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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> wary of buying s40
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Message started by zippythezip on 06/10/12 at 18:11:24

Title: wary of buying s40
Post by zippythezip on 06/10/12 at 18:11:24

Hello folks, just sold my poor old 30yr old cb750c after 15 years due to losing the war with corrosion and rust. but no problems after 45000km at all..
Then in my local showroom I saw a s40, I have a few days to decide on buying or not. I even looked at an 03 with 6000km on the clock, very nice for $3200.
The bike I need to take me to work for a few months a year, 26km each way, rain or shine. so maybe I will clock between 6000-8000km per year. I dont take highways or run with the "Tim Horton" crowd, speed does not interest me at all now days, just enjoy the ride. :)
Then I came here, you guys have a very nice site here with lots of info.
So now I am thinking if I buy one of these bikes first the cam chain adjuster is going to fail at a silly low amout of kms in its only 2nd year on the road..
I am not mechanically inclined and now am a bit wary of buying one of these bikes.
Can you guys still recomend one of thes bikes?

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by verslagen1 on 06/10/12 at 18:27:12

Well zip, if maintenance is not your cup of tea and taking off the clutch cover seems like brain surgery... no this bike is not for you.

Otherwise... if you're willing to learn, we'll give you the instructions. If you're unsure of yourself, we'll watch and give a clue to the next step. All you got to do is ask, explain the situation as clearly as you can. And guess what... we do that for free. 8-)

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by zippythezip on 06/10/12 at 18:39:44

yes you may be correct. Now if all new machines came fiited with your gizmo then I could sleep at night better. I just cant believe suzuki would continue selling bikes with known defects.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by kritchie on 06/10/12 at 18:40:35

these are great little bikes and really are not that hard to understand. from what you are saying you want out of a bike, the savage sound perfect. and this site has been a god send for me every one on here is more then willing to help and give really good advise.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by zippythezip on 06/10/12 at 18:52:01

657C677A6D66676B0E0 wrote:

Well must admit I have enjoyed reading about the bikes.
But I am feeling now a low km bike is a better bet than a new one, I may be more inclined to "try" and work on an older machine. I have looked over the cam chain fix a few times now.
Thanks for the replies guys.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/10/12 at 18:57:22

losing the war with corrosion and rust.

Dang, teamed up on ya did they?

KNown "Defects",, yea,, could be better, requires a certain amount of paying attention, but it wont just blow up on ya if ya keep an eye on it,.
Ive seen one with around 90,000 miles on it, so, theyre not exactly "defective". There are ways to get better service life outta the chain, like Versys gizmo & riding more miles per start. Im thinking eliminating some teeth on the tensioner would be a good move, but I wont be proving it, cuz Im selling mine,

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Boofer on 06/10/12 at 19:00:06

A lot has been said about the timing chain tensioner, but it's not a weakness--just something that wears out. I checked mine at 17,000 MILES and fixed it for about $50 in parts, while fixing the cap plug leak, also a small issue. Many cars and trucks need a timing belt change every 70,000 miles or so to keep from ruining the engine. Riding one the way you do it will last forever. Stay on here and learn about the Savage while you approach the "problem" mileage. Then you can make an informed decision as to working on it or having it done. There has to be someone on here who lives close enough to you to do it for you when needed. Four hours, tops. Buy it, you'll like it. :)

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by verslagen1 on 06/10/12 at 20:14:50

796A73737A776B66796A73030 wrote:

yes you may be correct. Now if all new machines came fiited with your gizmo then I could sleep at night better. I just cant believe suzuki would continue selling bikes with known defects.

Depends on what you call a defect.

Head bolts are supposed to be retorqued every 5k miles. At that time it would be simple to inspect the cam chain as well. But because we owners are "defective" the maintenance is not done at the required intervals.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by 360k+ on 06/10/12 at 20:31:37

One thing about the S40 is it's pretty much "old school"; i.e., in many ways it's a kinda throwback to the 50's & 60's glory days of the Brits and the "old" Harleys (newer Harleys are hi-tech). Simply put... it's made to be simple. However, remember those old dinos all died out because the Japanese ate their lunch. They produced bikes you could ride day in and day out without having to wrench on them all the time. It was a paradigm shift in motorcycledom because in the old days, if you wanted to ride, you needed mechanical skills.

I think one of the things that makes the Zuk attractive among it's following is its nearly limitless mods and customs options. It's like starting with a piece of unfinished art that you can complete. This won't appeal to everyone, but among a certain few it's an opportunity, that newer hi-tech bikes just don't adhere to as well. A analogy might be like trying to hot rod a new hybrid car.

Every motorcycle has it's own character and personality, so it's hard to say which is good and bad because of dependencies. If your goal is to ride everyday, and you have little desire to learn about maintenance, then there are plenty of other bikes that are more appropriate. This is all my opinion, of course, and others may disagree.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Pine on 06/11/12 at 06:38:34

Welcome Zippy... justa few thoughts

For the type driving you want, I think the this bike is the best you can find for the money. Period. That said, @ $3200 your paying full on retail, which seems kinda high to me. Do know that the even though you are only losing 100cc, this is much less powerful bike than the multi-cylinder 750.

