My wife and I are seriously thinking about getting us each a new (Savage) Boulevard S40 (I think they should have kept the old name). We will be driving mostly the country roads where we live with some highway driving. We are not into speed but the enjoyment of riding a motorcycle. How would some of you compare the S40 to other bikes in its range. Maybe this is a dumb question for a Savage site  ??? Thanks for any input.

I think the Savage is ideal for country road cruising.  It's light weight, easy steering and good torque are just great for easy riding in the fresh air.

I have looked & looked at bikes to offer anything close to the 650 in ride & cost. About the only thing I can find is the Royal Enfield. It wont match the top end stock, but will get close & with a front sprocket change & a few other items upgrade, it will run 100. It will also deliver  excess of 70 MPG with reports of 100 MPG not being rare, while maintianing 60+ MPH.
The only other bike I have found that offers even close to that MPG And a comfortable riding position is Kawasaki 250 Ninja. They arent set up like a typical sport bike & the seat position allows an upright posture instead of being all humped up & on the tank. But, the Thumper sound & torque is part of what makes the Suzuki so cool, same is true for the Royal Enfield.Both have long manufacturing histories & the RE has been in production a really long time. One advantage I see with the RE is that it is a pushrod motor & has no cam chain. Downside is dealers & mechanics arent in every town like a Suzuki has. Next comes the question, can you or do you want to do the maintenance yourself? If the answer is no & thers no RE dealer close enough for ya, then,, I typed all this fer NUTHIN! The Suzuki has given me a whole lot of grins. Some folks get 65 MPG & better, others get low 40's( me).  I really dont see you getting the Kawasaki, I just tossed that in because it does have the power to run an adult down the road just fine, have fun in corners & not spend much on gas. The RE does the same thing with ever so much more appeal to the eye. Even if you wouldnt consider owning one, if you like motorcycles, knowing their history & a bit about them is cool, IMO.

I've ridden my Honda Nighthawk and a Kawasaki Drifter to compare with the Savage.

Honda - heavier and higher inseam than the savage. Good overall power, but needs plenty of upper body strength to steer and control.  Not as comfortable to ride.

Drifter - really comfortable for long distance, but my Suzi gets better gas mileage and is way more fun to ride in the city. The drifter is a pain in traffic, its heavy and is impossible for me to keep upright if it starts to tip over.

End result is that my vote went for the Savage, which i use daily to commute with and on weekends for fun.  It's lighter than the aforementioned models, more torque, easier to handle, and overall more fun.  8)

Let us know what you end up with.  

You really should stop ridin' your thumb(p)er upside down.  

http://www.cyclecenterofdenton.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?sid=02956964X7K23K2...
I don't know if this long link will work but they have a new 2007 for $3,399. Not sure if it's their last one. $1,000 less than I paid for my '05! In Denton, TX though. I'd bet lots of dealer are discounting some '07 models already to make room for early 08's.

Tuff to compare to others, Thumpers rule, 352 pounds is great for beginners or older guys like me ( and many on this board), it's easy to ride, easy to handle, easy to fix, easy to maintain, easy to modify and done right will eat many a larger bike at the lower range. Yes, the small tank makes for short distance riding, but you will find it actually works out just right for butt relief and bladder draining. And the price? Holy S**T, what other 650cc bike could you buy out there NEW!!!
Get a matched pair and have a blast!

Just my 2 cents



Ike

I'll add my opinion here too.  I'd say I'm a petite to average-sized female (5'4" about 120 lbs).  

I bought a new S40 back in May.  It's not my first bike.  I've owned a Honda VLX (600) and have ridden a Vulcan 500 and the V-Star 650 Custom.  Then I owned a Honda Silver Wing 600cc scooter for a while while I was having some medical problems.

When I decided to go back to a motorcycle I was torn between the S40 and the VLX or Vulcan 500.  Here's why I choose the S40.  It's about 100 pounds lighter than the VLX which makes a long day of riding easier and more fun to me (much less fatigue--hate to admit it, but I'm just not as strong as you guys).  It just fits me better.  It has belt drive instead of a chain.  It doesn't have a big air filter sticking out the side that just hits my knee in the wrong place.  It looks really cool!  

I found that the Vulcan 500 is really top heavy with a wide, big gas tank and also has a chain drive.  The V-Star 650 is heavier & slower and in my opinion not as comfortable as the S40.  

Colleen