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Message started by mem on 05/24/16 at 13:46:01

Title: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by mem on 05/24/16 at 13:46:01

I am a new member and started this thread as an answer to Gus who asked me why my went from a Savage to a V-Star 650 then back to a Savage. My wife absolutely loved her 2003 Savage she purchased new in 2003. She kept looking at various bkes and after sittng a 650 VSstar custom decided to purchase one in 2014. After riding it a few thousand miles she began to feel she did not have complete control over the bike.
She had ridden thousands of miles on her Savage. We live in Baltimore Md. and she rode to Quebec in the north to Tennessee in the south, while I followed her on my Sportster. On the V-Star she rode less and less. She said she let the hype of having a v- twin go to her head and she also preferred the big singles torque factor. She is 5 feet zero and will be 68 years old on June 1. I think the size and weight of the V-Star intimidaated her so, she traded up to the like new 2014 Savage she recently purchased 2 weeks ago. She has already put over 1000 miles on it. She says it's like coming home again and is glad to be back in the saddle.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by springman on 05/24/16 at 13:58:27

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by DesertRat on 05/24/16 at 14:05:23

sweet story ...

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Kris01 on 05/24/16 at 18:05:55

I've never owned a V-twin. I assume they're smoother but do they have a noticeable amount of bottom end torque missing?

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by KennyG on 05/24/16 at 20:16:14

I have had many V-Twins and what they may lack in torque they usually make up with horsepower.

As far as a smooth ride, with minimal vibration, all the Jap V-Twins excel on the Interstates.

Harley sells to people that want a Harley and nothing else. Sales have been dismal on the Street 500 & 750 and the V-rod has never sold in any great numbers, because to a Harley rider liquid cooled engines are not Harley.

Most of us eventually settle on a motorcycle that suits our specific needs. If I was still trying to pick up girls at The Little Pig Diner System I would definitely have a Harley, probably a soft tail. If I was touring I would want a Gold Wing...

Kenny G

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/25/16 at 00:48:53

I rode with a guy who had a V star, once. They look good, but can't even almost keep up.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Kris01 on 05/25/16 at 17:57:49

Thanks Kenny. That's what I thought.

JOG, I've heard that a lot about the V-Stars.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by KennyG on 05/25/16 at 20:31:14

I had a V-Star about 5 years ago and I didn't have any trouble keeping up with any of the road bikes that the guys I rode with had, including the big Harleys.

The V-Stars have a notoriously lousy clutch, but there is a guy that makes a Clever Lever to correct the problem. Yamaha, much like Suzuki, never admits to a problem or corrects a problem. Someday the recalls will catch up with motorcycle manufacturers like it has with Toyota and Volkswagen.....

Most guys seldom ride anywhere near the maximum speed that their bike is capable of.

Knowing when to shift gears has a lot to do with going fast.

Kenny G

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Gus on 05/25/16 at 20:33:41

Interesting story mem, thanks for the reply

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by mem on 05/26/16 at 06:15:23

You are welcome Gus. Kenny G you are right. The V- star had no trouble keeping up with any of my buddies when either of us rode it. I ride a Sportster 1200 and a Ninja 500 R. My wife always kept up with me, but as you guys know there is a fun factor that is hard to explain about riding the
Savage/ S650. I thoroughly enjoyed riding her old one and I am sure I will enjoy her new one as well. As I am now 70 years old I find myself riding my Ninja more than the sportster, as the Sportster is a much heavier machine. Many of my buddies have turned to trikes, but I have ridden them and they are really not a motorcycle. I will stick to small light weight bikes and there might enen be a Savage in my future.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by KennyG on 05/26/16 at 06:46:46

Mem,

I am 78 years old and my legs are no longer strong enough to back up anything much over 400 pounds. So I chose to go with lighter bikes rather than a trike or a Spyder.

One buddy of mine bought a SlingShot and it is cool, but it is not a motorcycle.

I always liked the big Thumpers, and now I have a good reason to have a couple of them.

