SuzukiSavage.com - Why do I have a 4-Speed?

New_Savage

Ex Member

Why do I have a 4-Speed?
03/31/06 at 03:12:59

I realize that this is a very old topic (2004), but I'm new to this sight, I'm new to the Savage, and I'm kinda new to motorcycles in general.

OK, my question is WHY, if I have a 1996 LS650 Savage, (verified by the VIN, the Phlolina Yellow color, and the Title) do I have a 4-Speed and not a 5-Speed?

From what I understand, it hasn't been altered, but I keep reading everywhere that the Savage became a 5-Speed after 1995.

Can I change this?

Do I want to?

...Confused

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mpescatori Serious Thumper Offline Romanum Thumperium Cavalco, yeaaah !!! Posts: 3547 Rome, Italy Gender:	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #1 - 03/31/06 at 03:58:38 ??? Educated guess #1: some PO fiddled with it, Educated guess #2: 5th gear is shot... OR the dealer fitted a 4-speed engine (or even just the gearbox) to a new, yet-to-be sold 1996 bike Maurizio
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HighPlainsThumper

Ex Member

Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed?
Reply #2 - 03/31/06 at 04:12:12

New_Savage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

I realize that this is a very old topic (2004), but I'm new to this sight, I'm new to the Savage, and I'm kinda new to motorcycles in general.

OK, my question is WHY, if I have a 1996 LS650 Savage, (verified by the VIN, the Phlolina Yellow color, and the Title) do I have a 4-Speed and not a 5-Speed?

From what I understand, it hasn't been altered, but I keep reading everywhere that the Savage became a 5-Speed after 1995.

Can I change this?

Do I want to?

...Confused

Probably what happened is one of the previous owners blew the engine and someone replaced it with an earlier model.

There is very little difference between the 4-speed and the 5-speed. 5-speed turns only 300 rpm slower than the 4-speed at 65 mph. The 4-speed is slightly wider ratio.

Don't worry about the difference, it is so minor that you won't gain much by going to a 5-speed. I've ridden my 1987 4-speed at 70 mph comfortably on New Mexico and Texas Panhandle High Plains roads.

If you are concerned about rpm, a double fire electronic tachometer for a Harley-Davidson will work.

Laters, George (HPT) Cheesy

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HighPlainsThumper

Ex Member

Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed?
Reply #3 - 03/31/06 at 04:19:24

HighPlainsThumper wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

If you are concerned about rpm, a double fire electronic tachometer for a Harley-Davidson will work.

Let me clarify. I meant an electronic tach for a Harley-Davidson will work, as the Savage ignition is double fire (fires every engine revolution, one near end of compression stroke and one near end of exhaust stroke).

The following URL has my tachometer installation:

http://www.heise-workstations.de/ls650/Reviews/GHostler.html

Laters, George (HPT) Grin

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Paladin.

Serious Thumper

Offline

Hamster

Posts: 4929
Sunny Southern California
Gender: male

Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed?
Reply #4 - 03/31/06 at 04:53:56

New_Savage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

... I have a 4-Speed...
Can I change this?
Do I want to?

I have a 2000 5-speed. I'll trade trannies. I would rather have the 4-speed.

The Savage has a fat torque curve and can easily do wide ratios. Been playing around with this and have found that Thumper will wind out to 50 mph in 2nd gear, and pull easily in 5th from 40 mph. 3rd and 4th can be skipped. Low end grunt? At wide open throttle I can pull without judder from 20 mph in 5th.
(I am extremely abusive to machinery and have broken more than my share of vehicles.)
p.s. I have a cousin in Hill.....

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Creator_11 Ex Member	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #5 - 03/31/06 at 06:01:32 What year was it they started putting the 5 speed in the savages again?
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Jim_R Ex Member	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #6 - 03/31/06 at 06:52:09 i think it was 95, same model i got.
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azjay Serious Thumper Offline aridzona... its a dry heat Posts: 816 Gender:	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #7 - 03/31/06 at 06:59:31 it could be, that you have a very early model, built with left over inventory from previous year. you find that in manufacturing all the time.
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necropsy Full Member 2005 No Login Offline Suzuki '05 S40 Posts: 173 Barrie, Ontario, Canada Gender:	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #8 - 03/31/06 at 09:16:30 How do you know it's a 4 speed? I find it very difficult to shift into 5th unless i'm doing over 100 Km/h. Could be you're just not getting up fast enough to shift into 5th?
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SavageDude Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Posts: 561 OC_California Gender:	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #9 - 03/31/06 at 12:54:44 necropsy wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: How do you know it's a 4 speed? I find it very difficult to shift into 5th unless i'm doing over 100 Km/h. Could be you're just not getting up fast enough to shift into 5th? Huh! My will go in 5th at any speed. Something is fishy in your tranny then!
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necropsy Full Member 2005 No Login Offline Suzuki '05 S40 Posts: 173 Barrie, Ontario, Canada Gender:	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #10 - 03/31/06 at 13:18:52 SavageDude wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: Huh! My will go in 5th at any speed. Something is fishy in your tranny then! Maybe, but it's an '05 S40, bought brand new off the lot. Could be that it needs to be worked in some? I rarely use 5th at all.
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torque Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline 2008 nightster,flat od green and black Posts: 748 rock hill,S.C. Gender:	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #11 - 03/31/06 at 14:50:07 new_savage, how fast can u go in top gear with w.o.t ?
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Kropatchek Serious Thumper Offline Why more than 1 cylinder? Posts: 1457 Alphen a/d Rijn Netherlands Gender:	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #12 - 03/31/06 at 15:29:46 Creator_11 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: What year was it they started putting the 5 speed in the savages again? 1991
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DianeS.

Full Member

Offline

Love my 2000 savage!

Posts: 186
Ontario, Canada.

Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed?
Reply #13 - 03/31/06 at 15:50:14

Hi! I tend to shift into 5th gear around 80 kmh unless I'm going uphill, and then I stay in 4th longer. Mind you, I'm used to driving standard cars where you can usually save gas mileage by shifting up through the gears at lower speeds etc. (eg at lower revs) So, I don't wait until the engine is really working hard in any one gear, before I shift up.

Sometimes though, I forget whether I'm in 4th or 5th gear, so sometimes I shift unnecessarity (lol). Tongue

DianeS.

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Green 2000 Savage purchased in Nov. 2005. Memphis fat windshield, Willie and Max Saddlebags, jardine slash cut muffler, engine case guard, Metzler 880 ME tires, fork brace, and carb re-jetted.

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HighPlainsThumper Ex Member	Re: Why do I have a 4-Speed? Reply #14 - 03/31/06 at 17:01:25 On the 4-speed Savage, 4th gear is usually usable from 45 MPH (73 KMH). At that speed in 4th, RPM is 3,000. Laters, George (HPT)
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