I've always loved motorcycles, even since I was a little kid, but I have yet to even ride one. Now that I'm about to graduate college and have managed to save up some money, I think it's time for me to reward myself.

This summer I plan on taking a formal class, with some riding included. I figure that will be enough for me to get my feet wet and determine whether or not I feel ready to take the leap.

I am considering a savage as my first bike, I love the idea of a simple bike that weighs practically nothing, has a single carb and a big single cylinder. After looking at sr500s, royal enfields, and buell blasts I finally found the savage. I've always liked the stance of UJM bikes, so after finding out that Ryca has managed to turn the savage into a nice looking cafe racer I feel like my search for a bike has come to a close. I have a few questions about the modifications required to alter the stance of the savage. I don't want a cafe racer as much as I want a very simple looking old-school roadracer.

1. Seems like having an 18" back rim is a big part of what I want, and I see that Ryca offers a service where they'll lace your hub into the correct wheel and throw on a tire for a reasonable amount of money. I did see in some threads that I searched through that some people were receiving wheels with bent and improperly installed spokes from Ryca, have these issues since been resolved?

2. With the 18" wheel in the back, what is the longest shock I can fit? I think I read somewhere that it's 12.5" and I wanted to confirm this.

3. Do I need the lowering kit for the front end or can I slide the shocks a few inches up the triple tree and throw some clip on bars?

4. I was planning on using Ryca's rearsets, I assume I need to get their shorty muffler and exhaust adapter to make it work too.

Thanks for your help guys!

I would certainly take a class, and ride some bikes before you determine what style of bike you want.  What looks cool may not be comfortable, and what is comfortable may be what you need if you end up liking to ride long distances.  I would suggest buying a nice used bike as your first bike.  I would suspect everyone will drop a bike a few times while learning - even a Savage.  Go on eBay and look at the fuel tanks available for the LS650.....lots of them are dented.  Also if it turns out that you want a different style bike after riding a little bit, you won't lose a lot of money as you would if you buy a new bike.

Where do you live?

Thanks for the input guys!

I was definitely planning on buying used. It seems like savages are a bike that a lot of people "grow out of" but I'm not planning on every really going fast.

I am definitely going to try a few bikes, but what is nice about the savage is how people have managed to make it very adaptable.

Studies have been done that show dirt bike riders drop their street bike less. Learning what it feels like when tires have less than perfect traction is the trick. The body responds after a few slipping/sliding experiences, it learns which way to shift to "maintain an upright position" ( which is PC for not falling down). It also gives a guy time to learn to not panic at the first sign of a slide, if you can possibly figure a way to lay hands on a small dirt bike, a 125 has a lot of power unless youre a big dude, & the On road/Off road bikes are great, you can ride out of town to the trails & ride home,
And youll be away from traffic & youll have fun,, except for the expense, I dont see a downside.

Well, you have certainly come to the right place if you are thinking about a Savage. I was in your position last summer and doing research and finding this site was a huge part of me becoming a Savage.
After about a year now, I am extremely happy with this bike. It was super easy to learn not only to ride on, but to wrench on as well.  Being able to work on your own bike and keep costs down and it out of the dealership is huge for me seeing as it's my daily rider now.
I still want to graduate to a bigger cruiser for long trips, but for an around town commuter bike she's solid!
Good luck choosing and whatever you decide on, ride safe!