You and I have a lot in common. I too have been riding for many years and have had many bikes. I too have a plastic pony (a scooter) but I also have my iron horse (S40), which is really more like a quarter horse today.

I bought my S40 just a few months ago because I consider it to be a great compromise bike. With thumper torque, it is a tiger in town, but it will also do the superslab. Now, as somebody said, it depends upon your experience and what you really WANT to do as to whether or not it is the best interstate transportation for you. The S40 is a light bike, the only kind I want to ride because a body in motion tends to stay in motion. So, I depend upon maneuverability to stay alive, and the S40 will out maneuver a Harley any day. The big scooters, like the Kymco 500ri and the Burgy 650, are built for interstate travel, heavy and solid in the lane (not twitchy) at 75 mph and very comfortable. In town, they lose that quickness advantage. I have done a lot of interstate travel (actually, on a Honda 400-4 when I was young and crazy). Today, I doubt my arse would appreciate traveling sun up to sun down at 70 mph on an S40. I would also have to contend with the buffeting a light bike takes. But a day trip is splenderifico!

I ride my scooter to work often (150 cc, water cooled Kymco - 80 miles per gallon). But when I want joy, I throw the leg over little Suzy.

The Kawa Ka Ka Vulcan 500 is a twin, believe it may be water cooled, but it is 75-100 pounds heavier than the S40. It's a good choice, if your main idea is interstate on the motorcycle and in town on the scooter. I can do a little of both on the S40.

ut1205 wrote on 10/08/10 at 13:53:28:


If its of any help, Im 6'2 an aint skinny... I ride 52 miles to work rain / shine... has never Never let me down so while i do agree to find one to ride... Believe that this platform is quite capable of doing 70+ all day long... Now do i wanna more comfy seat like on my 800+ lbs of v4 anger? Yep... would i trade this lil thump ? Nope... put 10k on her the first yr... so i think reliability and ease of maint has to come into play ... but yep ride one then come back here an ask what Oil you should use...  

In the mid 1960's I was in the USAF and the only means of transportation I could afford was a Honda 150cc Benly touring model. I rode that bike from Topeka Kansas to Chicago Illinois (home town) many many times.

Then after being reassigned to Taiwan China for a year, and then returning to McGuire AFB New Jersey, I rode that 150cc bike back and fourth from Chicago to NJ on many more occations, (traveling for the most part in the wind shadow of big-rig semi's).

...anyway I'm now 65 years old and in comparison, to my mind the 650 cc s-40 is a comfortable and solid ride on any road at legal speed in the USA.

But the best fun that I have ever had, is riding on the back roads here in Michigan. Being retired from the US Government after 43 years of service, I can now ride at my leasure where I want, and when I want, at whatever speed I want....It doesn't get any better than this.  

Lupo wrote on 10/08/10 at 23:57:09:


yer killin me!!!

Any who dude, trust us... you might get bigger, i and others here have em... but theres just something about these animals you wont be able to shake once you ride it like you stole it and yes if you listen to others here WAAAY smarter than me, youll be able to run at speeds all day long and have a blast doing it...

Versys
Ol Feller
Denmin
many many are happy to help...

Starlifter wrote on 10/09/10 at 03:56:02:


Had a Honda 50 in about '65 (at college). Had a Honda 100 ... Left Jackson, Miss and rode all over the Mississippi/Alabama gold coast on a Honda 305 Super Hawk (vibrated fillings out of my teeth). Had a Ducati 160. Had a Honda 350, a Honda 450 and finally a Honda 400-4 ... four perfectly balanced 100cc jugs. Rode that all over Illinois, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota. Smooooth.

For what it's worth ... I definitely prefer to cruise at 60-65. I am there to enjoy the ride, not sit tense, hanging on for dear life, watching for that road gator to send me off into oblivion. So, the S40 is a good bike for me, both in town and doing the little bit of highway I do.

Smell the roses, man ... don't flame through the garden!

The two biggest changes we made to our Savages to make them freeway friendly were to install a National Cycle Plexifairing III windshield and to mount Metzler ME880 Marathon tires. That changed the whole bike. I'm 240 lbs. and travel 75mph all day long with enough left to pass. You will have to plan your passes accordingly at speeds greater than that. The bike is stock except for the above mentioned stuff and a set of Willie& Max small saddle bags and OEM saddle bag bars. The rear shocks are adjustable and can be adjusted for a little softer ride. We use the bike to commute with and it gets about 60 mpg. We think the Savage is a really awesome commuter/entry level motorcycle and love to run errands with it, but would not ride it across the country. The maintenance is very easy, all that  is needed is a basic set of hand tools and a volt/multi-meter. Having a good maintenance manual and the complete factory tool kit would be a big bonus because you can do quite a bit of service with just those items.  Regards, Jim.  

ut1205 wrote on 10/15/10 at 13:04:26:

You are going to get all kinds of answers and recommendations. FWIW, after tuning my stock 2004, I never had an issue with backfiring. In fact, I would really have to work at it to even get a pop. Pops are to a certain extent the nature of the beast - a thumper, but with proper tuning, (not rejetting, new exhaust, etc.) it was not an issue on my Savage.