woodworker wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:12:Purchased mine in July of 1986, put 148,000 K on it since and then did a major engine rebuild last winter, have approximately 6000 K to date since the rebuild.
I have it stripped down for the winter now and intend to repaint the fenders, tank, and side covers in early spring. I'm in the process of reshaping, installing 1/2" thick gel, and reupholstering the driver and passenger seats, and backrest (pillow style).
Since the engine was punched out to 695 cc's and allowed to breath properly, I have yet to come across any cruisers of any size i.e. harleys, hondas,victorys, yamahas, and of course suzukis, etc. that can touch it from 0 to 160 km/hr - the crotch rockets are another story !
Dang! That's a lot of miles! And it completely changes how I see the Savage. In addition to being fun to ride, maybe it's also a viable long term replacement for a car. I've got over 100K miles on both cages, so they will probably have to be replaced within a few years. If I can get 140K miles or so out of my Savage @50 mpg & peanuts for insurance, that beats the dog poop out of a $20K car @ 25mpg & $400/year for insurance. And staves off having to make car payments for a few more years. This bike's a keeper!