SuzukiSavage.com - Thumper on Tour

LANCER Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Savage Beast Performance Parts Posts: 10661 Oklahoma Gender:	Re: Thumper on Tour Reply #60 - 09/20/07 at 20:32:07 It is good to hear you have arrived home safely. That was quite a ride, 2700 miles in 9 days, avg 300/day. So you are now a certified hard A$$...so to speak.
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Paladin. Serious Thumper Offline Hamster Posts: 4929 Sunny Southern California Gender:	Re: Thumper on Tour Reply #61 - 09/21/07 at 08:42:46 Reelthing wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09: How was the oil consumption for the trip? Took a quart and a funnel with me. Used about 2/3 but it may take that last third now.
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Paladin.

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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #62 - 09/21/07 at 09:32:55

Hard A$$ maybe, Iron Butt no. The one option was to continue to OKC and come back via a 790 mile day 5 hour layover and 710 mile day for a BB1500. After the first two 500+ mile days that plan was as dead as my butt, feet, hands, knees. Maybe after I get a Bill Mayer Saddle.....

Actually this goes back to the "Why do you ride?" question. For me the answer is that I dislike being in a cage. I could have taken one of the New Beetles, getting 40mpg highway instead of 60 but allowing me to eat, drink, and take photos while moving. But I don't like the insulation from the environment -- it's not as safe. The greater exposure means greater awareness means less likely to miss something dangerous. FWIW, I'm one of those guys who (nearly) always sits in the back of the cafe facing the door.

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Gary On A Savage

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Only 15 mins riding
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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #63 - 09/21/07 at 11:47:23

Paladin. wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:

....FWIW, I'm one of those guys who (nearly) always sits in the back of the cafe facing the door.

I had a friend like that. Actually brought his handgun to church!

Glad you made it back in two pieces. I concur with you on the distance on a savage. I find it really hard to sit on one that long. Not that the bike won't make the trip, just my middle-aged body won't. Been seriously considering replacing the savage with an early 80's goldwing, just because I want to ride longer/further. However, I'm trying to see what can be done to get more comfort out of the savage before I do that, because I really like the little bugger.

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'95 Savage with the lowered, full fender look
'96 Honda Shadow 1100 ACE
My Riding Blog: http://garyonasavage.blogspot.com/

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Reelthing

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Fish or ride that is
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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #64 - 09/21/07 at 12:27:20

Paladin. wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:

Took a quart and a funnel with me. Used about 2/3 but it may take that last third now.

Not bad at all.... hope some others will pay attn - yes take some oil on longer trips and check the oil regular - only takes a few seconds.

Not a city bike any more - it might start to get mad at you now that it has seen a lot of freedom!

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Paladin.

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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #65 - 09/21/07 at 16:57:11

Gary On A Savage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:

... Been seriously considering replacing the savage with an early 80's goldwing, just because I want to ride longer/further. However, I'm trying to see what can be done to get more comfort out of the savage before I do that, because I really like the little bugger.

A touring bike would be nice, but I REALLY like the simplicity of the Thumper. I like having everything exposed and easy to wrench.

The vibration is not an issue with me -- at 55-60 it's what people drop quarters into the hotel beds for. The saddle needs improving -- a few hundred miles in a day was not bad; but each following day built up on what had gone before and after a week it proved to be too much. The other thing I need is floorboards or at least highway pegs. I'm thinking floorboards would be better for resting the feet upon while allowing small shifts in position to ease the strain on the knees.

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Savage_Greg

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Don't go around your
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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #66 - 09/22/07 at 07:56:41

Excellent, excellent ride report. Love the Quick Time in NM. 360 degrees almost makes me dizzy. I remember that scenery from our move out west. Now, I just need to turn my jealousy into inspiration and plan a similar trip for us.

Glad that you made it back safely, but I'm not at all surprised. After all, you are riding the best year the Savage was ever built anyway Tongue

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Paladin.

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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #67 - 09/22/07 at 10:54:19

The last day and the last photos:

Leaving Wickenberg via US60/AZ73/AZ95 to Parker. Along AZ 72 finally saw a Saguaro I could park near:

Had breakfast in Parker, put on my helmet and crossed the Colorado into California. At the crossing of CA62 and US95 is Vidal Junction: Gas is $3.599 a gallon for unleaded and you're happy to get it: (click picture for larger):

Junction of 62 & Iron Mountain road has a signpost:

And a second 360 degree video, this of the Mojave at mile marker 58 on CA-62 (click picture for video):

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KenGLong Senior Member Alliance Member Offline 2002 Savage Posts: 297 Albuquerque, NM Gender:	Re: Thumper on Tour Reply #68 - 09/22/07 at 15:05:04 Paladin, Really appreciate you taking us along on as virtual passengers. Each day I would look forward to reading your posts so I could check your progress and look up your location on the map and on Goggle Earth. It was almost like being there. Thanks. Ken
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Paladin.

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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #69 - 09/22/07 at 15:27:04

It was fun doing -- both the riding and the posting. The Savage is a remarkable little bike. I basically packed my bags and went -- no special preparations. I'll have gas mileage figures up next week. The first day's mileage was interesting. Roughly the same speeds, California gasoline gave 55 mpg, Arizona gasoline gave 60 mpg. California has different standards for gasoline than the other 49 states.

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KenGLong Senior Member Alliance Member Offline 2002 Savage Posts: 297 Albuquerque, NM Gender:	Re: Thumper on Tour Reply #70 - 09/22/07 at 16:38:08 Paladin. wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09: I'll have gas mileage figures up next week. The first day's mileage was interesting. Roughly the same speeds, California gasoline gave 55 mpg, Arizona gasoline gave 60 mpg. California has different standards for gasoline than the other 49 states. Could be the altitude difference too. Ken
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youzguyz Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2538 San Antonio, Texas Gender:	Re: Thumper on Tour Reply #71 - 09/23/07 at 15:51:16 Thanks for takin us along on the ride Paladin. It was a pleasure.. and a bit of an inspiration. Now all I need is the TIME!
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sluggo Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline big singles lead, twins follow the pack Posts: 4744 moses lake washington Gender:	Re: Thumper on Tour Reply #72 - 09/23/07 at 19:21:36 really all you have is time. nobody's ever said on his death bed "i should have worked more". make the time to satisfy the wanderlust. you will never regret it.
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SteveRocket1 Senior Member Offline A day without riding is like a day without beer. Posts: 441 California Gender:	Re: Thumper on Tour Reply #73 - 09/23/07 at 21:06:03 Glad to see you both back safe and sound. An inspiration for me to do something similar.
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Paladin.

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Re: Thumper on Tour
Reply #74 - 09/23/07 at 22:14:18

It doesn't take much, the time is there. Really, I did not make any special preparations for the ride. Pack the bags, grabbed some cash and credit cards, go! I needed to get to OKC. I could have flown, taken a car, or rode. I rode.

Take a week's vacation, add the weekends you have 9 days. A thousand miles one way is completely doable at only 250 miles a day. Pick a direction and go.

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