SuzukiSavage.com /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Going to look at a SAVAGE /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1552152688 Message started by jonahbronah on 03/09/19 at 09:31:27

Title: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jonahbronah on 03/09/19 at 09:31:27 Very excited to be checking out a savage tomorrow morning in Orange, CA.  The bike is a 2011 s40 with only 3000 miles.  It has a rebuilt carb and new battery.  This all leads me to believe that this guy bought the bike a while back, rode it a bit, then let it sit and fixed it up recently to sell it. He's asking $2700 so to me it seems like a steal.  I really just want to know the do's and dont's of motorcycle buying from craigslist. Thanks guys! ;D

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/09/19 at 10:21:54 Don't get in the trunk. If he says Get in the car. I'll take you to it, don't. If you're gonna pay cash, split the cash up. Don't drool all over the place. Don't know what the header looks like under that. It's gonna need stuff, so try to get it cheap. Look up the blue book on it. The tires are tired And old.  That's not cheap.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by norm92de on 03/09/19 at 12:05:25 For what it is worth. I paid just under $4000 for my brand new 2014 S40. I bought it in 2015. Also, so many "unskilled" owners mess with their bikes which is obviously not good. Why was the carb rebuilt? Locally I have seen practically brand new S40s, just a few hundred miles on them, for less than $3000. Anyway, I advise a cautious approach especially on price. Good luck.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by norm92de on 03/09/19 at 12:12:46 Another thought. From the picture it looks like no front fender and the tank looks like it has been repainted?? Bear in mind, enthusiastic but less than competent mechanics are not a good thing. It looks like it is far from stock.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by oldNslow on 03/09/19 at 12:29:49 Blue book value for a 2011 S40 in my zip code is 2640. That's what a dealer would price an excellent condition, unmolested, completely stock example on his showroom floor. The bike in the picture doesn't fall into that category. Modifications of unknown competence performed by the bikes owner lower the value substantially. The tires. if they are the originals, which they probably are since the bike has only 3000 miles on it, will need to be replaced. Even if the tread is not worn out, eight year old tires are not safe. Even if the bike in the picture runs perfectly - which I'd be willing to be it doesn't - it's not worth anywhere near 2700 IMO.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by LANCER on 03/09/19 at 12:38:08 8 years old: ok... 3k miles:  good... clean carb and new battery:  good... Original tires ?  Oh no, as noted above they need to be replaced now,      original tires get hard and slippery within 5 years... The tank is a different color, is that due to dents on the R side ? Is it running well ? I assume that I sent the stock muffler painted black. Thought about a Dyna/Sportster muffler, or something similar/better ?

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by Dave on 03/09/19 at 13:43:16 It appears the last guy that looked at it "lost his lunch" on the pavement! I am not all that up to date on California pricing - but in the Cincinnati area that is not a great price.....or a pristine bike. The tank should be two tone color, the engine should be silver, it should have a front fender, the exhaust should be chrome.....this bike has been worked over in a very negative way. It should look like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZT6h-lyjc [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZT6h-lyjc[/media] Don't get in too big of a hurry.....shop around a bit and the right bike will come along.  It is not hard to find a nice Savage at a good price - you just need to look around for a couple of months. Try using Tempest Search or Cycle Trader to look for a better bike.  It is much easier/cheaper to buy a good bike the first time.....than it is to buy a lemon and have to fix a bunch of problems.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by LANCER on 03/09/19 at 13:56:39 Fender missing, painted dented tank, engine and muffler; bike may have gone down.  Check the pegs, R brake & shifter levers, turn signals, etc for road rash.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/09/19 at 14:50:55 I can't imagine having no fender. I get an occasional shot of sand in the throat even with one. If you decide you want one, that's expense. The tank is not cool. I think, even if it runs great, I wouldn't want to be in it over 1800 or so.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by batman on 03/09/19 at 16:35:19 Even if it runs well ,replacement of stock parts ,exhaust header,muffler ,chrome cover between muffler and header, gas tank-painted- (with tank emblems) , fender -painted, Total--$1,383.25 at Ron Ayers' dealership. $2700 - $1383 =$1317 (run that by the seller).Myself ,I wouldn't offer over 1800 and start at 1500,providing the bike is in good running order.  Nice of the owner to park it in the only shade to take the pic. ::)

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by verslagen1 on 03/09/19 at 18:12:25 If you need a fender let me know.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by norm92de on 03/09/19 at 19:55:27 In short . Walk away!

