25% change in gearing causes no damage to engine,I've done it,the bike now has 35000 mikes on it with no problems. But they were torquey, GR 650 Suzuki.

I used to have a GR-650, too. Allow me, if you will, to make a few comments.

1. The GR-650 Tempter was a twin with oversquare bore, not a square-bore single. It was made in '83 - '84, just prior to the first Savages in '85, so its emission requirements were not quite as strict. However, it backfired just as the Savage does now.

2. It had an 8500 rpm redline, at which it was running just over 100 mph. That means it turned about 5000 at 60 mph, 1000 higher than the Savage.

3. It was reported to have a higher torque than the Savage, 45 lb-ft at 3500 rpm, although I suspect that to be crankshaft torque instead of rear-wheel torque. Over 40 lb-ft for a 40 inch engine may be optimistic. It would imply exceptionally good "breathing".

4. Bill67 has reported two different numbers for his ratio change. Taking the 25% one, the engine would then be turning 3750 at 60 mph, nearly the same as the stock Savage, and slightly above its maximum torque. As he reported, it would probably be quite happy there. Taking the '1000 rpm less than stock' number, it would be turning 4000, just like the stock Savage. In either case the engine is still spinning right along.

bill67 wrote on 01/08/09 at 06:55:50:


Bill, you sure ?

I once had a lot of specialist books on US cars, and remember their "specific horsepower" rating was more or less equivalent to European diesels of the time.

Mind you, I am talking "specific hp", meaning "hp/cu.in" or "hp/liter"
Both European diesels and US sedans would rate 28-35 hp/liter, which was very little - meaning low revs, low consumption (*) and very long engine life.

My current truck is the last of the Mohicans of that school of thought: rather than a 16 valve, DOHC hi-pressure jobbie with an easy 70 hp/liter, my truck has an old, long stroke, pushrod, low pressure diesel running an official 38 hp/liter... and redlines at a mere 3000 rpm.
Max. Torque at 1800 rpm.

I'm talking 4-pot 3 liter engine; so a straight six would equate 4.5 liters, or 280-290 cu.in. (289 ? Now, where did I hear that ?   )
But it still delivers max torque at 1800...

My Savage is an '89 4 speed, and feels best at 90Km/h = 55 mph.

110 Km/h = 70 mph is the fastest I'm willing to ride her without any kind of wind protection and longer gearing (chain& sprocket, here I come!!!)

I know US cars from 50's - 70's were road barges with often single digit mpg figures...
But I'm talking of the performance and mpg you would expect from a straight 6  US engine VS. similar European engine.

(*) As an example :
1973 Jaguar XJ6 4.2, 270 bhp and 15mpg
1973 BMW 3300 sedan, 190 bhp
1973 Mercedes Benz
1973 Ford Custom 6 cylinder engine, 160 bhp and (?)mpg (my dad's)

bill67 wrote on 01/08/09 at 06:55:50:

I don't know about the better mpg.  My '67 Spitfire consistantly delivered 30+ mpg hard city driving.  What is on the market today that will deliver an honest 30+ mpg city, and would be be as nearly as much fun as that little British "sports" car.

I have 1994 Savage with model number NP41B and Suzuki confirms the model year. The "problem" is that I have a 5 speed transmission on my bike. I haven't checked and compared VIN number on the frame and the engine but was the 1994 available with 5 speed transmission or has my engine most likely been replaced?

The savage was not sold in the USA between 1987 and 1994 ,it was sold again from 95 to the present, so we have no real proof of when the bike actually got the 5 speed.  comparing frame and motor numbers will do little good as they have never matched.

It's a 25 year old bike - God only knows what has been done to it and what it has been through. Most important is it's condition today. My bike was a train wreck when I got it, and now its beautiful. That's all that matters

Jeesh...simplest motorcycle on the market, most complicated/technical/in-depth analysis of a particular model of motorcycle anywhere on the internet...