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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> My first Savage ride /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1377742700 Message started by civilsavage on 08/28/13 at 19:18:20 |
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Title: My first Savage ride Post by civilsavage on 08/28/13 at 19:18:20 After securing title, plates, and insurance, I picked up the 2002 Savage I bought last week for $1400. I'll get a photo up when it's daylight and I can take a decent one. It's stock except for Suz-branded saddlebags and a smoke-tinted shield. Also had the raptor mod done already. I turned over 6K miles on the way home. Drove it about 40 miles. My overall first impression is overwhelmingly positive. I like this bike. A lot. As a sportbike type, I was worried I wouldn't like the seating position. In fact, the more I rode it, the less cramped I felt, just a matter of getting used to it. I had gone to Lowe's yesterday for the requisite #7 bottle stoppers and 6mm bolts, figuring I'd do the seat mod as soon as it got in the garage. I probably will still do it, but I don't feel a real hurry to do so. I had thought I'd be going "low and slow". It was low, but I spent quite a bit of time going not-so-slow. This thing pulls forever in 3rd gear, every time I glanced down at the speedo on the city streets, I was doing 10 mph over the limit. Compared to the Kaw GPz, I'm hardly using the gearbox. The thing feels like it will happily putter along all day. I threw everything at it- potholed city streets, winding country roads, two separate Interstate blasts- the Savage handled it all with aplomb. The Suz handles the urban guerrilla role much better than my old Kaw does, the Kaw is a bit too stiff for the city streets. And it's decent on the freeways as well. Not nearly as buzzy as I thought it would be. I find it hard to get the turn signal switch back to center, it seems to always go too far and signal the other direction. And I'm going to want a tach. A fuel gauge would be nice as well. The ignition key is in a ridiculous location. But these are all just minor gripes. My speedo is about 5 degrees off kilter, seems like the dial turned in the bezel. Or maybe the whole unit did. Overall, the bike is everything I'd hoped it would be. I'll do a few things to "make it mine", but mostly I envision my Savage staying bone stock. 8-) |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by ZAR on 08/28/13 at 19:55:14 Thumbs up civil! These little critter will amaze ya. Those that have never put some saddle time on one can't understand the potential. I agree on keeping one close to stock for a while but as time goes by you'll want to "make it your own". As far as the comparison to the sporty bikes, my experience was years ago on the old Brit bikes(Triumph,BSA,Norton,etc.)when they were "cafe racers". This bike will do most anything they would,and with more style AND comfort! Enjoy! |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by Dave on 08/29/13 at 03:11:37 The turn signal cancels by pushing the button straight in......is that what you are doing to cancel the signal? |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by civilsavage on 08/29/13 at 03:52:41 Quote:
No, I was flipping the lever back the other way! Thanks for the tip! |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by babyhog on 08/29/13 at 04:48:32 575D425D58475542555351340 wrote:
As I was reading that, I was thinking the pre-2005 models must have had a slider, cause mine has a button (its a 2006). Can't remember that detail of my son's 87. Glad you enjoyed the ride! Be sure to post up some pics when you can. |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by Pine on 08/29/13 at 06:10:14 Welcome to the fold! Great write up. |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by Steve H on 08/29/13 at 17:25:44 Yeah...the older ones have a slide and you have to push it back to the middle |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by civilsavage on 08/29/13 at 17:29:42 Quote:
Yes, it's a slide switch. Tough to find the middle on the thing. |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by ToesNose on 08/29/13 at 17:40:46 Welcome Civil, and gratz on the bike! :D |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by civilsavage on 08/29/13 at 19:13:01 Here's a few shots, although they're in the flourescent light of the garage and really don't do it justice. And shot with my cellphone to boot . . . http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj59/newey_album/IMG_20130829_204049.jpg http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj59/newey_album/IMG_20130829_204122.jpg And, after checking bolts and just generally taking some time with the bike, reading some items in the service manual, I started looking at that stock seat height. Then I looked over at the workbench, where I had the rubber stoppers I had bought. Then looked back at the bike . . . http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj59/newey_album/IMG_20130829_204151.jpg OK, you all know where this is going . . . http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj59/newey_album/IMG_20130829_210300.jpg http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj59/newey_album/IMG_20130829_210749.jpg I used 6 X 60mm, but they didn't have hex-heads at Lowe's, so I got phillips-style panhead ones instead. I also sandwiched the stopper between 2 flat fender washers. It's an inch and some change higher. Haven't ridden it yet with the seat mod, as some barley-based beverage products were consumed during modification activities. But it definitely feels a bit roomier. And thanks to all here who contributed to the seat mod thread(s). It would never have occurred to me to do this in the first place, and I can't engineer my way out of a paper bag, so I appreciated all the tutorials. :) |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by Serowbot on 08/29/13 at 21:58:01 Don't worry... the second ride will be better... ;)... |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by Pine on 08/30/13 at 06:26:46 Looky.. someone stole my bike and put a windshield on it! WE have good looking bikes! ;D |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by WD on 08/30/13 at 06:34:49 Even as far back as my 98 model, the turn signal switch has a center button. Tap it to cancel the signal. I modified a Kawasaki VN800A seat to use on my Savage. Still need to make a rear anchor plate for it. Overall much higher quality than the stock unit. Mine was stock from 2/98 until either spring of 2000 or spring of 2001. Now, nowhere near like it was originally. Stock basically got to be so dull that it was turn it into something else or get rid of it. |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by Steve H on 08/30/13 at 09:55:27 Nice looking bike. Ride and enjoy the miles of smiles that come with it. |
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Title: Re: My first Savage ride Post by civilsavage on 08/30/13 at 13:48:06 Tomorrow comes the big test- 200+ miles up to the mountains of PA, to our weekend place for the Labor Day weekend. The forecast is a bit iffy, so I need to go buy me a new rainsuit to shove into the saddlebag. Bringing the rainsuit is the key to ensuring good weather! |
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