SuzukiSavage.com - advice needed for a relatively new rider

nbatter

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advice needed for a relatively new rider
08/22/08 at 18:25:39

hey guys,

hope im posting this in the right category--feel free to move the post if not. anyways, im a new rider and just bought my first bike (2003 savage). in the past, ive driven on highways and gravel roads, and felt pretty confident.

but now its time to go to school, which means a long haul ride. im pretty committed to taking the trip, and think i'm up to it. i have enough time to take it slow and hold up pretty well on long rides. also, im a slow and safe driver. however, im just hoping for some advice about how to prepare for the trip. ill be setting off in about 2 weeks, going from northern california to nebraska.

first, should i take i-80, or stick to the smaller highways? or maybe skip the big mountains completely and go south?

next, is there anything specific i should do or buy to prepare for the trip?

anyways, thanks for your help. any insight would be extremely appreciated. i don't know too many riders, so im extremely excited to have discovered this community!

nbatter

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28851 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider Reply #1 - 08/22/08 at 18:39:30 Fresh oil, clean air-filter, new spark plug, and then say goodbye to any sensation you've ever had in your butt. Ride safe and welcome, nbatter
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Rustbucket

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #2 - 08/22/08 at 18:43:39

A pillow to sit on for that long haul Cheesy

I wish i could go on a nice ride like that.. So, do you have the resources to say, fix a flat tire in the middle of nowhere? I prefer the smaller roads over interstates, mainly because that 650 sounds like it's working hard to go 75 mph. I do some interstates around here but only 20 mile spurts.
Have fun and bring bottled water and a cell phone.
Where in NEB. are you goin?

Forgot to add, Congrats on the bike purchase!!!

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nbatter

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #3 - 08/22/08 at 18:50:12

im shooting for 55mph most of the way, for the sake of both gas and the bike. i don't currently have a tire patch kit, but i'll look into getting one before i set off.

i'll be winding out my trip in omaha, and will almost certainly stick to the small highways once im out of the mountains.

and thanks for the tips, im taking notes!

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aysrav YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 30 Augusta, Georgia Gender:	Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider Reply #4 - 08/22/08 at 18:55:11 We've had this discussion here before. I know that many will disagree, but IMHO, stay with the backroads. When it comes to a Savage/S40, especially for a newish rider, I would avoid the freeway. aysrav
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Rustbucket

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #5 - 08/22/08 at 19:08:36

Tube patch kit you mean right? Can you patch that tube with no tools on the side of the road? I'm just giving you questions to ask yourself, I'd think about AAA if i was about to make a trip like that. Only because i suck at fixing bike flats.. Plus my luck would be that i'd get a flat..
Id bring a few tools along, also before you leave you might wanna check and tighten bolts up on your bike.
Will you be doing night riding also? Spare headlight bulb! There again it'd be my luck... LOL

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Paladin.

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #6 - 08/22/08 at 19:28:38

Last year I went to OKC for the GEEIA reunion, Superslabs out, mostly secondary roads back. It is considerably faster on the Interstates, but the traffic is measured at 100+ vehicles per mile. Return on US-60 CA-62 the traffic was about 5 miles per vehicle.

The on-line mappers will give you gas station locations with phone numbers to call to verify that they are still doing business and what hours they will be open.

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photojoe FSO

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #7 - 08/22/08 at 19:30:09

I just ordered a compact jumper cable set here: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=36143. You could probably find something similar in your favorite auto parts store. A AAA RV policy is good insurance, and will pay for itself in one call.

JC Whitney sells small tire irons made for MC's. In my tool bag I keep a spare spark plug, spare headlight bulb (yes, fragile), gaffer tape (don't need the whole roll), and as mentioned, enough tools to take care of loose nuts/bolts, and remove the seat, side covers.

Yes, we take pre-caution for the unexpected, but most of the time we do spend up and running.

Ditto on the butt comments. I feel it in just an hour of highway riding, but hey, just pull over once in a while. Well, you'll be stopping to get fuel every couple of hours anyway. Don't forget to post a trip report.

Enjoy, and Have a great ride!

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FSO

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Charon

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #8 - 08/22/08 at 19:40:40

You might want to consider sticking to the Interstate (I-80), if for no other reason than that the fuel range on the Savage isn't very good and there are a lot of gas stations along the Interstate. Before you set out, look at the maps and figure a fuel stop every 100 miles. The Savage will run along at anything up to 70 or so, but at 70-75 mph it'll only get about 40 mpg. At 60 it'll get high 50s for mpg. You might look at the maps and see if surface roads parallel the Interstate part of the way. In Nebraska, for example, US30 runs along I-80 from the western State line to Grand Island, then US34 to Lincoln, then US6 to Omaha. In Wyoming you'll pretty much be stuck with I80.