I am a motocyle nooblett myself, but the automatic cam chain adjuster was an improvment to old style which was manual. I am still wrapping my head around how the thing fully works, but I gather that throttle-abuse and hyper-short trips will reveal the weakness of the design while normal use and daily commutes will prove the design as workable.

As I have decided is true with many things... its not being able to buy something... its being able to get parts and service after the sale. I would look around for people that are local that have this bike (this is the S40), get input from them on if it works well there ( mine is very cold natured) and how good support is.

PS: on this being the best bike.. I still like parallel motors better... Wheres the love for a good Kaw 550 LTD or a Yam 550 Maxim? These need to come back.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by zippythezip on 06/11/12 at 08:14:53

well thanks for the replies, friendly place you have here.
I am going to check out the 2nd hand bike tomorrow, as much as I am wary there is something about the look of this bike that draws me to it :)
It may not have the power of my old bike but I can live with that, I think it will fit my needs well. Spend winter in my very small garden shed is one. As far as maintaining the bike its been a long time since I got dirty.
I remember taking bikes apart many many years ago, Triumph Tiger, yamaha 180, Suzuki GT250, would be a few of my victims. ;)
Prices for s40 here are $7000 new(with taxes) and 2nd hand bikes also command a high price. The bike I am looking at has 4800km comes with rack, saddlebags, windscreen, and a large rack bag( what ever its called)
It has been spending life doing many many short trips across town.
Thanks again, will let you know what i get up to.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Africord on 06/11/12 at 08:15:01

Agree with the other posters. This is a simple bike to run, but $3,200 is too high. A year ago, we picked up a 02 for $1,850 with roughly the same mileage. So far, we have changed the oil and put a Big Crank battery in it, for a total of 45 minutes maintenance time.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Dave on 06/11/12 at 08:22:03

6542564D474B5640240 wrote:

The prices in Novia Scotia probably don't relate to the prices in your area. I know that the Cincinnati area prices are very high compared to the prices I can find on Craigslist when I search cities in the south or west.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by splash07 on 06/11/12 at 08:28:04

zip,
To give you an idea of what you should spend, I bought my bike when it was about 2-3 years old and it only had 3K miles on it, bought it for $2000 and probably could have paid less but I was young and excited to buy a bike at all so I did not haggle with the person. I kept it outside for years until I decided to start parking it in my bedroom. usually a cover and regular cleaning and polishing keeps them in fine condition no matter where they are stored. I didnt ad the versalvy cam chain tensioner until I hit 9K miles and I didnt even need it then I just put it in cuz I had the crankcase cover off and it seemed like a good idea. Hope you find a great deal becasue I know you will love this bike and this forum.

splash

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Boule’tard on 06/11/12 at 08:50:05

I would not worry so much about the cam chain tensioner, you can always just pay someone to install a Verslavvy when the time comes.

If you will be putting so many kms on the bike each year, I'd be more concerned with the riding position, sitting on your tailbone that much. Your old CB was probably a lot more comfy than the S40 will be over long distances, because of both the riding position and level of vibration. There are a couple of modifications that will help.. like changing the seat, switching to Progressive shocks, and forward controls.. but the riding position is still "feet forward" pretty much whatever you do. That is the thing to evaluate carefully, whether or not you will find it comfortable enough for your commute.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by dinsdale on 06/11/12 at 10:34:04

Used Bike/Car prices in Canada reflect the 20%+ more that we pay New for them.

I still see 2002's in Ottawa going for $2800-$3500. I bought mine off aboard member a few years ago for $1800 and still love it.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Serowbot on 06/11/12 at 11:07:20

On a site like this,... you will read about a lot of problems... Because that's why many people come here...
The bike has three basic design problems... head plug tends to get leaky ($15 fix)... petcock ($30 fix),... Cam chain adjuster, $50 fix...
Fix all three for $100 DIY... and the bike is bulletproof...
All bikes have their weaknesses,... not many can have them all solved for $100...
Ohh,.. and sometimes the speedo can squeak... $1... for a squirt of silicon... ;D...

