8)Morning everyone ... just got back for my morning walk and was thinking about, "just where is Suzuki going?"
Most agree, that this years introduction of the Boulevard S40 is a subtle improvement on the previous LS650 Savage ... but essentially, our beloved Thumper remains virtually unchanged ... and has been so since it's initial introduction in 1986.
With the Boulevard line-up of 'Zuki cruisers for 2005, most magazine articles I've read have hinted that it is only the first step in a total re-working of Suzuki's entire cruiser platform. Just what changes might be in store for the Savage/S40? Will it continue? Will it eventually be dropped altogether ... or will Suzuki introduce a whole new 650cc cruiser? Hard to say ...
This Spring, Hyosung Motors of South Korea will be introducing the GV650 Aquila to the American and Canadian motorcycle marketplace ... it is a "V-Rod" styled cruiser that houses Suzuki's tried-and-true SV650 V-twin powerplant. I'm sure that the market-moguls at Suzuki will be watching closely to see how well this Bike is received in North America ...

What're all your thoughts on this? How do you see the Savage/S40 evolving? What would you like to see?

A 485 pound liquid cooled V-twin, ho-hum.  I personally find it slightly less thrilling than a 485 pound pile of cow dung.   While it will probably sell adaquately the world really does not need yet another cloned baby Hawg.

If I wanted useless weight I could strap a couple of barbell plates to the sides of the Savage.

What saves the Savage so far is the fact that it is unique.  Suzuki is happy that there is not similar motorcycle made by Honda /with XL650 engine in/ or Yamaha /with Raptor engine/, because LS650 will be dead in the water immidiately. Our bikes here are exeptions. All of us are enthusiasts and we make-up for the Suzuki's mistakes. The average MC owner doesn't want to tinker. And the average owner is the one that determines the number of sales.

Interesting comments ... though I think we all know why we love our Thumpers so much ... but given that 'Zuki is in the process of re-vamping their entire Crusier line-up, do you think they'll keep the S40 around, or do you think that model will be dropped?

My guess is they'll likely keep it around for the same reasons they've kept it around for the past several years.  They recovered their R&D long ago and anything above cost is just gravy now.

Hi all, Dave here, 03 Savage, lurker who finally joined the fold...
Got my (practically new) thumper about 6 months ago, and in this short time have become somehat "defensive" over the bike. So few even know what a Savage/S40 is, and with "bike inflation" it seems anything that isn't a V Twin 800 gets at best a polite nod as a possible starter bike. I always stress to folks the fact that the thumper is an inexpensive, simple, extremely fun bike.
So much of the Savage's future lies in marketing...it is the only major single piston "lightweight" cruiser around. When I was searching for that 1st bike, I was looking for a bike that would "last" and keep me entertained, while being easy to grow on, as well as inexpensive to own. The LS650 was the only choice based on everything I read from it's "real" owners.
It's Suzuki's call...the S40 isn't a high profit machine. They don't "push" it like their other bikes. But it is such a unique animal, and with some minor engineering tweaks to fix well known issues, this bike could be the ideal fun bike...it has a niche that the marketers haven't bothered to discover or exploit. I get so annoyed that so many think anything less that a Sportster isn't a bike...even that bike is gaining ground as a "girlie" bike...but that's another thread.
I'd love to see Suzi fix the well known issues on this bike, and begin to take their unique machine seriously. It is a wonderful ride to learn on, and can very obviously satisfy the owner long after the "training wheels" are off. It's user friendly, maintainable, and very ridable.
As my miles slowly build up, I am really getting to enjoy this ride...I am just frustrated at times that it is all but ignored by the community, and perhaps underappreciated by it's very manufacturer...at least here in the USA.
It's a great bike...fix the bugs and sell it for what it is, a wonderfully fun ride.
Love my bike, and am glad to finally "surface" among you all...good riding to all.
Dave

Dave,
I'm surely new to the LS650 - 2 weeks into it, but sure seems like a fine ride, so fine in fact, that I doubt it will continue much longer. Once you do the basics, make it breath better with a pipe (jardine on this one) and freeer flowing intake air (k&n su6595 today), richen it up to match the air flow (~2 turns out on the pilot mixture ->152.5 or 155 jet and a half spacer this weekend), get it happy with synthetic oil (no clutch slipage with 10w40 mobil 1 mx4t here - maybe 20w50 for summer or 1 of each 15w45?), pickup a Clymer M384-2 manual, you have a bike that with just routine maintenance will in all likely hood run many years and top 100k miles without much dealer involvement. Even a re-ring is fairly simple for a shadetree. I believe that companies want to make more than this on post sales parts and service, so in will come a multi cylinder, computerized, fuel injected replacement. Yes such engines make more power and get more from the gasoline they burn - like the new outboard 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines, all is good until the check engine light and alarm comes on, and then it's off to the dealer to find out what is wrong. I expect bikes to follow cars and boats - why not?
Gary

Paladin. wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:02:

Paladin, my friend...
I just do not understand that comment....
I agree with most of the views expressed here, and I am centrainly surprised with the fact that this beautiful machine does not get as much attention from the general MC community nor from its manufacturer,   but as long as my thumper keeps thumping and I can find piston rings, spark plugs, filters and brake pads, and so on,  I'll probably not care what Suzi does to its line-up; I already have a Savage  
I would certainly complain when Suzi stops making spare parts,    but again, piston rings and the other stuff may be aftermarket;   I just need it to keep thumping  
Take care,

RW