SuzukiSavage.com - How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?

slavy

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #15 - 11/14/05 at 22:25:03

I was used to hate the Savages- always leaking oil from the head plug, all the time somebody will seize the bike because did not wach the oil, and so on.
But one day somebody brought his Savage so I can fix it for him at home. After I fixed the bike I called him, but he was on a business trip, so I had the bike for a week. I rode it around and I liked the way it felt. Couple of months latter the bike started having problems again and the guy decided to get rid of it. I offered him $1000 for the brocken bike /that was what he paied for it/, and we made the deal. I found that the cam chain was way stretched and finaly the cam chain tentioner poped out and broke. I replaced the chain and the tentioner and the bike was singing. I sold it at a significant profit and decided that these bikes are not so bad after all. I bought second brocken one, fixed it and sold it, but in the mean time I rode it and again loved the bike. This repeated couple more times and now I have one and my wife has one.

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mpescatori

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #16 - 11/15/05 at 08:27:23

I bought my first 'proper' bike at 19 (1979), it was a Ducati 450 Scrambler, big bore single with kick-start only. The other dudes stopped pestering me when I dared a local hotshot a lap around the town square, starting from a cold engine... he couldn't even start it ! Grin

In 1986 Suzuki introduces the Savage in Europe a definitive clone to the Ducati (which may fetch 8000-10.000$ at collectors' auctions these days Undecided

), but I was saving up to get married... :'(

The the typical mid-life crisis comes along, I'm 45, what do I do?
'Honey, I'll be late from work tonight'
and next thing you know I'm thumping my way into the driveway... Grin

Maurizio

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
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Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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Felipe

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #17 - 11/15/05 at 08:46:03

Its a power rating thing. Here in Europe you gets your licence with a power restriction for the first two years, after which you can ride anything. But for those first two years its 34bhp max. This narrows your choices down to a 250 or something bigger with the carbs or CDU injection unit restricting the flow so as not to generate more than the allotted 34bhp. All in all a bit of a pain. Or, buy a Savage! 32bhp rated unrestricted and nice and simple with it. Had mine since July and am utterly delighted with it. A tad on the small side - I'm 6'1'' - but I can do 60 mile runs without leg ache - monkey butt is more of a problem. A proper bike.

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Trump2Thump

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #18 - 11/15/05 at 10:40:33

I went from Trump to Thump, as the name implies...... i had a 72 Triumph Daytona that i absolutely adored...... it had been sitting since 98 and i was moving to Florida at the beginning of the year so i put an ad on Craig's List and did an even swap for an 88 Maroon Savage....... as much as i loved my Triumph, it needed some work and i wanted a bike that was in great running condition and would need very little maintenance....... she found a good home and I absolutely love the Thumper...... it's everything i could want in a motorcycle, low seat, forward controls, swept back bars and that beautiful explosion when i turn her off...... if it had a kick start this would be a perfect machine......

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I'm livin' and dyin' in 3/4 time.....

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barb36jack31

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #19 - 11/15/05 at 15:50:37

I started riding at age 16 (Now am 74) and have had a lot of bikes. In the 50's I rode big singles - Ariel Red Hunter, Norton ES2 and BSA Gold Star. All were 500cc. Loved the thumpers! As time went on, I had KLR 650, Suzuki Dr 650, Honda NX 650.

Shifted to Beemers and long haul riding. Loved the boxer twin too! When advancing age dictated a change to something smaller, sleeker more nimble, I again looked to the big singles. Found a 2005 S40 with 700 miles on it and jumped at it. Am now in the process of soaking up all the info I can from you good folks and planning to do all the mods next spring.

This is a great website!

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05 S40 , air needle adjustment, white spacer, 152.5 main jet, K&N filter, SuperTrapp muffler, Progressive shocks , sissy bar off

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cigaro

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #20 - 11/15/05 at 16:59:06

Just wanted to say that I am totally humbled by Barb36Jack31! You are a real two-wheel man who's been there and I hope you make entries often. You have a lot of history and wisdom to impart. Fifty-eight years of riding! I think it's simply tremendous that you have joined our Savage Thumper world! I feel the same way you do about this website. I'm learning something new every day and feel like there are any number of people that I can contact personally to ask Savage-specific questions. This website is really a TREMENDOUS resource. Suzuki should be supporting it. Welcome to the Savage World Barb36Jack31. Enjoy!

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LANCER

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #21 - 11/15/05 at 17:20:51

barb36jack31 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:11:

I started riding at age 16 (Now am 74) and have had a lot of bikes. In the 50's I rode big singles - Ariel Red Hunter, Norton ES2 and BSA Gold Star. All were 500cc. Loved the thumpers! As time went on, I had KLR 650, Suzuki Dr 650, Honda NX 650.

