Well after a few weeks of playing around, I finally put my bike to work...or took it to work more correctly.  The commute was not the longest ride I've taken (22 miles each way - no freeway) but it did involve the most challenges.  Lots of traffic, semi trucks, hondas wanting to race (no thanks), cars suddenly stoping or turning without warning, and so on.  But I did learn a few things:

1) There are some nice drivers out there - this was surprising to me having driven in the Los Angeles area for 20+ years now.  I assumed everyone was mean or indifferent.
2) The mean and indifferent drivers have more of an impact on the scooter than they do on the cage - not a surprise, but it's one thing to know it and another to experience it.
3) I need gloves with fingers if I'm going to ride at 5am.
4) I like my "no fog" googles a lot.
5) I need to commute on my scooter more often.

Do most of you have a Savage commute daily, or do you mix it up?

I commute everyday. Rain, shine whatever. At least so far, I've taken a couple of longer rides when it was cold and it got tough.

22 miles each way, Mon, tues and fridays..occasionally weds also.  Too much to carry on thursdays, I do take the car if its raining in the am, don't like working in wet clothes.

Right now I ride on Monday and Saturday to work. Want to ride more, but how the heck I'm going pick up my 2 boys from my Mom's house after work. Have to wait til the boys can get home by themselves then I can do daily scooting and enjoy splitting lane each way (God, I love California!)

Mine is a daily round-trip commute of 48 miles with about half on Dallas freeways and the rest city/suburbs.  I ride the bike most of the time but opt for the Suzuki SUV in particularly harsh weather or if I have errands to run requiring greater carrying capacity.  It seems to work out to 3-4 days a week most weeks... 4 this week.  I use the same philosophy on weekends.  If I need greater carrying capacity, I use the cage.  Otherwise I prefer the bike.  Riding keeps me sane - or at least less insane.

My commute is 24 miles each way. Sometimes it is 70+ mph, other times it is 15-20mph riding between the lanes in heavy traffic, cursing the long mirrors on SUVs. But I get to school on time and cagers do not. This is my revenge time on cagers for all the times when they put me in danger. (I had an accident years ago on yamaha535. The driver made a left u-turn out of the parking space right in front of me, I did not even brake I think, it was so fast!) Now I am much more careful on Savage (because it feels horrible to see you bike smashed and oh yeh! the pain of course)

I ride 5 days a week unless it is raining when time to leave.  It is a 4 mile one way commute.  Usually ride home for lunch.  In Arizona if it rains during the day, it will usually clear up by quiting time. We can pretty much ride year round.  Weather is nice.  If I did not ride to work, I couldn't get nearly as much riding in.  Last year I caught a little rain only twice.  Summers at times the asphalt sort of melts under the tire.  When parking in the summer, I usually put a metal lid under the kick stand.  I find wearing a helmet is actually cooler than not wearing a helmet. Would not commute without a helmet.

Hi!  I am a beginning rider, and I just picked up a 2000 Savage on Tuesday.  I am trying to ride it as much as possible before the weather gets too cold, and the snow flies. (I live in Canada).  I also took a safety course, so I do know the basic safe riding techniques.
Plus, I figure just time on the bike will give me the best experience.

So far, I've ridden the Savage on four one hour rides to different appointments, and I did a shorter ride today.
I will try doing the hour drive into work on the sunny days next week too.  Ironically, the bike only had 7,415 kilometres on it when I bought it, and I've put on @ 400 just this week.   Yet, I bought it for commuting to work.

Glad to have this website to get ideas about Savages, and meet  fellow Savage riders.

DianeS.