SuzukiSavage.com - Post about shock horror

srinath

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Post about shock horror - the savage
08/31/12 at 13:12:44

What is in your opinion the best part of the savage. You can tie to the year if you prefer - or not.

I'll go first.

1. The belt drive. Any low powered bike ever made needs a belt drive, chain is garbage.
2. That 15" rear wheel.
3. The front end with no stupid parts that make swaps hard.
I like the seat plenty as well.

The worst -
1. The handlebar of the pre s40 savage.
2. The name - savage - sausage ?
3. The dumb foot controls and the side stand and what not that clips into it etc.

Cool.
Srinath.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28366 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Post about shock horror - the savage Reply #1 - 08/31/12 at 14:37:41 We can talk about bikes here?... ... the good. -I really like reaching down to the key,..(just feels cool)... -and the big, fat, belt... (beefy)... the bad. - the sidestand... (needs a bit more kick to it)... - the chrome head covers... (makes the head look like a cheap ashtray)... ...
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Greg

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #2 - 08/31/12 at 15:59:15

The good:

1. Beefier belt than my buddy's HD.
2. Some larger mounting hardware than my buddy's HD.
3. The overall simplicity compared to my buddy's HD.
4. The location of the ignition switch.
5. It ain't a HD.

The bad:

1. The kickstand needs to lock when down like my buddy's HD.
2. Tank decal has clear coat over it so it can't come off without looking ugly.
3. Headlight sux for night time riding.

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2002 Savage.

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mojohand40

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #3 - 08/31/12 at 17:56:26

the bad:
cam chain tension-er
Petcock (vacuum)
The stock battery (wetcell?!? really?)
Accessing spark plug (remove the tank? see petcock above)
The regulator/wiring/etc. under the pillion (take off the pillion and yuck!)
can't get aftermarket footpegs.
front brake is weak.
Oh..and that stupid parking light idea that Suzuki put on the ignition key...why!?! My old GZ250 had that..I killed the battery twice because of it.

the good:
It's a 650 thumper! How cool is that!
It's a lightweight torquey 650.
it's a fun cruiser to ride like a hooligan (it's light, torquey and a thumper)
It reminds me of oldschool backyard choppers/bobbers like my uncles rode back in the 70's.
It reminds me of the bikes you see in bad 1960-70's biker grind house movies! Coooooolll
It's easy to work on yourself (single carb, one cylinder, simple design!)
Been in production long time, parts easy to get.
GREAT internet support on this sight.

I got a lot of complaints with my recently acquired 1998, but I get a lot of comments, questions and compliments on it to. It's an unusual ride that's unique among a sea of v-twins. It grows on you, I currently have three bikes : my beloved shadow spirit 750 that I've had since 03, my V-star 650 (my wife's bike..technically, heh-heh..or so she thinks) and my savage...the Shadow is my baby, but the Savage, which I got on a whim is definetly growing on me. Just a fun bike.

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rfw2003 Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1108 Yantis, TX	Re: Post about shock horror - the savage Reply #4 - 08/31/12 at 18:35:07 the good: It's a large bore thumper. Belt drive. light weight and very maneuverable very easy to wrench on yourself. the bad: the chrome head cover caps. weak charging system small fuel capacity gearing, both in final drive being to short and also 5th speed being to close to 4th. R.F.
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Paraquat

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #5 - 09/01/12 at 03:24:43

Serowbot wrote on 08/31/12 at 14:37:41:

the good.
-I really like reaching down to the key,..(just feels cool)...

It's been 3 weeks and I still reach below my left cheek. (key is on the neck on the c50)

The good:
Lightweight and nimble
Punchy, torquey
Relatively quiet if you wanted it to be
Low with low CG - I'm kind of short and was able to flat foot it at a young age.

The bad:
My back after an hour of riding (before seat mod)
When riding the Miracle ride Harley guys would glug glug at the bottom of second which is where I needed to up to 3rd or down to 2nd.
If you ask my GF she will say the rear seat.

--Steve

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srinath

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #6 - 09/04/12 at 20:35:21

Greg wrote on 08/31/12 at 15:59:15:

The good:

1. Beefier belt than my buddy's HD.

The harley belt though is beyond anything the savage can even dream of being. That gates polychain with the curved teeth is phenomenal in terms of load capacity and it can be so skinny. We can use the 20mm wide 14mm pitch belt for the power the savage makes - the narrowest gates polychain made. I think hd uses the 26 wide on their sportster.

BTW I am worried about wear on the ignition lock causing the key to drop off and disappear ...

Cool.
Srinath.

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srinath

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #7 - 09/05/12 at 19:55:41

And that 2.5" offset front end needed to clear the tank is likely the worst feature ever to appear on a bike.
A bike like a vulcan 750 and a virago 1100 steer with less effort than a savage and that includes the torque steer from the shaft ... after I raked the bike 9 degrees with the triples put a 10" longer fork set off a kx250 my chopper that was a foot longer than stock savage mind you still handled a lot lighter than the stock savage.