Personally, I think I would buy and carry one each inner tube for front and rear instead of bothering with a patch kit. In theory, one can pull the tube out the side and repair it without dismounting the wheel. However, remember the Savage doesn't have a center stand. I would carry the tube only so when my road service hauled me to the repair place, I'd have the tube on hand if they didn't.

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Eschew obfuscation.

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verslagen1

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #9 - 08/22/08 at 20:20:41

New to riding? You'll probably want to limit your days to 500 miles and at 55 that's 10 hours (gulp) Quite a shock if you've never done it before.
And google your itinerary, set up for 100 mile stops, fill up, walk around, something to drink. once you figure you 100 miles steps, find the zip code for each and msn has a site to locate gas stations.
You might concider a spare gas can, either 1 gal can or go to a sporting goods store and pick up a qt. can for stove fuel. 1 gal can straps to the sissy bar easily, qt. can can be dropped into a bag. Cell phone and a AAA deluxe RV/MC card will do the rest.
Rear belt adjustment, we like it loose, reach in the middle of the bottom belt, if you can twist it 90° w/o breaking your wrist, that's the way we like it.
I do the freeways daily, 70 ± abit all the way. Find somebody going your speed and hang with them.
Got manual? get 2! owner manual is here somewhere, and pick up a clymers. Read the owners manual page by page. There's alot of things you need to know. Ask us if you don't understand.
Tool kit? I hope it came with one. It's lousy and cheap, but it's better than a couple of sticks and a rock.
Did they tune the backfires out?
know how to change the oil?
all the basics are in the clymers.
Welcome to the club!

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nbatter

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #10 - 08/22/08 at 20:28:10

thanks for all this advice. i've already begun putting my tool kit together. the good news is i think i'm all set with AAA, but i will go to some cycle shops to get all these parts together. i've also bought the clymer service manual to bring with me incase things fall apart in the nevada desert.

are there any simple things i should do to get the bike ready? a windsheild is my top priority right now. i'm pretty lanky, and more worried about my legs than my butt. should i do anything to the footrests?

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Jack_650

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #11 - 08/22/08 at 20:46:11

I've done a few 4k miles round trips on the Savage. It'll do it just fine, but the human body's another thing. Definitely get yourself some kind of cushion, our stock seat is atrocious. If nothing else do the seat mod that's talked about on here. Basically all you're doing is raising the front of the seat from 1-2 inches. It puts your weight back on the meat of your seat and not so much on the "jewelry". I have a gel pad that I put on my seat. It's not as effective as I would have liked, but it is a vast improvement. Move around on the seat BEFORE you start to get uncomfortable. Once you're hurtin' no position is ever really good. Adjust your shocks up a notch to stiffen the ride a bit. Bottoming out hurts after a while. The good news is is that a nights sleep fixes a lot.

Get off the bike and move around once in a while. Find a Gatorade flavor you can handle warm as well as cold. Take a book as nothing helps fill a 15 minute bottom break like lying in the grass with a story.

Get some decent rain gear if you don't have some already. Put it on over your riding gear if you start to get chilled at night or such as it's amazingly good at blocking the wind out and keeping the warmth in.

Don't get hypnotized by the road. It's easy to start not seeing what's going on around you. You can't trust the other guy to do what's right.

Enjoy the ride and take lots of pictures. I've driven a lot of the routes you'll be taking over the years and there's plenty of interest out there, even in the flat states.

Those are some of my ideas after logging some serious long miles in a short time.

Jack

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Skid Mark

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Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider
Reply #12 - 08/22/08 at 21:05:56

Be sure to get some miles under your belt before you do the long trip. Get out on the hiway for some short trips of an hour or so. Get used to how the bike feels and reacts. At first I found the bike to be twitchy at hiway speeds, but after a few good rides I grew accustomed to it and its quite comfortable now.
It sounds like your going to have a trip to remember for a long time.

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2008 S40 , Windshield, Sigma Cycle Computer, after market backrest & luggage rack, Tkat Fork Brace, saddlebags, 12v power supply, Garmin GPS
'09 C50SE, '09 C90
Shoulda got into this years ago

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28908 L.A. California Gender:	Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider Reply #13 - 08/22/08 at 21:25:22 Let's check out the bike... How many miles? What mod's were done? What's the tread depth? Who did you buy from? dealer or private?
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nbatter YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 10 nebraska Gender:	Re: advice needed for a relatively new rider Reply #14 - 08/22/08 at 21:57:43 the bike has only had one previous owner, who barely used it. less than 2000 miles, everything runs fine and is in good condition (i brought a mechanic with me when i purchased). i've also got a 30 day warranty, so if anything goes wrong, it's covered. the bike is completely factory standard.
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