Last December this yellow '96 Savage followed me home.
My mind was filled with ideas how to customize the bike. Of course the BCBobber kits were really tempting. The projects several of the folks here have done with the kits are fantastic. Actually, the bike seemed too nice to start pulling parts off and changing things and I hesitated a while. But after seeing more great examples of custom work on the forum I was ready to try something. As much as I love the results, I decided the BCB kit was too dear for my budget and an alternative was needed. After a lot of pondering I came up with a plan.
E-Bay got a lot of attention and soon the required parts were laid out on the garage floor and ready to install.
I did not take photos while doing this project since it went so quickly (two days) and there was not really that much to show. So, here is the result of what I consider a "mild" bob of the Savage.
I was determined to use the rider's saddle since I had Spencers modify the foam for a much more comfortable perch for my keester.
http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.phpThey do not change the form of the seat but place a more comfortable foam beneath the top layer. Cost was quite reasonable and the results were more than worth it.
Serowbot and Sluggo made good use of fenders off vintage bikes with their customs and Groupous had good results mounting a fender off a Yamaha XS650. I too like the shiney look and after a moderate amount of cutting, bending and work with a hammer my bike had a new rear fender. I was amazed how heavy the original fender and side rails/sissy bar weighed. Mildly "Bobbed" I would say.
The fender did not need to be shortened to fit my plan. Most of the work was strategically putting holes where the original fender mounts could be used and forming a flat spot for the rectifier. The fender bib was a cosmetic solution for covering pitted chrome on the top of the fender. The luggage rack is for a HD Sportster. The turn signals are like many used here and the taillight came from Cleveland Cycle Werks. The small leather pouch holds some misc things and nicely hides that cavity in the back of the saddle.
That took care of the rear since I chose to leave the belt guard on.
The buckhorn bars had to go. I really like the look of the drag and tracker style bars, but the extra reach tends to set my shoulder and neck muscles on fire after much time with my arms extended. A set of Sportster bars looked like a good compromise with a little more pull back. An added bonus was I did not have to add bar risers to accommodate the new bend. There was a little surplus of brake and throttle lines. Guess a little extra is better than not enough.
The bike has a nice narrow look; just the way I like it. An axle mounted tail light and tag was tempting, but I did not want to fool with routing the wiring down there as everything followed the original pathway as shown.
I need to replace the fork seals soon and have a set of fork boots to install when taking care of that.
I also have a set of turn signals like the rear ones, but am not in any hurry to change those out. Wish I could find a TANK BIB that fits this bike. If anyone knows a source, please chime in.
Over all, I'm happy with the results and the whole project wound up costing a wee bit over $300 for the parts. Nearly $65 of that was shipping!!!
Thanks to all the folks who have done such inspiring custom work on their bikes. Remember...."Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery"
"Yellow Bob" and I rode up to the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday. It was a terrific day of riding and I was really pleased with how this bike handles. It makes me feel way younger than my 64years.....
Ride that thing!
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