What is the thinking on these? Essential? Useful? Waste of money? I see some of you have them. Some have Suzuki OEM engine crash guards, others aftermarket highwaybars. Will they protect you or your legs? Protect the engine? I'm a new Savage/S40 Club member. I'm considering getting one.  Any thoughts?
p.s. This is a GREAT website message board!

i put bars and pegs on my bike looks good but the pegs are useless it puts your knees and legs to about your chin and im only 5.8 make for a uncomfuabul ride still cant stretch out

The Suzi bar is STRICTLY decoration.  A full sized one would be a nice addition, though.

So, the Suzuki OEM crash bar only works to support highway pegs? And do those satisfy people?  I read the post about knees against chin. I'm six feet and finding no cramping whatsoever with the Savage, at least so far from existing set up, but still......Moderator Rob has very very good and expensive highway bar. Is this the way to go if you want some protection AND something to put your feet on to stretch out if you take a longer highway ride? I have a future riding buddy up the street from me with a major Harley who wants to take some trips to the great Mississippi River Valley (it's better than the Rhine) next spring and summer. I want to start saving for upgrades during the winter. What's the best suggestion for bars and/or highway pegs?

If you ask me...all guards are only functional if the bike falls off the side stand.  No piece of pipe is gonna stop the force of bike and rider at any normal speed.  It might absorb some of the impact giving time to bail off the machine, but the weakest point has to be somewhere...either the frame or the guard.  I've seen a bunch of smashed guards on bikes and the bikes were totaled anyway.  Functionally, as the young folks say, it is just bling, bling.

The OEM guard is slim and small, but so is the Savage engine.  I tried a set of pegs on it for highway pegs and I hated it.  Felt like I was riding a bar stool with my knees up high.

The best other guard that I've seen is [Rob's].  Fits the Savage nicely and it is wider.  Might even be better for highway pegs, but I don't know.

At any rate, one thing that I dislike is the mounting of any guard (OEM especially).  U-bolts suck big time.  They scratch the frame paint and just make more places for rust.  Other more expensive bikes have guards and mounts "engineered" into the bikes.  Our poor little Savage didn't get that...it got aftermarket after thoughts only.

IMO- a good winter project would be this one.  If you want to mount a guard on the Savage, find a good little welding shop.  Cut some 1/4" x 1" pieces of steel (bought the bar stock from the same shop) and drill holes to match the guard mounts.  Then position the guard on the frame and mark the mounting locations.  Remove the guard and then sand off the paint in those areas....80-100 grit.

Now, re-mount the guard on the bike with your new steel mounts sandwiched between the guard and the frame...using the u-bolts that came with it   Remove your tank and the header pipe, too, and take the bike back to the shop....

The little welding shop that I found was actually tickled to get a welding job that wasn't normal.  A bike?  Cool.

This cost me $25 and only took one day.  First he tack welded the new mounts on the frame, removed the u-bolts and welded it 100%.  I picked it up, primed and painted the mounts, and the guard bolted right up with stainless bolts.  No more rust or scratched paint.

For those of you with a welder at home....I'm jealous.

cigaro wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:11:


It really is simple, if you think about it.  Just takes an extra effort.  Anyway, the seat....

10 MM socket, extension, and ratchet under the lower edges of the seat above the the side covers.  2 bolts.  That's it.

BTW - use our used to be "Technical Corner" for reference.  Good stuff in there.