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Message started by SS65297 on 11/06/10 at 13:11:06

Title: Lean Angle?
Post by SS65297 on 11/06/10 at 13:11:06

Hey guys, just wondering if anyone knows the lean angle on these bikes both left/right? I have been looking at other cruisers and trying to get a feel on whether or not the Savage can lean more or less than others out there. I just wonder if I would have to change my habits if my next bike can't quite do what the Savage can. And yes, I like to lean... Thanks for any help.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by Oldfeller on 11/06/10 at 14:16:34

The Savage outperforms all other cruiser type bikes up in the mountains, regardless of displacement.

It is nimble and can negotiate a series of turns faster than any other cruiser. (bigger does not mean better in the mountains)

Most 400 cc and up pure sports bikes can kick our butts on any form of straight away distance run, but cruisers and non-expertly ridden sports bikes are easy meat in the normal twists and turns that exist up in the mountains.

A good competent 400 cc and up sports bike rider is gone, simply gone and you never catch sight of him again.

Ditto for smaller, lighter bikes like 200 cc singles -- within their top end range they can kick our butts because they are more nimble than the Savage -- but ditto we kick their butts on any form of faster straight away. It can be give and take up there ..... until a big 85 mph plus straight away comes up anyway.

Virago 250s and Ninja 250s are our nemesis -- we lose to them on turns and and don't make it back up on straight aways as they have equal or superior top end speed to the Savage.

The new class of light dirt bike derived supermotards kick our butts roundedly in all cases if ridden with competence. A 450 cc supermotard pulls nearly 60 hp and weighs less than a Savage does. They pull away immediately and we simply never see them again .... they are busy going on to embarrass the sports bike dudes that left us in the dirt earlier.

The Dragon mountains are a tough place, you win some and you lose some and you can bleed some too.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by Lupo on 11/06/10 at 15:28:56

Here's an 800. They lean pretty good.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs023.snc4/33495_143172129050871_100000742536056_243337_2695368_n.jpg

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by Ed L. on 11/06/10 at 18:30:34

While sitting on your driveway take you savage and lean it over right and left till the foot pegs hit the concrete. If you are brave enough to go that far when riding then that is how far you can take you bike. Scrubbing off sidewalls and the ends of footpegs is an art for the fearless.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/06/10 at 19:50:04

My right peg was cut so far back I had to wire the rubber on the peg.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by mornhm - FSO on 11/09/10 at 10:53:03

The original question was about lean angle - and a comparison between the Savage and other cruisers.

Lean angle has little to do with top speed or performance. It has a lot to do with how much clearance your hard parts have, how much speed you're carrying around the curve, how your shocks compress, and how you shift your weight when leaning. With that in mind, lean angle is very dependent on the individual rider.

My experience with my Savage was that it was very easy to lean over and drag hard parts. It seemed to have softer suspension and drag at less angle than most other small cruisers and any other sport bike or touring bike. It could lean further than some cruisers and full dressers.

On my Savage, I liked to drag pegs in circles in parking lots. No good reason other than I liked to do it. I would counterweight and go fairly slow. I liked doing this on the Savage because it was light enough that my body weight made it easy to control the angle and at lower speeds I didn't have to worry about the MC sliding out from under me. If this is what you are talking about when you say you like to lean, the Savage is great at it (better than larger heavier MCs).

However, if you are talking about going through curves at high speed, not so much.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by youzguyz on 11/09/10 at 11:29:46

Like they been saying, it's the pegs that will tell you when you have maxed out the lean.
The stock pegs hang down pretty far, they are thick top to bottom. After grinding those to useless, I put on some O-Ring pegs I found on eBay. Like these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/S40-SAVAGE-LS650-SUZUKI-BLVD-CHROME-O-RING-FOOT-PEGS-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c08efc7a4QQitemZ120409016228QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

They are not as thick, so the bike can go over further before something hits. Then again, these do hang down at a bit of an angle, so maybe it comes out the same?
Now, I tend to hit the heel of my boot before the pegs hit. But when those pegs do hit.. oh boy.. it really wakes you up. Steel on pavement really feels weird.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by Oldfeller on 11/09/10 at 16:06:54

What stops your lean is not the foot pegs, they will fold up gracefully lifting your foot with them.

