Hello all. Been creeping around the board for a month now and Ive finally come to the point where I needed to ask a question so Ive joined your little group.

I have been out of a vehicle for about 3 months now since my 02 crown vic took a dive on me and ive been riding my bike to and from work. so after much though t ive turned to wanting a motorcycle.

I basicly boiled the the choice down between a Kawasaki KLR 650 or a suzuki savage which I would modify into a cafe racer. The factors that make this hard is really the unkowns of a suzuki savage cafe build.

My budget is almost none existant. I have good credit and can finance which is the rout I would have to take on the KLR (Their expensive even being used) but if I can build a cafe racer for less if Im willing to put in the work.

So to build a cafe racer would it be cheaper to buy a used savage and convert it or simply start from scratch with a salvaged frame and the like from places like eBay?

Also is the savage capable of off road travel? Not too rough but since im in arizona it will see dirt no matter what.

Thnks guys

Welcome fellow Az rider...

First,.. how much riding experience do you have?...
.. and how tall are you?...
A Savage will be better for a beginner, or a person under 6ft...
KLR's are very tall, and pretty top heavy...

Pricewise,.. the Savage is cheaper, and easier to modify...
I don't recommend building a Frankenstein bike from the scrapyard...
Find a good used Savage,... and go cafe' from there...
You can then do it piece by piece, and have a running bike as you go...

I've been riding, and modding my Savage for 6 years...
... it started out like this...


...and ended up like this...


Creating a cafe' bike,.. can be cheap or very expensive... just depends on how far you go...
... and you not might want to go too far... (a cafe' bike is not that good on dirt)...  (bars will be too low, and pegs will be too far back)...

A project motorcyle of any kind.....is not going to get you off your bicycle for a loooooong while.  Especially if you plan on just gathering parts or a project bike to do it.  Even with a nice bike and the full kit from RYCA......you have to send them your tank and rear wheel and wait for the kit to arrive.  I am bullding a Cafe Conversion in my evenings and weekends.....and I expect it to take about 4 months to even be at a stage where it can be ridden again.

The KLR is a great bike....but there are also a lot of other bikes that are plentiful and affordable transportion.  I have been thinking it would be fun to have a 250 Ninja for a while.........and there are hundreds of them out there For Sale.  For something that can be ridden off road, get a smaller dual sport than the KLR.

Don't spend a bunch of money building something that won't be fully capable when you are done. The stock Savage is fine for gravel roads if you put some decent tires on it. Once it is given rear sets, low bars and a flat seat, forget it. the Ryca 18" wheel conversion on an otherwise stock (except for mandatory rear fender change or longer rear shocks) Savage will allow you to mount up a set of 80/20 tires (80% pavement 20% dirt) or even 50/50 tires. And the tires are affordable, believe it or not, even the Shinko 244 50/50 tire gets rave reviews from real world users and in a proper size handle phenomenally. Right now, 2.75-19 and 3.00-18 are on sale for $27 and $30 at motorcycle superstore. Those will fit the Ryca conversion like they were made for it, or you can go 3.00-19 and 3.50-18 for a bit more "cushion".  For you intended use, I'd go with an 80/20 over a 50/50, they'll last longer and are still a better deal than stock type tires.

KLR is a brute of a bike. I've borrowed a friend's a few times. I'm 6'2" and change, 230# and have been riding since 1987. The bike is capable of far more than I am comfortable doing, but it can be a handful. I would NOT recommend it for a beginner OR a commuter. It doesn't have the most compliant ride or handling. Great bike, but, there are better options.

If you don't mind tinkering occasionally buy an older CB/CL 350/450/500 twin or an older air cooled GS/KZ/CB inline 4. Parts are still easy to get, they don't break the bank to buy or work on (unless you get a basket case like my CL), and you can get good dual purpose tires for the factory wheel sets (unlike the Savage, which is strictly street tires on the stock wheel set).

I'll never tell you not to buy a Savage, I've had mine for 15 years and haven't shot it yet (unlike a couple Harleys I had years ago). Just make sure the bike you buy is good to go when you get it, ride it as a stock machine for a few thousand miles, and then decide how you want to "improve" it.