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Pine on 06/11/12 at 11:43:08

6F6265786F6A676E0B0 wrote:

ahhhh... stilll

My bike is a 2002 found on Craigslist for $1995.... with exactly 475 miles on it. ( bought April 2012)

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by dinsdale on 06/11/12 at 12:07:18

Cheapest in Ontario si $2300 for a 2000 with 7500 miles on it.
http://ontario.kijiji.ca/f-suzuki-ls-650-cars-vehicles-motorcycles-street-cruisers-choppers-W0QQCatIdZ303QQKeywordZsuzukiQ20lsQ20650

Seriously, we get screwed on vehicle prices up here, well, almost everything here is overpriced compared to the US even when our dollar is worth more.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by zippythezip on 06/11/12 at 15:32:26

well i looked at 03 savage for $3000, not only does it only have nearly 5000km and all bags and rack, even has a tach.
So I am going to try it and buy it. Was going to buy new but this is in as new condition nearly and a lot cheaper
. Yea to my friends in USA it may seem expensive but thats life here. So when I buy it look out for newbie questions. ;)

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/11/12 at 16:00:14

Geeze, you shoulda seen mine,, Come on, bring them on,.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by rfw2003 on 06/11/12 at 16:32:38

And here I thought I was getting a steal on my 96' with only 8500 miles on it and looking practically brand new for only $2000. Guess I overpaid a little but in the end I still think it's worth it as this is a fun little bike, and I'm happy with it :D

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Trippah on 06/11/12 at 17:02:09

Great bikes for scooting around, and the first winter bring to your "local" Suzuki dealer for any need maitenance. If possible, you should get Nova Scotia to suceeed from Canada and join the State of Maine (or Massachusetts). You could smuggle you bike down witht he Christmas tree you send yearly and some Glouster fishman could sneak it back to you. ps, what is the excahnge rate these days?

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by ZAR on 06/11/12 at 19:43:48

46524306040407340 wrote:

You did a good deal but I think I got ya beat rfw.....I just bought my 1996 this past Monday. 1996 Savage with 8344 miles and a nice Memphis Shades windshield for $1600.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by renegade1 on 06/12/12 at 00:47:17

I got my 88 for free, guess you could say about 400 dollars cause there was a leak that is now fixed including new gasket kit ;D and love the bike but i want to make it "my own" now

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by PerrydaSavage on 06/12/12 at 03:45:30

A friend of mine just bought a 2004 LS650 Savage with only 2300kms on it (like new/showroom condition), c/w saddlebags/brackets, windshield, tool bag and aftermarket mirrors, here in St. John's, Nfld. for $3200 ... traded at Harley Dealership ... she probably could've gotten it for less if private sale ... very, very nice Bike!

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by arteacher on 06/12/12 at 04:35:09

Paid 3600 for my '07 with 1350 mi on it.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by bill67 on 06/12/12 at 04:42:20

Paid $3800 out the door for my 2006 in 2007 brand new from the dealer.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by dinsdale on 06/12/12 at 08:33:26

They MSRP at about $6200 up here , about $1k more than down there.
So about 15% more expensive from new.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by palerider on 06/12/12 at 09:16:46

I bought mine last summer - a '96 Savage with a few thousand miles. After inspection and a few maintenance things, I now ride it all over the place. I took it on a 140 mile trip this past sunday, with an averge speed of 55-60.

I love this bike - it just purrs. I think it will do what you want it to, plus - its super fun to ride. Just a great bike.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by Wake51 on 06/14/12 at 23:04:02

I bought this bike back when taking the seat or tank off seemed like a scary task. This forum and a manual later I've been able to add a muffler, air filter mod, handle bars, change break pads and much more all the while saving hundreds of dollars and acquiring some cool tools.

With a few hours of research and some careful reading there is almost nothing you can't do to this bike. This site offers much information, I try and give back from what I've learned when ever I get the chance to pay my 'debt'. Essentially, when a maintenance item comes up there should be no reason you can't get out and fix it without guidance from here short of being scared to set foot in the garage and pick up a screw driver.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by BobR on 06/15/12 at 05:06:27

I bought my '86 with 24,000 km in 2010 for 1,500. I have seen bikes listed for almost as much as they were new 30 years ago. :(

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by BobR on 06/15/12 at 05:31:49

Pic attached

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by splash07 on 06/15/12 at 06:59:37

Even if a bike is an '86, there is no reason it could not fetch 2-3K as long as its in really nice condition. Think about the RYCAs, even an older bike that has been redone to like new condition can bring a pretty fair price.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by zippythezip on 06/16/12 at 16:37:34

Well i weakened and purchased an 03 savage today. Maybe I will name it "wary" :)
She only has 4800km and runs real nice.
Will stick up a photo when I get a break from riding her.
First impressions, after riding a cb750 for years.
Wow....so light
So easy to turn
Easy to paddle around the driveway
Easy to push onto the truck
Sounds nice
Looks nice
I am gonna have fun on this bike I know it. ;D

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by renegade1 on 06/16/12 at 23:37:42

congrats zip, hope you have a ton of fun.

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/17/12 at 00:02:00

3,000 miles on it? Thats about like new,,

Title: Re: wary of buying s40
Post by ZAR on 06/17/12 at 07:04:27

4B584141484559544B5841310 wrote:

Congrats Zip!!!!!! You will love that scooter! Since I've had mine I've pretty much forgotten about that Triumph Bonnie I was dreaming about ;D !