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Message started by ohio thumper on 03/31/13 at 17:55:39

Title: just about done with it
Post by ohio thumper on 03/31/13 at 17:55:39

well here is a sneak peek at what i did over the winter. still have a few things left to do before getting to ride it.http://https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/538871_4678493119559_1151687320_n.jpghttp://https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/58900_4678501399766_743386480_n.jpg

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by Face on 03/31/13 at 20:30:25

Well..... those rear shocks look about as comfortable as boltin' on a steel block! :P

Other than that, NIIIICE!
Good work, man. Looks great. ;)

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by Cavi Mike on 03/31/13 at 20:32:22

YES! I love the way the front brake looks like that - right out in the open in your face. Everyone wants to hide it or delete it and I just can't agree with them. Put it right out there front and center. I see that and I think this bike means effin' business

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by verslagen1 on 03/31/13 at 21:42:10

You ought to re-do that brake line.
either it's gonna vibrate off or somethings going to snag it.

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by wambr on 04/01/13 at 01:31:23

very cool! more simply there are no words!

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by ToesNose on 04/01/13 at 04:29:39

I dig it :)

Great looking scoot Ohio!

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by WD on 04/01/13 at 05:45:44

Love the forks. Manual compression release and a slight trim on the upper most motor mount bolt (or delete the top bolt) and the tank should drop on tighter. Try it, you may have room to keep the release as is with the bolt out... If so, a small trim plate will hide the release.

For the "squawkers" the upper motor mount will be fine with 2 bolts. Have had mine like that for years since the tank swap, the other 2 have stayed tight and the engine has no excess motion. The top mount is more a "snubber" than anything else. The lower mounts are the mains.

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by ohio thumper on 04/01/13 at 17:24:11

thanks for the compliments guys. 8-)
vers. im already on that brake line, i wasnt digging the way it stuck out there. having some issues getting this tank to fit so that it doesnt look like a pimple on an elephants a$$.

wd, i dont have the top motor mount bolt in at the moment but have a plan to countersink plate and get a flat head bolt in it.

face, ive been riding hardtail for a few seasons, but this season i have real seat instead of using bath mats :o ;D

im in a debate on if i want to leave the tank bare and clear coat it or paint it black. im leaning towards bare and clear coat.

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by EJID on 04/02/13 at 07:46:08

Looks great!!!

When you get a chance I would love to hear more about that whole front end. :o

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by WD on 04/02/13 at 09:19:29

The front end is a conversion my bike is in dire need of. The stock forks have to be one of the worst cut rate hydraulic front ends ever installed on a cruiser. Mine have extra oil to limit some of the brake dive, but to get it how it feels right to me is going to take gear oil... or concrete... or external booster springs like old Brit/Jap twins.

Never have been, never will be a fan of Glide (hydraulic) forks. I'll take a greasable springer any day of the week and twice on the weekends. I'd even settle for a modern replace the bushings every 10K miles version...

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by SuperSavage on 04/02/13 at 11:38:29

Sweet ride! ;)

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by Arnold on 04/02/13 at 12:55:06

Where d'u get the springer? Is it a direct fit?

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by jiminapex on 04/02/13 at 13:14:23

Ditto on the springer. Would love to know where you got it. What a great look!

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by EJID on 04/02/13 at 14:11:36

2E2D292D2A2534213C440 wrote:

Ditto on the springer. Would love to know where you got it. What a great look!

In his other post (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1355855854/0#0) he references a DNA Springer 2" under stock and a 21" wheel, so I'm interested in his full setup as well and just how close to level the frame of the bike has stayed.

ohio thumper...we are salivating for more details, job well done 8-)

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by ohio thumper on 04/02/13 at 17:40:36

ok fellas here it goes background and all.

first off, i have searched high and low over the interwebz to see a springer on a savage. one is all i could find and it was on here and had a sidehack on it. now with that said, here we go.

