Well i paid $50 to fill up my 1999 Ford Crown Vic a month or so back $2.80+ per gal - and that really pissed me off - last time gas was close to $5 gal i was looking for a scooter to save gas and transport me 10 mile round trip to work each day....i did not want to pay for insurance, tags, license etc.....well i figured out that i could not get a scooter that would tote my fat ass, gas prices went down and i let the whole save $$ deal go by the wayside....until that day I put $50 in the ole Vic.....so I started my search for a real motorcycle - keep in mind I am 47 years old and have never ridden a motorcycle - and I am, well gravity challenged, 6ft 400lbs - even when i ride single the poor bike thinks it is carrying 2 up.....ok so i look and look set on every make and model imaginable from 500cc to 750cc Honda Nighthawk, Kawasaki Vulcan, Yamaha Virago......all of which did not "fit" me - I have bad knees from playing football so all of those bikes with the controls under the hips just killed my knees......the last bike i sat on was a 1995 Suzuki Savage......the moment i sat on it i knew this was the bike - the controls are far enough out there so the knees dont have to bend too much - the hanlde bars come back to meet me instead of me having to reach to get them.....I fell in love immediately.....the only problem was the price - so I kept looking and found a 1996 with 6900 miles on it $1200 - done - now I am about to start riding it this week - hopefully all the title work will be cleared up and I can get a license plate and start to ride......I have changed the stock exhaust and put on a Jardine slip on - replaced the handlebars with a factory original HB - polished and waxed it added a fork bag, changed the spark plug, oil & filter.....

The wife thinks it is about something else - mid life crisis maybe - the truth is I just want to save on gas - the side benfit of doing that on a cool bike vs a drunk-cycle (scooter) has nothing to do with a midlife crisis...hell I am a Safety Professional by trade - why on earth would i get a bug up my butt to start riding a motorcycle at my age without a darn good reason......save gas and look cool doing it!....well realatively speaking look cool - how cool can i look with an ANSI hi vis yellow coat - solid white helmet - glow in the dark gloves and a wide load decal across the back of the bike!......be on the look out for me if you live in North Carolina...

Nice story... you made me laugh, so thanks....  and welcome aboard!

hi there weracerc, yup, I used to have a great
5.0 grand marquis but filling it up was always
kind of annoying cause that tank was HUGE.

Welcome aboard buddy, now be nice and go
and introduce yourself over at the cafe section  

At least you haven't let your age stop you from riding. For some reason some feel when their past their 20's life is over. Heck I never started really living till I hit 49..ahhaha.. Now that I am in my 50's I am discovering life and riding gets only better..

So welcome to the forum.. Kim

Greensboro, NC would be the location to be on the lookout for the "Big Bird/wide load" express....pictures coming soon - wife cant wait to take a picture of me on it - says I look like a monkey humping a football.....i think jealous - spent comparatively more hours with the bike over the last 3 weeks than kissin wifey's butt.

weracerc wrote on 06/01/10 at 12:17:12:

If you want to keep doing things to the bike, the butt kissin' better move up on the priority list!

But I know how you feel in so many ways.  I'm 57, 6'1", 325.  Got my Savage last November.  A '97 with 1500 miles.  I have put 3000 on it since then.  Never rode before I took the class just before Thanksgiving.  Since I go it, I have had a set of Ed l's forward controls installed, moved the taillights back, fab'd some saddle bag supports, bought the bags, installed some floorboards-then removed them.  I'm now in the middle of trying to fab mounts for a driver backrest and a set of highway pegs.  Just having too much fun to stop.

Welcome to the place.
I am in central SC so if you get a wild hair one day and want to ride down or meet somewhere between just holler.

RIDE ON DUDE !  

nice. the savage is a decent gas saver and you'll save on insurance vs a car, but still there are cars that get better milage than bikes.. bikes aren't very aerodynamic and especially with a 400lb load not as fuel efficient as you'd think.. fairings an things that add aerodynamics also help. a ninja 250 sport bike can get 70mpg.. the savage on my 220lb frame gets about 45mpg(about that of a yaris prius or old honda civic hatchback)..  some have reported 60mpg.. I do mostly city driving too though.. harleys get maybe 25-30mpg so they're really almost the same as any economy car..  but I pay 1000 a year for my car in insurance and only 100 a year for my bike... so there's a savings there..  it costs 5-8 dollars when I fill up my bike.. cheaper than mcdonalds, but that's cause it has a small tank..

safety is important too.. I wear full racebike gear.. I slide out on a corner on my bike at about 20 and was barely hurt.. if I wasn't wearing a helmet mighta been dead.. and no jacket woulda had very bad road rash..

lots of people in NC and SC.. I'm on vacation in myrtle beach right now.. didn't bring my bike though..