Shifted to Beemers and long haul riding. Loved the boxer twin too! When advancing age dictated a change to something smaller, sleeker more nimble, I again looked to the big singles. Found a 2005 S40 with 700 miles on it and jumped at it. Am now in the process of soaking up all the info I can from you good folks and planning to do all the mods next spring.

This is a great website!

Welcome from another "not quite as old" thumper fan...and former Goldstar owner... from way back.

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diesel

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #22 - 11/15/05 at 22:04:56

Hey Barb 36, we followed same path. started with a Whizzer when I was 15, 73 now, had a lot of 125 250, 350 and 500 thumpers up through the 70s. had an R 50 bemmer in late 50s, but my long haulers were wings untill I coulde'nt keep 'em up with the wife on any longer, so we went to trikeing, last year wife got a new hip, could'nt ride for a spell,I needed a light solo ride I could still keep up at a stop with week knees and shoulders, WALLA, a 50s thumper again, the LS 650, PERFECT. thst's how I got back on a thumper again. Bill aka diesel.

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Trippah Serious Thumper Offline I ride, therefore I am. Posts: 2517 central Mass Gender:	Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40? Reply #23 - 11/16/05 at 16:56:08 Great Gods, since i am turning 60 this winter, I am still a pup comparatively- the best part i should get a least a decade more of riding in While I love the look of the Goldies, I think I am getting very comfortable withe the savages' ergos. Barb36jack31 and diesel- you give us all hope. Thanks
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barb36jack31

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #24 - 11/16/05 at 17:24:39

Hey Diesel - We sure did start out the same way. My Grandfather had a Whizzer(one of the first ones that had a lever for a throttle and you bolted the rear pulley to the spokes of your bike wheel) He let me ride it all the time, and I was hooked! I too went to a trike two summers ago, but the lure of the thumper was too strong. I still have my Honda 750 trike, but my big single Suzie really steals the show!

Thanks to all for your kind words. I sure like this site!

Jack H.

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05 S40 , air needle adjustment, white spacer, 152.5 main jet, K&N filter, SuperTrapp muffler, Progressive shocks , sissy bar off

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diesel

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #25 - 11/16/05 at 21:31:46

Trippah, only a decade? he !!, I'm looking for more than that yet. I have a couple of fellow riders, one rides a PC 800 is 81 and the other, also 81, rides a '93 GL 1500 Motor Trike conversion with 190k mi. on it. never had valve covers off of it, would you belive that? you'd just have to here it run to belive it. uses NO oil, sounds like new. he!!ave machine, that GL 1500. really love my LS 650, but I think 190k mi. is never, never land for it.

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Richard Amirault

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #26 - 11/18/05 at 07:37:30

My first bike was a Honda 160 ... didn't have a car .. rode the bike all year here in the New England area. Got rid of it after I got a car ... later bought a small thumper (Kawasaki 250) ... rode that for a few years .. including a vacation trip from Boston to Florida and back .. then got rid of that.

Didn't have anything for a long, long time, then started to get the itch again.

I liked my 250 so I did some research on what was out there .. thumper wise .. found the Savage and decided it was just the ticket. Big enough, but not too big, and the price was nice. When I found a salvage bike (it had been rear-ended) that was "one year old" and HAD LESS THAN 100 MILES ON IT .. I snapped it up right away.

Even after repairing the damage I still saved about $1000 over a brand new bike. I'm happy.

Richard in Boston, MA, USA

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WD

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #27 - 11/19/05 at 23:22:35

Couldn't afford the used FXR I was looking at. Had signed the note for a V-Star 650, on a whim went to the Suzuki shop. Cancelled the Yamaha note and bought the Savage instead. Reminded me a LOT of a bike I had for a short time in college (beat to pieces AJS chopper). I love British bikes, but loathe Lucas electrical bits. A modernized AJS/Matchless with Japanese electrical bits? No brainer...
-WD

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Savage_Rob

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #28 - 11/20/05 at 08:56:57

For me it was a logical choice. I prefer the cruiser style and I am a really big fan of simplicity and durability. I also didn't want to spend a whole lot on a bike. Since it had been almost 15 years since I'd owned a bike. I was looking around and doing some reading to catch up a bit. In that research I read about the Savage and it seemd to fit the bill pretty well. It's slightly small but not uncomfortably so since I'm 5' 9". As I rarely ride 2-up, it's not an issue. While there isn't a slew of aftermarket parts made for it, that's not too much of a problem either. So far, I am completely happy with it.

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savage99

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Re: How You Came to Ride a Savage/S40?
Reply #29 - 11/23/05 at 08:12:01

I got my 99 Savage in spring of 2004. Did not have my MC license yet. Got my friends to teach me how to ride and got my MC license in August. I love riding the Savage to work and back as much as I can. Even took it to Americade this spring Grin

.
Had to fix a leak from the valve cover late this summer.
I like being able to fix it myself and I love how easy the Savage is to ride. I'm not a big guy so it's just the right size for me.

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