SuzukiSavage.com /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Let Me Introduce Myself! /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1287098831 Message started by OntheBoulevard on 10/14/10 at 16:27:10

Title: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/14/10 at 16:27:10 I figured I ought to tell you a little bit about me. I am a 53 year old male, and this is my first bike. I've had it about 3 1/2 weeks, and have put 900 miles on it so far. I'm trying to get as much time in on it as a can, before cold weather sets in here in Southern Ohio. I sure wish I would have started riding back in my 20s when I didn't have any fear of anything. It sure would have made things easier. The first two or three times I was out on it, was mostly just primal fear. You have every appendage doing something different at the same time, and all of it is foreign. It's no big deal if you're doing this on a drum set, but on a bike getting out of rhythm, means you're eating pavement! I'm getting a little more used to it now, and trying to get smoother through the curves, and such. As far as I know, there is no other way to learn this stuff other than just to do it, and push yourself. I like this little bike real well. I'm 5'-9" 168 pounds, and really fits me. I like being able to put both feet flat on the ground when I'm stopped. All my friends ride, and have ridden forever. I got a lot of different advice on what I should get to learn on, and none of it steered me towards this bike. Most everyone, said I had to have at least a 1200 something or other, and everything I got on, was like straddling a propane tank. I saw this one on Ebay, and knew it was THE ONE right off. Plenty of umph, small, light, and simple. It's as much Motorcycle 101, as you can get. Right now, I do want it to be somewhat louder, without it being deafening, because after I shift past 3rd, there is so much wind noise past my helmet, I can't hear the engine anymore. Mine doesn't like to go into 5th very easy, so I'd like to know for sure if it did by being able to hear it, since there's no tach. So, that's why I'm asking about the Hartman like muffler mod.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by Routy on 10/14/10 at 17:05:40 Welcome here. Have you thought about a good windsheild ? I drilled my exhaust for a little louder sound. If interested, I will post a picture,....or maybe you have already seen it in the exhaust topics. For positive shifting, hold upward pressure untill the clutch is fully ingaged

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by babyhog on 10/14/10 at 17:46:44 We drilled my son's too.  I put a Harley Dyna model muffler on mine, but his drilled stock one is a little louder.  Actually sounds good, IMO. Just don't let the drill sink too deep or you will catch inner workings, which we did, and it rattled for a while.  Find Routy's post, or someone else who did it with instructions.  Its the cheapest, easiest thing to try first. So how old is the bike you got, and how many miles?  * Edit - just read your other post -- 2006 model, ok.  Mine is '06 too! Welcome to the site!

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by kimchris1 on 10/14/10 at 19:03:01 Welcome to the forum. Use the search as it offers the tools as well advice on alot of the mechanics of our bikes. If you can't find it in search, ask away here as you will soon learn, this forum is filled with many helping and knowledgeable people. Take care and again welcome.. :) kim

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/14/10 at 19:21:01 The riders safety course is a really, REALLY, Good idea.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/14/10 at 21:55:38 I'm trying to get into a safety course right now, but I'm running out of time. It May have to wait until Spring. I'll look around for the drilled muffler post. That might be just what the doctor ordered.  if I don't like it, I can weld it back up. It had 3040 miles on it, and I bought it for $1990.00 from a dealer. Of course, it was more like $2300.00 by the time the paperwork was done, but I think it's a lot of bike for that. I like the belt drive. Thanks for the shifting tip. I will try that. I can use all the advice I can get at this point, because I'm green as grass right now. I have thought about a higher windshield, but for now, I'm kind of liking the short bug shield. It lets me feel the wind more, but keeps the pressure off my chest. My bike is dead stock.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by verslagen1 on 10/14/10 at 22:05:07 I went from a full shield to the sport to the fly. and thought I'd change as the weather did. I didn't, and won't.  love the fly shield.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/14/10 at 22:25:32 Routy, if you would, go ahead and post the drilled exhaust pictures. I didn't find them. I'm sure it's because I wasn't asking the right search question.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by Boofer on 10/15/10 at 14:21:30 Welcome to riding and to this forum. Don't outride your abilities. It seems to me, we have little emergencies thrown at us without pushing it. We learn by getting through those safely. (Or not) I use a Slipstreamer Spitfire windshield. The number is S-06 I believe. Cost me $60. I am 6' tall and really like it. It installs in about 15 min. Be safe and learn from practice. Impatience can kill you. If you were 20, I wouldn't even bother to tell you that. You have the advantage of being older and hopefully, wiser. We all ride for different reasons, but we all get that same stupid grin. Enjoy.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/17/10 at 00:55:34 If you don't have time to post pictures of the drill mod, could you just tell me what bit size, and where you put them, like at 10:00 and 2:00 position or whatever? I'll probably just go with a different exhaust, rejet and all that come this Spring, but for now, I'd like to try this. Thanks!