Cool.
Srinath.

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ZAR Serious Thumper Offline Rock this town! Rock it inside out! Posts: 961 Kentucky, USA Gender:	Re: Post about shock horror - the savage Reply #8 - 09/12/12 at 18:57:57 The absolute best part of any Savage/S40.........it 's not another freaking Harley or Harley knock-off!!!!!!!!!!! It's a scooter that stands on it's own merits .
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mpescatori

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #9 - 09/13/12 at 03:55:44

ZAR wrote on 09/12/12 at 18:57:57:

The absolute best part of any Savage/S40.........it 's not another freaking Harley or Harley knock-off!!!!!!!!!!! It's a scooter that stands on it's own merits .

True ! There's plenty of Harley riders who wave (or, more often, wave back) at the Savage they mistake for a Sportster !
Grin

The best was when at the lights one HOG actually commented "I never knew Harley had made a single" Huh

"Yeh - was my cool reply - but it was for the US market only, this baby was a pain to re-register in Italy"
Cheesy

Maurizio

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Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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bill67

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #10 - 09/13/12 at 07:45:16

srinath wrote on 09/05/12 at 19:55:41:

And that 2.5" offset front end needed to clear the tank is likely the worst feature ever to appear on a bike.
A bike like a vulcan 750 and a virago 1100 steer with less effort than a savage and that includes the torque steer from the shaft ... after I raked the bike 9 degrees with the triples put a 10" longer fork set off a kx250 my chopper that was a foot longer than stock savage mind you still handled a lot lighter than the stocath.

I don't get this 2.6 off set front end,I looked and don't see it.

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william h krumpen

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WD

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #11 - 09/13/12 at 07:56:46

The good: lightweight, cheap, 19" front wheel, easily modified to fit your needs.

The bad: entire electrical system, from the plastic headlight through the too light wiring to the ugly tail light. Brakes. Suspension. Seat. 15" rear wheel should have been a 16" so you can get decent tires on both ends. Tiny foot pegs. Pillion too small for a 5 year old. Cheap cheesy head cover chrome. Poor quality gaskets and worse quality fork seals. CV carburetor. Low UV resistance paint, soft chrome and weak clearcoating that enhance corrosion instead of resist it...

I pushed mine out in the barn a couple weeks ago. Maybe next year I'll get around to fooling with it again. After I rewire my antique trucks. And fix my VW and by Jap bike standards ancient (1963) Honda CL72. And restock my 1850s double barrel shotgun. And fix the tongue and groove veranda ceiling on the 1840s plantation house...

I'm honestly surprised my 98 Savage hasn't ended up a target or an artificial reef by now. I had to have gotten a "Monday morning special"...

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srinath

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #12 - 09/13/12 at 08:07:42

bill67 wrote on 09/13/12 at 07:45:16:

srinath wrote on 09/05/12 at 19:55:41:

And that 2.5" offset front end needed to clear the tank is likely the worst feature ever to appear on a bike.
A bike like a vulcan 750 and a virago 1100 steer with less effort than a savage and that includes the torque steer from the shaft ... after I raked the bike 9 degrees with the triples put a 10" longer fork set off a kx250 my chopper that was a foot longer than stock savage mind you still handled a lot lighter than the stocath.

I don't get this 2.6 off set front end,I looked and don't see it.

The center line across the Forks to the center line of the steering stem = offset.

In other words the upper triple of the savage is the longest front to back I have ever seen. That is why the bike is such high effort to steer. Its effect on turning radius and manuervibility is not that much, it adds 2" to a wheel base ... which is pushing 67-68" is it, no big deal, but that offset makes it hard to steer. A vulcan 750 or a virago 1100 are easier inspit of being 40%+ heavier.

I did a 9 degree rake and had to have that offset in the new triples I made - but I negated some of that by running a trailing axle by swapping the fork legs left to right - my caliper was in front of the fork leg ... but that turned the bike into a far lighter steering than stock.

Anyway I am building a savage with a twin disk maxim fork set in the savage triples ... that has a leading axle, I may do that flip on it ... but I want to run it in both versions before I decide ... so can anyone who is wanting to try it ...
Cool.
Srinath.

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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Post about shock horror - the savage Reply #13 - 09/13/12 at 08:54:04 Ok thanks,My suzuki 1500 is about 1 inch offset.
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srinath

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Re: Post about shock horror - the savage
Reply #14 - 09/13/12 at 09:21:08

bill67 wrote on 09/13/12 at 08:54:04:

Ok thanks,My suzuki 1500 is about 1 inch offset.

And I'll bet in spite of being 2 x the curb weight its handle bar is easier to turn @ a dead stop than the 320 lb savage.
My maxim FE can be configured to make that 2.5 into a 4" or into a 1" ... guess which way I'll be fitting it ...
However the tank needs a 2.5 @ the triple, not @ the wheel though .... wish suzuki had a 1.5 offset and made the tank to work with that.
Cool.
Srinath.

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