Many years ago I said that if I ever got another motorcycle it would be a Suzuki Thumper.  Well I've got the bug again (actually as we all know, it never goes away) and I have once more noticed the Savage.  I really like the simplicity, the price, the belt drive, and the engine size.  My problem is the overall size of the bike; it just seems too small for me.  I'm not a huge guy, but I am 6' 1" and weigh about 210.  When I sit on the Savage I can't see the front tire or fender and the bike looks a good bit smaller than other mid-sized bikes.

I have read a lot of posts here placed by big guys who feel comfortable on the Savage.  Are there mods available that will make the bike seem larger?  And how do you avoid that feeling of being 4 pounds of tuna in a 3 pound can?

JR

Rather than move controls forward, it seems to me that it would be far easier to move the saddle up and back.

The seat mod is the first thing you should do to fit on the bike better. It will allow you to slide your butt back and give you more leg room. The Savage is a smaller bike in today's world of large displacement cycles. None the less it can be comfortable for big riders. I'm 6'2" and weigh around 230 lbs and am comfortable on my '02. Of course I've installed 4"forward controls and changed the handle bars along with the seat mod. If the smaller size is a issue then hit a couple of dealers and sit on different bikes, I've done it and found some bigger bikes that were really uncomfortable. I really like my light nimble Savage but to some bike owners these are drawbacks not pluses.

i ride my S40 on the interstate all the time...i have not been blown around either being passed or while passing and we have a crap load of 18 wheelers on Interstate 30...possibly because i weight more than pjgatlin...but have no problems anywhere on my light bike...

My wife keeps telling me that size doesnt matter... and as far as beeing blown around........

 Sorry I couldnt resist.......

SAMM wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:


Shame on you SAMM, and just dont buy a white one

The degree to which one is blown around on any bike is directly related to the tightness of the grip on the bars, IMHO.

I ride interstates all the time.  For example, when I first started riding, I'd get pushed all over the place and I had a death grip on the bars when I'd get turbulance.  Now, I just ride along relaxed on the bars and I notice very little turbulance at all.

As far as I'm concerned, the amount of turbulance one gets from either a passing semi or a windy day is more related to the mass/exposed surface area of any bike than it is the weight of the bike.  Just my opinion on that though...

I haven't ridden a lot of different bikes - especially at highway speeds, so I can't comment on personal experience - I do know that my Savage riding 2up stays put better than me alone. I've also talked to my brother-in-law who has been biking for almost 40 years and he claims that a full faring - including lowers - makes a huge difference in turbulance.

So, as in so many things, whatever works for you, your driving style, and your driving circumstances.  I don't have any divided highway and very little controlled access.  The fastest speed limit in our province is 90kmh (~60mph) and most roads are set at 80kmh (~50mph) so high speed driving and semi turbulence are not issues for me on a daily basis.