I've now had the bike about a month and bought it following a tip from this forum about a Savage on Ebay. The trip home was around 1,400 clicks with a few detours on the way. The sun shone the whole way and I met up with a few lads on the ferry and at various stops for a cigarette. It was a great welcome back to biking for me, having last rode a 1200 Honda Shadow back in 96.

What an awesome little machine. Lightweight, bags of torque, good on gas and pretty good through the twisty bits.

I was buffeted a bit by the wind from Vancouver to Cache Creek but from Cache Creek all the way to Burns Lake, the bike sat on 110 - 120 kmh all the way, never missing a beat. She feels like a 250, a bit skittish on uneven surfaces, which could probably be remedied by a stiffer pair of shocks or maybe a steering damper. Overall though, she handles well and inspires confidence.

Having put a few more miles on the bike, I've come to the conclusion I love the bike. One cylinder, one carb and two wheels - can't beat that for minimalism.

I suspect I'm going to be looking around for another Savage to play with over the winter. I think she would make a great little cafe racer with the addition of the uprated cam, carb and muffler. I always thought the singles, i.e. the BSA Goldie, Velocette Thruxton etc. made the best cafe racers, with their thudding exhausts and slim profile. I'm sure a Savage with the right treatment would make an awesome little scratcher.

It would be BC he speaks metric.

Burns Lake is between Prince George and Smithers. Bikes in the summer, sleds in the winter.