What hits "hard" on the right side is the exhaust pipe bracketry on the stock muffler, the acorn nuts on the long through bolts that mount the footpeg/brake casting.

That's if you are running a stock muffler. Dyna is slightly different.

And, finally ("oops" is really close) is the acorn nuts, the exhaust header itself and the Dyna muffler on the lower outside (assumes you are braking hard going into a steeply banked Dragon curve).

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by kel30734 on 11/10/10 at 05:44:40

Here Is Bigzuk on the dragon,
He has the Best lines and makes leaning look easy. and he don't slow Down
http://p1.bikepics.com/pics/2010/11/10/bikepics-2095636-full.jpg

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by einheit13 on 11/10/10 at 15:57:32

0D2E2624272E2E2730420 wrote:

I got the title to my 68 Bonnie TT that says I will eat you alive in the twisties....379lbs with 50hp....I've ridden my buddy's s40 in the same places I've taken my bonnie, no contest. Its just as light, a little more power, plenty of ground clearance, and built to handle. If ya don't like that one, I have a BSA Victor we can try too.
Gotta Knucklehead too....
http://www.knucklebusterinc.com/features/wp-content/2008/02/marc_knee_down_1_800.jpg

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by Oldfeller on 11/10/10 at 17:31:21

Monday, June 27 thru Sunday, July 2
Deal's Gap NC
Go to the top of the Cafe to the permanent sticky about the Dragon run and register your intent to come.

I won't take your Bonnie away from you, I got no lust for English electrics. I would suggest losing the dig in and die floorboards with some folding footpegs, you will need the space if you come to play with us.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by olddog on 11/10/10 at 20:21:20

Knee-dragging on a vintage V twin bobber is sorta like french kissing your sister --- it might feel OK --- but it just ain't right !!!
olddog :o

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/10/10 at 20:22:08

Looks like hes d/shiftin,, havin some Fuuun..

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by einheit13 on 11/11/10 at 16:17:20

5D7E7674777E7E7760120 wrote:

Thats just for slow rides.....We plan on running the dragon next spring. We normally take a few trips to Seneca Rocks/Spruce Knob W. Va. I haven't been to the Dragon since I was a teenager and left Clinton,NC

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by Boule’tard on 11/11/10 at 18:12:17

45452023242F21160 wrote:

The max. lean angle on the Savage can be greatly improved by fitting longer shocks. And as a bonus, the steering sharpens up, so the overall handling is much sportier. I liked the change. It went from dragging both sides easily around 15-20mph turns to never dragging. I am sure you could still drag metal but you'd have to work at it. The eye-to-eye distance of the shocks was around 10.5 or 11 inches, I don't remember exactly. They were progressive shocks and they rode a lot better than stock.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by SS65297 on 11/14/10 at 04:09:56

Thanks for the replies guys. I really only scrape on twisties on the left side more often than not, and my parents always comment on how I lean on every corner. I also read a review of the Savage where the reviewer comment something like: "the Savage has a respectable lean angle for a cruiser". That lead me to think it was above say 30 degrees, which most bikes seem to be around.

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/14/10 at 21:57:53

I dont know how many degrees itll lean, but I CAN tell ya this,
It'll lean a few degrees PAST "Pucker Moment".

Title: Re: Lean Angle?
Post by Mavigogun on 08/25/20 at 12:43:17

After taking a bunch of measurements off the bottom, including width, diagraming data, I reckon anything over 25 degrees of lean is foolish; depending on how heavily loaded and how compressed into the corner, 20 is more realistic- and leaves little-to-nothing for surface defects, holes. Unweighted and suspension uncompressed, at 30 degrees the pegs make contact, followed closely by the exhaust.