i decided to upgrade to a steal braided brake line.
i ordered the line from ebay @ 31" long with a fitting with 20 degree bend for master cylinder and straight fitting for caliper.

the original and new brake lines compared below:


david (featured here: http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1301524290/5#5) made the clamp grommets out of inner tubes, clamp ties, and sharpie pen caps.

i decided to strip the clamp grommets from the original line. it was easy to remove them. the grommets have factory seams which i was able to split down the middle, removing the grommets from the brake line. hopefully i can use these grommets when i re-assemble with new brake line.

my parts are still with the powder coater so i wont know for sure if this is going to work or if i will have to resort to david's method.


i just found this posting and it looks like my grommets will work! thanks Abbey Normal!!!
Abbey Normal wrote on 03/17/11 at 19:01:34:

brain bucket:

as a bobber, my savage looked perfect coupled with a 3/4 helmet. its often pleasant enough here in so cal permitting the use of an open face helmet. i ended up choosing a flat black bell custom 500 with a dark smoke bubble shield just in case.  i rarely used the face shield but a bandanna instead; theres only so many bugs and smog one can inhale on a daily basis. now that the bobber is transforming into a cafe im considering purchasing a new helmet. i recognize that most argue safety as a priority over aesthetics. however, being an aesthetic practitioner i believe that looks are just as important as mechanics and safety. i also believe one can have their cake and eat it too but more on that later.  i think the 3/4 / cafe look is too nostalgic. though i love the cafe styling, im not interested in the 59 club or cuffed 501's. im interested in looking fresh, being fresh, and staying fresh (and alive). its time to follow kanye's lead http://ohverlycritical.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Kanye-West-Celine-... and bring some NEWness to the cafes. a dope, fast-while-standing-still full face helmet is my first attempt.

though this following helmet is a 3/4 i couldnt help but post it; designed by the incredibly advanced fashion designer martin margiela. margiela has an awareness of culture like no other, influencing the direction of his fashion choices that make him a cut above the rest. with this helmet margiela references the childhood act of signing casts for broken ligaments with brain buckets. its beyond clever and quit brilliant having a great look (as all of margiela's work does) to boot:




predator helmets have a futuristic shape that does nothing but emit speed. they're used for downhill skateboarding http://vimeo.com/21085613. too bad they arent dot approved:


this simpson helmet is the closest thing i could find to the predator but its only for drag racing, go karts, and stock car. still not dot approved:


riffing on margiela i plan on purchasing an all white helmet at some point, having friends and other bike builders i respect sign it. but for now i have settled on the shoei rf-1100 in gloss black. shoeis have a very fast looking design and are pretty advanced in their safety features.  They are a bit more advanced for the traffic light-to-traffic light riding i will be doing here in so cal and are fairly expensive starting around $500.00. but id rather be excessive when it comes to protecting my noggin vs. paying excessive medical bills.  




heres an extensive review on the helmet
part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTvZakJhzGc
part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_4UX60iAn8&feature=relmfu

i was able to find the helmet online for almost 50% cheaper than the price in stores. as a result of being che influenced and believing in agency of the people,  i would like to offer my finding to anyone looking for new gear and who is uninterested in paying top dollar:
http://www.compacc.com/

ryca frame cuts....ARE DONE!
here's their step by step process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CyrSeBtG1Y

MotoBuddha wrote on 05/09/11 at 11:48:52:


melt down into some ryca bling!

second time is indeed a charm:

my headlight bucket was painted, scratched, and then repainted. the final result looks pro and im impressed what a rattle can and some wet sanding can do. i followed these instructions http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1302663006. i used soapy water and super fine steel wool to clean up the chrome:




its unnoticeable but i also upgraded the headlight bulb. i went from the stock h4:


to the h4 sylvania silverstar:


here's more on the subject:
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1292112335/3#3

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1273729188/1#1

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1287371365/6#6

your holes are too far apart.
recommended fix dimension is 19mm
your holes are 21mm apart.
the plunger will be about to fall out before you change over.

verslagen1 wrote on 05/10/11 at 23:28:43:


Or the chain will be touching itself before then.  

wheelchairstuntn wrote on 05/11/11 at 08:22:03:


12mm edge to edge + 9mm = 21mm center to center
or did you reset the caliper at 9mm?

recommended fix dimension is 19mm at which ovaling begins.
yours is 21mm
when given an option, people will change over prior to needing to.  To the point that the plunger is over compressed as shown here.