SuzukiSavage.com - Final decision time

bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Final decision time Reply #15 - 04/02/08 at 13:22:53 If your going to do in long driving over 65mph, s40 isn't the bike for you.
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skrapiron -FSO

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Re: Final decision time
Reply #16 - 04/02/08 at 14:18:22

I can use 87 octane. The 900 recommends premium. The more you ride, the more expensive it becomes to operate the 900.

Insurance? I pay $200/year for 3 bikes through progressive. Full coverage 50/100/50 limits with 5k medical. The Savage is the cheapest of the bunch at $65.00 for the year.

As for mods, anyone with a screwdriver and a basic rachet set can do what I did to the Savage. It doesn't take a shop $75/hr to shave the spacer and rejet the carb. I learned to do that when I was 10. I taught my daughter to do it when she was 8. There are 2 things people need to work on their own bikes. Basic tools and a little bit of confidence. More often than not, its the confidence thats lacking..

You're darned right that we get defensive when people start dumping the Savage into this catergory or that. It is SO much more of a bike than people are willing to give credit for. It is just as capable as any 1800cc cruiser you care to name. No it won't carry 2 adults at 80mph across the country. But thats not what its intended for. It is a lightweight, inexpensive cruiser. It will comfortably take a solo rider to the speed limit and will ride there all day long.

Nothing gets my hackles up more than when I hear someone say it's a girl's bike or its a good starter bike. No. A good starter bike is the eliminator 125. Once you've ridden one of those for a year or so, the Savage feels like a bloody rocketship......

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Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion.

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Hutch

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Re: Final decision time
Reply #17 - 04/02/08 at 15:50:36

Hutch wrote on 04/02/08 at 12:44:47:

It cost me about $10/yr more to insure my 2000 W650 Kawasaki, than the Savage. It handles just as good, only weighs 70lbs more and gets 70mpg. It handles the expressway with no problem at 75mph with 4,000rpm left. Plenty left for passing, NOW, not in a half a mile.. No problems with wind around semi's. I paid $3000 for my first one, and am in the "decision" thing about a second 2000 W650, with 5000 miles for $4000. I hate to see the Savage sold, or any other of my bikes, but need to thin my herd of bikes down. The Savage is a great bike if used for what it was intended, 55-65mph and solo rider. I like the comfort and extra power of the W650 on long hauls at freeway speed, with a passenger. Just to reiterate, I love my Savage, but not on the interstate. The decision is yours, depending on what you want to do with the bike. Don't you just love dilemas??? Hutch

I just bought the second W650. Looks like I will own 2 W650's, one will get chopped and the new one left stock. The 1967 Royal Enfield 750 Interceptor MK1A will be kept and I will finish restoring it. The BSA 441, 650 Triumph chopper,120hp custom, Royal Enfield 500 Bullet,and lastly the Savage will all be forsale. That will save me a ton on insurance and plates.Keithert, good luck on making your decision. Hutch

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you learn from your mistakes, and I've learned a lot

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Paladin. Serious Thumper Offline Hamster Posts: 4929 Sunny Southern California Gender:	Re: Final decision time Reply #18 - 04/02/08 at 18:08:47 Keith_T wrote on 04/02/08 at 10:52:48: ... Savage ... Vulcan 900. ... What to do! Where and how do you intend to ride? The Savage is a killer city bike that can handle the superslab. I would imagine that the Vulcan is a killer superslab bike that can handle the city. What are your priorities? (Ideal solution is to get both.)
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Jonny_Chicago Serious Thumper Offline Nazis, f**k off! Posts: 513 Chicago, IL Gender:	Re: Final decision time Reply #19 - 04/02/08 at 21:43:27 My opinion, anything over 750cc mine-as-well buy a car.
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Trippah Serious Thumper Offline I ride, therefore I am. Posts: 2517 central Mass Gender:	Re: Final decision time Reply #20 - 04/03/08 at 05:40:28 Hey Hutch, sonds like you are moving on to slightly more hyway-less byway rides..Twins vs singles..your 650 kawasakis seems like updates of your triumph 650..have you looked into the modern triumph twins?
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Hutch

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Re: Final decision time
Reply #21 - 04/03/08 at 06:45:28

Trippah wrote on 04/03/08 at 05:40:28:

Hey Hutch, sonds like you are moving on to slightly more hyway-less byway rides..Twins vs singles..your 650 kawasakis seems like updates of your triumph 650..have you looked into the modern triumph twins?

I took a Triumph Bonneville for a ride when I picked up the first W650 in WI. To big and bulky, They put on weight from the 60's, just like me. The W650 went head to head with a 800cc Triumph Bonneville in a road test and the 650 was only a few thousanths slower in the 1/4 mile and top speed very close. The 50HP helps out there. The W650 just seems to handle better IMHO, is lighter, cheaper to insure,performs the same as the 800 Triumph, and if I need parts, the dealer is only 10 miles away. The nearest Triumph dealer is over 100 miles away. The W650 looks more like a 60's Triumph than the new Triumphs. The W650 was only imported here from 1999-2001. You know how I like unique bikes. You can buy a new one in any other country. When Triumph started building bikes they quit sending them to the U.S., but continued to make them for other countries, so parts are not a problem. If I hadn't liked the bike so much, I sure wouldn't have bought 2. I just can't quit riding chopper/bobbers(just been my favorite bike for to many years), and wanted to chop the first one. It should realy fly when put on a diet.I didn't want to lose my long distance cruiser, so, since I liked it so much, I had to buy a second stock one. I will have a ton of parts left over from the chop job, and won't have to buy different oil,air filters, or plugs all the time. I will have my 50HP highway bike, my 50HPchopped byway bike, and my 60HP 750 Interceptor for nostalgia rides. I will also have about $30,000 to pay on my house from the sale of the other 5 bikes. It just made sense to me. It was a long hard decision. I just get to attached to my bikes. Hutch

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Keith_T Senior Member Offline Posts: 289 Northern Illinois Gender:	Re: Final decision time Reply #22 - 04/03/08 at 07:05:11 I should also add some personal information here. I have a 98 Jeep Wrangler, an 06 Miata and a boring sedan. I should probably get the Savage because it will do what I need it to and leave money leftover to maintain the fleet.
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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: Final decision time
Reply #23 - 04/03/08 at 09:43:12

Keith_T wrote on 04/03/08 at 07:05:11:

I should also add some personal information here. I have a 98 Jeep Wrangler, an 06 Miata and a boring sedan. I should probably get the Savage because it will do what I need it to and leave money leftover to maintain the fleet.

.......a man with toys...... you'll fit in here.... buy the Savage ... do the Mod's ..... worst case , sell it in a year or two. Grin

Spend the extra mony on the wife & kids...... Smiley

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Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
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30% of being mechanical is confidence/30% is knowing to go slow when needed/30% is looking repeatedly at what you have/10% is dumb luck Wink

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furious70

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Re: Final decision time
Reply #24 - 04/03/08 at 10:03:00

Quote:

You're darned right that we get defensive when people start dumping the Savage into this catergory or that.

My bike fits into a certain category (power cruisers, even if short on the power), and that's fine with me. Heck, call it too big, wasteful, whatever you like. That's why I own mine and you own yours, and my wife owns hers. No need to take it as a personal offense.

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2002 Kawasaki Mean Streak (mine)
1999 Suzuki Savage (hers)

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