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by norm92de on 03/10/19 at 11:27:54 There is a really nice looking 2014 S40 with only 690 miles on craigslist EL Paso. The bike is located in Benson Arizona. The man wants $4000 OBO. I wouldn't mind betting it would go for a lot less. Not too far from California. :)

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by SoC on 03/10/19 at 11:39:48 My local dealer in here Jersey has a brand new 2017 leftover advertised for $3799.00. All blacked out, a sharp looker.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by Dave on 03/11/19 at 04:44:28 The sad thing is......johahbronah has not signed back onto this site since he made his post, and he likely has not seen any of the "Good Advice" that we have offered. :(

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jonahbronah on 03/11/19 at 20:51:12 I have seen all of your guys’ posts! Haha Thank you all! I actually drove out to the guys place and he was a no call no show. I might try again but not really sure. I’m going to continue looking. The longer I wait the more I can save up to get a slightly nicer bike or to get better gear. I’m located in San Fernando valley in California for anyone that might have any clues for a bike nearby. Thank you guys again for all the advice.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jcstokes on 03/12/19 at 02:47:27 Some would say the lack of a front fender, doesn't help the handling.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jonahbronah on 03/12/19 at 09:31:13 In my search for my first bike i have become attached in a sense to 3 particular bikes.  All with their own attractive features.  First, the s40 of course. Just kind of a reliable brute for everyday cruising.  Next the newer honda rebel for its affordability and apparent reliability with fuel injection instead of carb.  Finally the yamaha Bolt which i don't know too much about except that its within the same price range, and its quite a bit more powerful than the s40.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by Dave on 03/12/19 at 10:07:49 There isn't much that would attract me to the Bolt......it is not a stellar bike and a 540 pound motorcycle is not a big asset when you are learning to ride and are not yet over the "dropsy's". The Savage is a bike I personally like - the larger Honda Rebel 500 would also be a bike I would not be afraid to own.....provided long trips on the interstate were not going to be in my future.  The Rebel 300 might even be OK if I was stuck in a city environment and seldom needed to go over 60 mph.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by oldNslow on 03/12/19 at 11:53:14 For a first motorcycle, I don't think you could go wrong with a Savage/S40 as long as you could find a fairly new, under maybe ten years old, low mileage ( 5 to 10K) example in stock condition that has not been "customized" by the previous owner(s) for a reasonable price. These bikes are light, easy to ride, and comfortable. They are also simple, dependable, and inexpensive to maintain, and the folks on this site will happily walk you thru anything you need to do. They are also surprisingly capable all around motorcycles. They are nimble in traffic and easy to maneuver in tight quarters. The engine is very docile while just cruising around but still has enough power to deal with long stints of highway riding at 70 -75 mph if you need to do that. I have  taken multi-day trips on mine that involved hours of droning along the interstates  (sucks but sometimes you have no choice) with no ill effects on either me or the bike. My 2006, which I've had for five or so years now, was two other guys' first bike before it came to me. It wasn't my first motorcycle by a long shot but it may well be my last. I have another bike right now in addition to the S40 - a Sportster. If I was ever forced to just keep one it would be the Suzuki. It does everything that I need a motorcycle to do.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jonahbronah on 03/12/19 at 13:37:32 The more i look into rebel 500's the more i find bikes that are either a little out of my price range or older 250cc versions so maybe that can be for some time in the future.  the more i look at s40's, especially the new ones, the more i like them.  I just found a 2008 s40 near Sacramento from a  dealership that is letting it go for $2299 (hopefully closer to 2k after negotiation).  They said it has a new battery and rebuilt carb and has gone through inspection.  I'm worried about tires because its older and the shop didn't change the tires when they got it, so they are likely fairly old.  But Sacramento is a 5 hour drive for me so i want to be sure

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jcstokes on 03/12/19 at 16:45:14 If it still has IRC tyres on it, I would get rid of the back one at least, IRC's dont like the wet or uneven tarred surfaces, or tar snakes.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jonahbronah on 03/12/19 at 18:48:18 What’s an IRC?

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by oldNslow on 03/12/19 at 19:34:30 6A626469617A3132000 wrote: What’s an IRC? IRC is a tire brand. New S40s come with IRC tires on them from the factory so if the bike you are looking at has IRC tires on it there is a pretty good chance that they have been on there since the bike was new. The IRCs don't have a very good reputation on the Savage site. Just about everyone replaces them with something else once they wear out. Tires have a date code stamped on the sidewall. Look for the letters DOT followed by a series of numbers. The last 4 of those numbers are the date code.  For example, if the last four digits are 2517 the tire was made in the 25th week of 2017.  So, May of 2017. The recommendation of most tire manufactures is that tires over six years old should be replaced even if the tread is not worn out. $2299 for the 08 sounds like a fair price as long as the bike is stock and in good overall condition. Look at the tires and see how old they are. If they are too old, instead of trying to negotiate the price of the bike, see if the dealer will replace them for you as part of the deal.

Title: Re: Going to look at a SAVAGE Post by jcstokes on 03/12/19 at 20:37:14 If you do get them to replace the tyres, don't let them put more IRC's on. There is a Shinko brand which is very popular here as good value for money.

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