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by FlybysBlvd on 10/18/10 at 04:54:03 Welcome fellow 06 S40 rider and Ohioan!  I am in Columbus and have put over 6000 miles on my bike this season.  I love the S40, but for the riding we do, I am searching for an S50.  Mine is stock, I did put a Slipstreamer on mine too.  Welcome to riding and welcome to the forum.  P.S. do the walk-in thing with the MSF, this time of year you can probably get a spot no problem, best $25.00 you will ever spend.  P.S. I also was a late starter to riding also, I'll be 51 in December. Connie :)

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by Jerry Eichenberger on 10/18/10 at 05:12:36 I'm in Columbus too.  Where in southern Ohio are you?  We have family in Jackson County. Do the MSF course - I was off of riding from 1968 until 2008 - the course brought back a lot of memories, and certainly incresaed my confidence and skill elvel.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by sjaskow on 10/18/10 at 10:19:37 A picture of the routy exhaust mod is here http://p1.bikepics.com/pics/2010/03/14/bikepics-1926789-full.jpg.  I've been considering doing it myself since my bike is still 100% stock even though it's got almost 13,000 miles on it. And I'm from south-western Ohio.  Born and raised in Clermont County; now living in Anderson Township in Hamilton.  I'll probably ride as long as there isn't snow on the ground.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/19/10 at 05:05:04 I'm from Meigs County down on the river, in the part that looks like a modified Italy boot. There's some great riding down here.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/19/10 at 05:22:02 Oh, I forgot to say thanks for the Exhaust mod pic. I'll probably try that. I can always weld it back up, and keep it stock if I need to. Looks like about 1/4" holes, and with the pattern, it looks like it was made that way. I saw about you riding until the snow flies. I can take an awful lot of cold, but i have found out one thing, you definitely need to be dressed for riding in it. I rode my bike to work the other afternoon (72 miles one way) and it was a great ride up, at about 78 degrees. However, when I left the next morning, it was 36. OMG what a ride home that was! All I brought extra from the day before, was a sweater to put underneath my jacket. My buddy gave me a pair of frog tog bibs to put over my jeans. I had to keep my visor cracked 1/4" to keep the inside of it from fogging, and then, I drove through fog for about half the trip, and had to try to keep it off the outside of the visor and the mirrors. Out of the whole thing, my hands got the brunt of it. I stopped off one time to buy terry gloves at gas station to put underneath my riding gloves,( and drink a gallon of coffee) and then later stopped off to wrap my terry clad hands around the engine jug to get the feeling back. I should have just crashed on my coworker's couch until the afternoon, but nooooo! I can tell you one thing though, I wasn't sleepy on the ride home.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/19/10 at 16:58:10 I got in a 100 mile ride in this afternoon, running down to my brother's house. Right before I left, I drilled the muffler as shown above. I never expected it to sound that good. It has a nice bass thump, thump, thump during idle, has a nice rumble through the gears, and a steady growl at highway speeds. I was very impressed with what eight 7/32" holes did to the sound of the stock muffler. The draw back (at least on mine), was a little louder and a little more muffler farting. I'm still glad I did it. It's louder, but maybe something like 30% more, so not a lot. It totally changed the acoustic properties of the muffler to make the Boulevard actually sound like a motorcycle. It took away the metallic sort of two cycle dirt bike sound (though bassier) out of it completely. Thanks for the submitting the picture.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/20/10 at 20:46:50 I got in a 150 mile ride today. It's getting a little more brisk at 58 degrees, bu still not bad. I'm still liking the drilled muffler it farts a lot more than it did before it was drilled, but it was still worth it. I like the sound of it. I have figured out what my next bike is going to be, although I've never seen one in the flesh. I like the Kawasaki 800 Drifter a lot. It has the Indian look, without the Indian price. It looks like a real nice bike, but like I said, I've never straddled one. I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get rid of the Boulevard. I just might just modify it later on, and get the other one for my wife and me. I saw a belt drive Savage today while at Krogers. The boulevard and it looked pretty similar. When did they go from chain to belt?

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by verslagen1 on 10/20/10 at 20:49:08 they are all belt drive. if yours is chain then it's custom.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by OntheBoulevard on 10/20/10 at 21:03:45 It seems like I have read about some people referencing their chain, or chain tensioner, that's why I thought that. I have not read enough into the original Savage to know much about their difference from the boulevard, but, I do believe they (Savage) was a 4 speed, and not a 5 speed.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by verslagen1 on 10/20/10 at 21:14:52 The savage was rebranded around 2004. the us 4 speed was available from 86 to 88 then came back to the us in 95 as a 5 speed.

Title: Re: Let Me Introduce Myself! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/21/10 at 04:02:00 Chain Tensioner is reference to the cam chain.

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