Ride Safe

Kenny G

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by 12Bravo on 05/26/16 at 07:44:32

The V Star 650 is a slug from the factory. Once it is properly tuned and both intake and exhaust opened up, they will run. The clutch complaints are common with both the 650 and 110 V Star.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/26/16 at 07:49:33

She is 5 feet zero and will be 68 years old on June 1.

Just be THRILLED that she is healthy and gutsy enough To ride.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Art Webb on 05/26/16 at 07:57:11

According to performance info in moto mags, the v star actually has a faster 1/4 mile time than the savage, but at 15+ seconds neither on will stay with a Ninja 500R ridden even semi aggressively, as the 500 can turn in sub 13 second runs
the Ninja 500 will also run very happily at highway speeds that will leave the S40 or the v star a spec in the mirrors, will also out corner either cruiser, given a rider of equal skill
to say that either will stay with a Ninja 500 is to say they will do so as long as the rider of the Ninja allows them to do so

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by 12Bravo on 05/26/16 at 08:18:03

54474142505757350 wrote:

Very true. My son had a Ninja 500 for a while. I refused to ride it knowing that I would only get myself in trouble with it.

Mem, sounds like the best choice was made for your wife. The S40 is way easier to handle at slow speed compared to the V Star.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Gus on 05/26/16 at 08:49:54

Quote:

Mem, sounds like the best choice was made for your wife. The S40 is way easier to handle at slow speed compared to the V Star.

Is the VStar that much heavier? Or is it something else about the bike?

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by old_rider on 05/26/16 at 08:57:35

27283F22292174292A2274460 wrote:

Quote:

Mem, sounds like the best choice was made for your wife. The S40 is way easier to handle at slow speed compared to the V Star.

Is the VStar that much heavier? Or is it something else about the bike?

Google says the V-star 650 weighs in at 471lbs dry and 514lbs wet
verses the savage/S40 at 381lbs wet
the V-star is a much bulkier bike

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Ruttly on 05/26/16 at 10:15:40

Learned to ride on a single , rode them for many years , always wanted a sportster , now that I have it I don't ride it much , fun & plenty fast but it's heavy in turns & under 15 mph it just want to fall over! Nothing like riding a light fast agile big single it put the fun & adventure back in riding for me !
KISS = keep it simple stupid

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by mem on 05/26/16 at 10:31:15

All of you guys are right of course. When I say she could keep up with me I meant in touring mode .Like a Corvette is much faster than a sports
sedan when driven at legal limits anything on the street can keep up with it..Both bikes have about the same power and would probably be in the same quarter mile class based on rider. Once when I was young none of the bikes I own now, would have satisfied me. Yes I am thrilled that my wife rides and there is a certain amount of pride when the guys ridig thier big Harleys say "You got here on that" when we are a thousand miles from home.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by mem on 05/26/16 at 10:42:43

Sorry I didn't answer your question Gus. Yes the V-Star Custom the wife had was almost 100 pounds heavier. The clutch was hard to modulate even with the fix, I purchased for it on the internet. For her it was much more difficult to handle. Bigger is not always better. I learned this the hard way, because I talked her into the Star. I have learned that each rider has to ride what they are comfortable handling. What suprises me about tis site is the number of older guys on here. I assumed they would be a much younger crowd.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Gus on 05/26/16 at 11:06:25

Right, the Savage/S40 is a starter bike! Try to tell some of this crowd that. Be easier to push a rope over a fence[ch55357][ch56844]

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by mem on 05/26/16 at 11:56:35

The Savage is considered a starter bike by many as is the Ninja 500 R which I ride. It is also an ender bike too and for those in the middle as well.Most of us do not ride anywhere near the capabilities of the big sport bikes. Yes the grand tourers put out by most of the motorcycle companies have large capacity fuel tanks and are really comfortabe for a long day on the road, they are also very complex and very heavy. Many of us myself included are influenced by advertisements and our large egos. For my wife and myself [I have back and neck issues] who are older, her Savage and my Nina and Sportster allow us to continue to enjoy riding motorcycles a lot longer..

