|
SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Okay, I been cheatin' on ya /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1448947021 Message started by Sonny on 11/30/15 at 21:16:58 |
|
Title: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 11/30/15 at 21:16:58 I am 6'3" and change, with two beloved Savages. I had to get something bigger from getting cramped up with a sore but on my thumpers. So, I shopped the web for reviews and finally found a Kaw Vulcan 900 Classic with 4K miles for $4K on CL, a cream puff wife's bike. Great ride, if anyone needs a big wide comfortable cruiser. I am having a blast on it. It is friendly, stable, good looking and a nice bike for the money. They are popular and widely available used. I been doing the Jerry Palladino Ride Like A Pro DVD training for big bikes, based on police motor officer training for low speed maneuvering and in general not dropping a heavy bike. There is great stuff in that course for any rider of any bike. What's fun is, I get on the Savages now and they feel like toys, like tiny, narrow, quick, maneuverable little pinto ponies by comparison. Just a blast. I have a whole new appreciation of them again. But I love the 900cc Vulcan. Try one sometime. You get on it and think OMG, but let out the clutch and it's a great ride. Other thing is, you get on the Vulcan forum and discover this particular bike is very well worked out. There are almost no design flaws or problem parts or systems compared to the Savage which we all know is a bit of a work in progress. If it wasn't for the rainy cold Texas weather setting in I'd be cracking a wide grin right about now. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Art Webb on 12/01/15 at 07:11:21 I do like the look of the Vulcan what sort of revs ya turnin at say 70-80 mph? |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 12/01/15 at 10:12:31 Pretty high (no tach on the bike.) But 70 is about it for me anyway. People put a taller back tire on them, and also pulley sets are available. It's not too buzzy or rough on the freeway, though, and it's glad to turn the rpm's. On Vulcans, you go to the 1700cc to get 70-80mph in the snoring mid 2000rpm range. I test rode one of those (a Nomad, with big instrumented fairing) but it was a lot heavier, and top heavier, and seemed like more weight than I was ready to deal with. Also, the forums indicated it has more troublesome and expensive maintenance quirks to deal with. I think large V-twins are something you grow into if that's your thing. The 900 was as far as I was comfortable with. Its handling and weight are fairly light and responsive, CG is low, 580lbs. But it is big, wide and comfortable. The engine is good. Torqey across the rev range, and smooth. For my riding style it's real nice. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Gus on 12/01/15 at 14:18:49 A 900 isn't to big. I think the BIG twin market has a loyal following for a,number of reasons. I rode one for a,lot of years and loved it. I eventually grew tired of it, sold it, only to replace it with a road bike less than half it's size. For whatever reason the older I get the simpler I want to see my world become. When I was a kid I had an 80cc Kawi. It always just ran. No matter what you threw at it; it just ran. That is why I love these single cylinder bikes. I'm. Glad you like your Kawi. The one I had nearly 40 years ago holds many fond memories for me. I hope yours does too. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by pg on 12/01/15 at 16:33:33 I had a Vulcan 900 custom a few years back. It's a fine motorcycle and I still miss it. I remember it being silky smooth with a real plush suspension and the big gas tank is also a bonus. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. [smiley=thumbup.gif] Best regards, |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 12/01/15 at 17:35:18 Yes the V900 Custom is real nice. The cast wheels are a benefit with flats and tubeless tire choices. The ergonomics were in a way better for me than the Classic. I had to tilt up the Classic bars an inch or 2 to keep the grips from pinning my knees to the tank at full steering lock but now it's really comfortable. And I am riding at full lock, scraping the boards at lo speed doing figure 8s and weaves and u-turns in parking lots. You can do it all day on that bike. I never had floorboards before but they are nice too, you can move your feet around. But you can;t lock your heel into them like you do with pegs. Your feet don't feel quite as attached to the bike. And then the heel shifter -- I can't get with that. I don't use it. I been toe shifting so long that it's instinctive. In the end I got the Classic thinking two large equal sized tire patches on the road might make it stick a little better leaned over than the narrow 21" front wheel on the Custom. That might be BS, I don't know. Heck, you do one thing, you never know if you should have done the other... ;) |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Art Webb on 12/02/15 at 08:43:49 so still a spinner 1700 id too much CCs just to get a relaxed cruise at 70, what the heck is wrong with bike builders? |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 12/02/15 at 09:37:45 66757370626565070 wrote:
That's the $64K question, innit? They want you to buy the twice as expensive bike to get that thing they know you want. The VN900 isn't as frantic as the Savage above 70mph, but you still find yourself fishing for one more gear from time to time. I'll probably mount a taller back tire when the OEM Dunlop wears out. But no hurry about doing it. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Art Webb on 12/02/15 at 09:49:55 How much the S40s frenzy bothers me depends a lot on my mindset If I get on thinking 'cruiser relaxed ride' I'm unhappy if I tell myself it's a sport single and ring it's neck I'm pretty ok wit it lol |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Gus on 12/02/15 at 09:57:00 6B787E7D6F68680A0 wrote:
I think is something in between isn't it. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 12/02/15 at 10:02:25 Yes it is. The LS650 occupies a unique place in the MC world, from just about every perspective. There'd be a lot less grins without it. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by old.indian on 12/02/15 at 10:56:35 I "lucked out" with the S40. I wanted a single for a few years and then I found this 2006 Suzuki with low miles and the right price. After a few 40+/- rides, re jetting and muffler change , a 360 miler. Replace the original IRCs and 900+ mile putt over to Arizona. I've always been happiest on the back roads putting along at 60 and enjoying the scenery. The S40 fits my needs perfectly. :) |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 12/02/15 at 11:44:36 Yes indeed, it's in its element on the county roads. And it is perfectly well suited to the tight and twisties at 60mph, once you learn to lean in and trust it. It isn't a crotch rocket but it's competent and predictable. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Gus on 12/02/15 at 14:21:55 24272F6522252F222A254B0 wrote:
This is exactly where I found myself after many years of riding my FLH. I sold it and spun through a few smaller bikes . . .with too many cylinders . . . And then I realized it was a big single I really pined after. I looked at many enduro's & so called multi sports. The I bumped into an LS and I knew I'd found what I wanted. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Dave on 12/03/15 at 04:33:21 3A292F2C3E39395B0 wrote:
I believe that bike builders all gear the bike so that at cruising speed they are up in the strong part of the power curve. This is necessary so the engine won't be lugging too much when you add the windshield, saddle bags, second rider........and tend to push the maximum load capacity of the bike. Also it ensures that you aren't lugging the engine too much. Motorcycles don't tend to have the gearing with any sort of overdrive.....high gear is generally the one that will get you to the maximum mph that the bike is capable of going. The downside of this is that when you are riding alone, on level ground, with little wind in your face....the engine is spinning pretty fast and not really making much HP, and it does seem like a taller gear would be better. My neighbor has a Suzuki Volusia 800, and got tired of hearing the twin wound up so high at cruise - so he changed the rear end to a 1400 rear end. I changed my gearing on my Savage Cafe bike and it is now geared really tall........ 5th gear isn't used for anything under 60 mph. If I wanted to see what my top speed is I would have to use 4th gear as 5th doesn't let the engine wind up enough to get into the rpm where it makes HP. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by MMRanch on 12/03/15 at 22:45:28 between a Taller tire and larger front pulley I've had my S-40 up to 80mph (GPS) in second gear --- but like Dave said "5th gear is for 60mph and over". At 75 on the super slab its nice . :) and it still climbs our part of the Smokies here in Tn w/o down shifting 8-). Hard not to like it . After getting off my Sportster --- the S-40 feels like a toy ::) ::) ::) actuality I guess it is ! ::) |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 12/03/15 at 23:19:07 Dave said: I believe that bike builders all gear the bike so that at cruising speed they are up in the strong part of the power curve. This is necessary so the engine won't be lugging too much when you add the windshield, saddle bags, second rider..... I think Dave is right about what the mfgrs. are thinking. It follows that gearing will roughly correspond to displacement. What the 1500 -2000cc cruisers are doing is providing "too much engine", so that at 75-80mph the engine is producing enough power at 2K rpm to do the work required. The price is an 800+ pound motorcycle with worse fuel mileage and all around higher cost. If most of your time is spent flying down the super slab, it's probably worth it. But the rest of the miles, the cost is there but the benefit isn't. IMHO. I've been watching some Suzuki M109 vlogs. Riders shift up at 1800rpm or below and they're zooming along. They are using the power like a diesel locomotive. 8-) |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Dave on 12/04/15 at 03:57:13 263A3B363A39550 wrote:
I got into a line of slow Cruiser bikes on the Tail of the Dragon one year very near the NC end. Generally I just wait until we find a straight and accelerate past them....this time an M109 was in front of me. He was really slow in the corners, and when we hit the straight he would open the throttle a bit and there was no way I could pass him. The M109 had a muffler that sounded like an explosion in an oil drum.....and I could feel the exhaust pulses hitting me in the chest. The acceleration at low rpm on that M109 was very impressive. I have read a road test on the latest M109, and they confirmed exactly what I noticed on the Dragon. The bikes are too long and have too low of ground clearance to corner aggressively - but they have tons of power and torque, and are supposed to be a blast to ride. |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Art Webb on 12/04/15 at 09:06:07 I know Dave is right, it just bugs me to get on a cruiser expecting to just loaf along and wind up running 4k RPM at 60 If I change my thinking as I noted, then 4k doesn't seem all that frantic most of the riding we did on the sisters run and pretty much any highway running is, to me, in the 'frantic' part of the RPM range, though that's where the power is I like MMs idea of gearing up, and only using 5th for highway cruising, but haven't the resources to do that yet I also think the riding position is what does it to me, on a Standard the same RPM would bother me not at all Yesterday I stopped by the local Yamaha dealer and saw a new iteration of the Bolt It had a built-up seat with a 'cafe cowling' in the back, mid controls,and clip-on type bars Gave the bike a whole different feel, though I'd prefer the standard bar with that setup. I think the forward lean was more than on Dave's Cafe that bike I'd push with no qualms I really need to gather some resources an customize my bike, but right now I'm more focussed on improving my living situation, a 16x8 bunkhouse trailer is sorta cramped, as a homre |
|
Title: Re: Okay, I been cheatin' on ya Post by Sonny on 12/04/15 at 09:34:07 Dave said: ...this time an M109 was in front of me. He was really slow in the corners, and when we hit the straight he would open the throttle a bit and there was no way I could pass him. Another place you get this aggravation on 2-lane roads in TX is behind a heavy powerful pickup truck pulling a horse trailer or something similar. He is slow as dog in the turns, but when the double yellow line disappears he's pouring on the coal with his big engine and you can't overtake him. I used to think this was a jerk trying to ruin my day... then I realized he can't throw the livestock around in the turns and then he's trying to make up time in the straights. You can spend 30 or 40 minutes behind this kind of rig before you can get by him. Aargh. It's hard to figure why anyone would like a MC that forced that kind of behavior, though. A fair number of the M109s I encounter in DFW look to have been stripped to the frame and then built up with custom mods, wild LED systems, that sort of hoo-hah. To each his own I guess. |
|
SuzukiSavage.com » Powered by YaBB 2.2! YaBB © 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved. |