My preference would be to ride 55-60 mph (in a 55 speed limit) and see the sights and smell the smells. Hanging on at WOT is not a fun ride. On the other hand, if I have to run 70 to keep up with traffic, I want that extra 10 mph if I need it. Great replies!! :) |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by JimRR on 10/15/10 at 12:33:52 The two biggest changes we made to our Savages to make them freeway friendly were to install a National Cycle Plexifairing III windshield and to mount Metzler ME880 Marathon tires. That changed the whole bike. I'm 240 lbs. and travel 75mph all day long with enough left to pass. You will have to plan your passes accordingly at speeds greater than that. The bike is stock except for the above mentioned stuff and a set of Willie& Max small saddle bags and OEM saddle bag bars. The rear shocks are adjustable and can be adjusted for a little softer ride. We use the bike to commute with and it gets about 60 mpg. We think the Savage is a really awesome commuter/entry level motorcycle and love to run errands with it, but would not ride it across the country. The maintenance is very easy, all that is needed is a basic set of hand tools and a volt/multi-meter. Having a good maintenance manual and the complete factory tool kit would be a big bonus because you can do quite a bit of service with just those items. Regards, Jim. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by ut1205 on 10/15/10 at 13:04:26 Thanks for all the great replies. I spent some time looking at "old" threads an there seems to be a recurring issue with backfireing. Doesn't seem to matter what year model. Has this issue ever been solved? I know that this can't be good on the exhaust system. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/15/10 at 13:14:19 535217141613260 wrote:
You are going to get all kinds of answers and recommendations. FWIW, after tuning my stock 2004, I never had an issue with backfiring. In fact, I would really have to work at it to even get a pop. Pops are to a certain extent the nature of the beast - a thumper, but with proper tuning, (not rejetting, new exhaust, etc.) it was not an issue on my Savage. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by IN-S40 on 10/15/10 at 13:22:06 I have a 2005 that is bone stock and I have gotten it to backfire maybe 3 or 4 times in the 200 or so miles I have put on it, usually I get a little kerpoof at shutdown but nothing loud. This is my first bike, bought it around 4-5 weeks ago and its been a blast so far. My girlfriend has a 2003 and it has also backfired but not much. From reading it is fixable and entails richening the mixture a bit, its set lean from suzuki to meet epa regulations or something like that.... Darren IN-S40 |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by ut1205 on 10/15/10 at 14:27:53 First of all let me say that I don't know what I'm talking about. With that said, I always thought a "backfire" was caused by unburned fuel accumulating in the exhaust system. That should require the mixture to be overly "rich". If it ignites in the cylinder (valves closed), it is a power stroke. If it ignites early (with the valves not fully closed) then it is detonation. If it happens in the tail pipe, it is a backfire. Ya'll ride them every day. I will go with your judgment. |
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Title: Re: Information Requested from New Member Post by wingsout on 10/15/10 at 16:13:20 The 500 is top heavy; but it is really fast. I have owned both; I like the S40 better. |
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