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Art Webb on 05/26/16 at 18:47:56

The Savage and Ninja 500 are both considered starter bikes, but truly, neither is, unless you just want bigger / faster, which comes at more weight and slower handling
I've never ridden a Sporty, much less a big twin, though i am jealous of the way they'll roll 70 with the motors just ticking over, but I've ridden big tourers, big sportbikes up to the 2012 GSXR1000, and a few large Metric cruisers, and I cam say with certainty that I could live happily with the Savage for my whole riding career, if it just had a real 5th gear, and the same goes for the Ninja 500, if it only had a readily replaceable bar
I've thought about an older Vulcan 500, if i find one, as a sort of medium between the two, or, if I was flush with cash, the Ninja 650 currently produced (with a readily replaceable bar)
I still sort of want a big dual sport, though

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by DesertRat on 05/26/16 at 20:05:55

why the v-star 650 over the S50?

Vstar = 513lbs
S50 = 443lbs
S40 = 352lbs

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by mem on 05/27/16 at 04:49:07

I too covet a big dual sport but they are so tall that it makes it difficult for me to hold up. As far as the ninja 500 goes there are ways ti fix the bar problem. I bought a kit which is still made, to raise mine an inch, which seems miniscule but was more effective than you mght think And yes to Desert Rat an S50 would be lighter and a decent alternative to the v-tar.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Kris01 on 05/27/16 at 06:46:41

I can't remember what the complaint was but the S50 supposedly has electrical gremlins or something. I looked at buying one but could only find negative reviews at the time. It's a good looking bike though.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Art Webb on 05/27/16 at 07:04:30

I had the Motorcycle Larry risers, too, never did get them put on, too busy riding ;)
I have short arms in relation to my torso, so the forward lean was a bit more for me than it might be for others, but it was more the hips than the arms that kept me off, I needed taller bars for less lean to take some stress off the hips
DSs don't have the higher pegs even a semi sport does, and the height doesn't worry me much
I've ridden a C50, and it felt like A$$
heavy, clumsy, not a chance I'd buy one

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/27/16 at 23:45:51

I went looking at the 800 v twin. The salesman talked me out of it. He pointed out that to change the oil, you drop part of the exhaust. And pointed out the dismal, minimal straight line performance difference. Ohh, it Looks good, but, so does the v star.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by 12Bravo on 05/28/16 at 09:59:18

I had an older VS 750 Intruder (S50 with buck horns) and it was a nice bike with plenty of power. The S50 is a nice bike and is light weight for a V Twin. Oil changes are easy on them since it uses a spin-on filter located in front the the motor. The only pain I had was changing the battery, I had to roll the back wheel onto a couple of boards to get enough clearance to get the battery out.

The only bike that I had that required the exhaust to be dropped in order to change the oil filter was the V Star 1100.

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by Serowbot on 05/28/16 at 15:25:01

092129213036440 wrote:

I assumed they would be a much younger crowd.

I don't wanna' grow up.. ;D

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by pg on 05/28/16 at 15:35:04

That little v-twin by yamy sure looks good. I hear they run forever, just don't go above 60 mph, the vibrations are supposed to be horrible.

Best regards,

Title: Re: Savage 650 vs v-star 650
Post by mem on 05/28/16 at 16:32:14

The V-Star does look good. I would have liked to have kept the bike, but the wife pointed out we had no room for 4 motorcycles. I ride a sportster too, and it is an 02. Not rubber mounted. Everyone says they vibrate something awful. I started out on parallel twin Triumphs and they shook a lot. I liked the Sportster for it's old school looks. While it does vibrate it adds to the fun of riding it. I have ridden 500 mile days on her and never minded a bit. I recenty bought a Ninja 500r, nice bike, parallel twin also, it vibrates too. Rode that V-Star 70-75 mph on the interstste, enjoyed the hell out of it. I guess it all depends on what you are use to.