I'm probably just asking for trouble, but I've been thinking about this for a while now: While it sure isn't the easy way to get where I want to with my two Savages; it seems like the best way to go if I don't take into account all the added labor:

What it amounts to, is that I've got the wrong parts on both bikes. The 87 with its 4-speed should be the chopper; and the 99 should be the road bike. My rational: I want the high gearing of a chain conversion on my "road bike" and the old 4-speed has a first gear that is petty high already. I don't think gearing it up with sprockets is such a good idea. However, as a general around town and local back road bike, the 4-speed is fine, and the belt is great.

So here's my potential convoluted plan: Switch the 4" over fork legs; shortened shocks, and other "chopper" type parts to the 87. Then put heavy duty suspension parts on the 99; maybe add an inch to the rear shocks. And since I don't trust the Dunlop on the back of the 99; after filling it with "Fix-a-Flat" on my trip to Fayetteville... I might take it to "the dark side" with a VW tire that will give me lots of road miles.

A large windshield is a foregone conclusion on the "road bike" but I'm considering being very out of fashion, and buying an old Vetter/Windjammer frame mounted fairing system. I know a local independent shop which has a whole building full of the old 80s-90s fairings that everyone took off when they went out of style. The guy told me on the phone that he was pretty sure he had one already set up with a custom bracket for a Savage.

(In case anyone wonders, surprisingly enough the added 35-40 pounds of the fairing is almost offset by the reduced drag they have. I've had them on other bikes, including a Yamaha SR-500 that would probably have left either of my Savages behind at top speed.)

Not sure though, I may just get a big National Cycle windshield and some lowers to make the bike really comfortable. And speaking of comfort, I've got that huge police style solo seat that will need mounting. And a "road bike" needs a bigger tank. I've been looking a custom 5+ gallon tanks too. In which case I could switch all the nice looking black tin from the 99 over to the 87 and clean it up nice. Been looking at "Indian" style fenders.

And somewhere along in all this, I need to do the plug cap leak on the 87. While it's not real bad, it does need doing. That's my own fault too. The old men who babied the bike along for its first 20 years never wound it up tight enough to pop the plug, but it only took me a couple of weeks to make it leak.

Also, in all the swapping around and additional customizing there are bound to be more leftover parts pile up around here. By spring I should have quite a few extras to sell off.

I sure appreciate having the similarly interested folks of this group to ramble on to, and bounce bike ideas off of. Any helpful suggestions/comments are welcome!

John,  sounds like fun.    There was no doubt that the savage can be both, chopper and rode bike.

Talking about the road bike features, especially the faring, I just took a 200 miler today.  First time since the chain conversion.  Totally different bike, loped along at 70-80.  The problem came when trying to get it over 80 a few times.  The windshield an bags had some much drag that it keep it from getting everything out of it.  I spent some time thinking about how improved the wind and gas mileage would be with some improved aerodynamics on the front.  I saw what looked like an old bat faring at the m/c junk yard when I was there a few weeks back.  Might try that out.

If you find some good buys on farings, I know I would be interested.

If there's a Vetter Quicksilver fairing in there I would be sorely tempted.  Had one on my GS450 which was so efficient that I rode the bike to Seatle and back.

To get a windsield for an old fairing try <clearviewshields.com> in colorado. I put an old Wixon on mine and they made a new windshield and sipped it to me for around $80 if I remember correctly. I have a $5. windjammer on a shelf in the shop, seemed difficult to make th brackets to install it vs the lower tree and bar mount of the Wixom. It does catch some air along with the wider style hard bags but is very functional. Max

Jim, I did take that possibility under consideration, for many of the reasons you stated. I'd rather do the head work on a bench. And swapping engines isn't much harder than swapping the other parts... but I have one major problem with it: The engine/frame numbers on the bikes won't match. I'm a bit of a stickler for that. I once paid an extra $300 to have *my* truck engine rebuilt, rather than let them stick a rebuilt crate motor in the truck.

Oh... And I do have one cam chain on order. I don't know that either bike will need it though; because the 87 only has about 6k on it, and though the 99 is at 28K, it has had an unknown "top end rebuild" which I assume included a chain. (I need to inspect them both during all this swapping.)

Since I usually ride about 10 months of the year, I'm going to have a pretty busy Jan.-Feb. in the old garage.

Anyways, I'll probably go about the whole thing the hard way, and just swap pieces. It will give me a chance to check and R&R any worn bearings/brake/fork/stem parts etc... along the way as I go. You never know what I'm going to get into once I start a tear-down.

I'll be glad to buy all your left over nuts and bolts.  I can add them to the ones leftover from my rebuild

umm correct me if I am wrong (I havent checked on my savage yet) but arent the engine and vin numbers different anyway? I know on my volusias neither motor number matches the vins.