i was only going to change out fork seals over the winter and be done with it when i ran into some pitting on the tubes that couldnt be salvaged. new tubes were ridiculous, so i decided springer for the price of new tubes.
the springer is a DNA springer now i have heard many different stories of them being junk and i still do, but from what i gathered most of the ones they say were junk were raked out and on heavier bikes. i wanted to stay as close to stock as i could so i wouldnt be messing with the geometry of the bike in relation to being level to the ground. i researched for months before i pulled the trigger.
i found that 2" under stock would keep me around the same length as stock forks. i bought a conversion kit for the bearings which i probably didnt need to do but it was made for the savage specifically. it was just bearings and races and some spacers.
i came across some killer deals in my search for parts. i got the DNA brake caliper and mount for 60 bucks, front wheel and tire for 150, and the rotor for 50 bucks. price that stuff online and you will pay big time.
the installation went rather smoothly as far as neck and bearings/races, but spacing the wheel out was a pain in the a$$. not only did i have to space the wheel to center but i also had to space rotor to caliper. lots of measuring and remeasuring. definitely took my time as i wanted to get everything right and still be safe.
now with the springer, dont expect to be using the stock tank because front end hits the tank. i wound up finding this tank at a swap meet, but am in the middle of modifying it to fit right. things are not going so well on it, but i might have to improvise for the moment cause its getting warmer here and i want to ride so bad.
i wound up getting hurley controls and doing some rewiring. not a big fan of doing wiring at all, but came thru pretty good.

ok so i think i might have covered some things for you guys. feel free to ask any more questions on things i may have left out.

one bit of advise is to research it till your sick of looking and soak in as much info as you can.

again, thanks to everyone for the compliments

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/03/13 at 11:20:21

Ive always liked the look of springers. How do they act in a corner? If I was hitting a few corners all the time, knew the line thru & was able to accelerate out, draggin a peg thru, will that kinda front end work well enough to still play that game?
Im pretty sure Id want shocks on the back, but, Ive never ridden one w/o shocks, so, Id need a test ride to be able to really say. I KNOW Id want a really good "soak up the bumps" seat. &, the roads I ride manage to toss stuff up that hits me in the chin, even with a front fender. I cant imagine not having that protection.

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by ohio thumper on 03/02/14 at 17:11:38

ok. its been awhile since i have been on here logged in. took awhile to find my login and password. but with that being said here is what the final outcome of the bike looked like after finishing it.
http://https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1/216305_4826383776733_843555173_n.jpghttp://https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1475776_10201203752195135_572003748_n.jpghttp://https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1455034_10201203750675097_217969587_n.jpg
i liked the final results of the way it turned out. 8-) 8-)

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by S-P on 03/05/14 at 19:51:05

SUH-WEET! LOVE the springer front end! Nice job!

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by ToesNose on 03/06/14 at 04:06:41

Really nice looking scoot Ohio, the springer suits the looks ;)

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by Demin on 03/06/14 at 06:54:08

Dammit!!!You beet me to it.I want to do a springer on my '87.Looks good. 8-) 8-)

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by ohio thumper on 03/29/14 at 06:35:34

thanks again guys for the compliments. its been a blast to ride. it is definitely a different ride but you get used to the difference in the way it handles.

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by WD on 03/29/14 at 07:41:12

2A3C2E2D34333C29322F6C646A6D5D0 wrote:

thanks again guys for the compliments. its been a blast to ride. it is definitely a different ride but you get used to the difference in the way it handles.

And wonder how you ever thought rear shocks and a hydraulic fork were tolerable, let alone good...

That came out pretty decent. I may just have to get off my lazy butt and finish building mine. I've got the Mustang tank already (since about late 1998), can get the springer no problems, and order a hardtail conversion kit. What I can't get is motivated to finish the last few wires, buy a battery, get cables made and track down a set of front brake shoes.

All I really want to do to mine at this point is take the log grapple to it and wrap the bike around a tree... I have absolutely zero interest in ever riding it again. Even though it now fits perfectly, and my back never hurts when I have a running motorcycle.

Title: Re: just about done with it
Post by shorty on 03/31/14 at 13:15:05

very nice indeed, real old-school