SuzukiSavage.com - 4 speed vs 5 speed savages.

Quimrider

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4 speed vs 5 speed savages.
06/05/13 at 19:21:22

I'm looking to buy a Savage. I had not been considering the pre '93 4 speeds but I have found one that is priced right and in great shape. I ride a lot on the interstate. I'm looking for feedback from anyone in the know as to how much of a difference the 5th gear makes on the freeway. What I would really like to know is what the gear ratio is of the 4th gear of the 4 speed vs the 5th gear of the 5 speed.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28674 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages. Reply #1 - 06/05/13 at 19:37:06 Honestly,.. neither is great for the highway... http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1341280735 http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1341162964
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ZAR

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Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages.
Reply #2 - 06/05/13 at 19:57:33

I've had no experience with the 4spd bikes but I've spent the last year on a 1996 with the 5spd trans. All told I've racked up close to 8000 miles in that time and much of those miles have been on the Interstate at 65-75 mph. I've had no problems and the power has been enough to manage running in traffic,nothing to brag about,but enough to keep me out of trouble,and that's with a Memphis Slim windshield and oversize saddlebags.

I'd be far more concerned about the starter gear failure problem that seems to be prevelant with the older bikes,basicly anything before 1993/1994. There is a modification for the 4spd bikes that uses the starter clutches from a later model that makes the 4spd a reliable scooter.

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28889 L.A. California Gender:	Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages. Reply #3 - 06/05/13 at 19:57:50 Sometin don't look right 'bot... I thought the gear ratios for the top end favored the 4 speed...
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Quimrider

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Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages.
Reply #4 - 06/05/13 at 20:03:46

Thanks mod. Also thanks for not jumping on me for not looking. I did actually look but I'm unfamiliar with the layout of the forum and was looking in the wrong place. I did also find looking at the parts fiche in case anyone is interested, that the 4 speed 4th is 0.875 and the 5 speed 5th is 0.885 so not a much of a difference. I may go for the 4 speed. I fully realize the LS650 is not a freeway cruiser but I would hope it would be far better than something like a GZ250. I miss having something as light and fun to ride but I need to be able to go freeway speeds some times and I think the LS650 should fit the bill.

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Quimrider YaBB Newbies Offline Good, Bad, I'm the guy with the gun! Posts: 26 Ohio Gender:	Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages. Reply #5 - 06/05/13 at 20:08:29 Zar thanks for the heads up on the starter.
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ZAR Serious Thumper Offline Rock this town! Rock it inside out! Posts: 961 Kentucky, USA Gender:	Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages. Reply #6 - 06/05/13 at 20:18:39 Anytime Quimrider! And as far as "light and fun to ride" you'll be surprised at how nimble the Savage is. Not a sportbike for sure,but it will kill a lot of other cruiser style scooters in the twisties. And you can use ALL power the 650 makes without getting to spend the night in the Cross-bar Hotel!
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Serowbot

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Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages.
Reply #7 - 06/05/13 at 22:54:31

verslagen1 wrote on 06/05/13 at 19:57:50:

Sometin don't look right 'bot... I thought the gear ratios for the top end favored the 4 speed...

My info, gives the 5spd a slight advantage... nothing to write home about...
The 4 ends up tweeny of 4th and 5th on the on the 5 spd...
4th and 5th are way too close together on the 5spd...

These numbers are all based on borrowed info... but, the 5 speed info did come from an engineer... 4spd was linked to me from a 4 spd member...
All correct as far as I know...
I can update, if contradictory info proves it incorrect...
... charts calculated from....
http://www.gearingcommander.com/

PS... Quim,... it will do highway... it's just happier on rural roads... (way more capable than a GZ250)...
... but, if you are primarily doing highway, I'd look for a little more machine... a Ninja 500 will do highway at an easy lope)...

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Quimrider

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Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages.
Reply #8 - 06/06/13 at 03:17:15

I need something that my short legged girlfriend can ride as well. I had a 94 Kawasaki vulcan 500 for her but it's too tall not to mention it has a very top heavy feel due to it's geometry.

As I posted above the after finding the gear ratios from the parts fiche. the 4speed has a negligibly taller top gear. I'm a mechanical engineer and I did a similar gearing analysis on the Kawasaki vulcan 500. The variable with the largest possibility for error is the calculation of how many revs / mile you are truly getting out of the rear tire. I assume that accounts for the graph discrepancies since in reality the 4 speed is slightly taller on the top end. Unless there are differences in the final drive that would account for the discrepancy.

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mpescatori

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Re: 4 speed vs 5 speed savages.
Reply #9 - 06/06/13 at 04:54:48

Hello Quimrider, this is Maurizio from Rome, Italy...
...one of the very few registered Savage riders this side of the pond.

I have a 4-speed, and as long as you leave the bike as is, she's fine.

Me ? Huh

Not me... no, I had to tweak and quibble and do stuff...
Wink

Well, a few tweaks and mods later, I have 5-8% taller gearing (she now does 55mph at an indicated 50...) so that 3rd gear is the all-around city gear, and I have to push her to at least 40-45 before I can shift into 4th...

So... if I had a 5-speed, I would shift into 4th at a more comfortable 40mph, and still have 5th for slabside cruising... Wink

That's the only real difference... and the starter motor upgrade I did (and strongly suggest if your Savage is to last any more than one or two riding seasons...)

AND... if anyone of y'all has ever seen "The Fiddler on the Roof" and remembers the wonderful song "If I were a rich man..."

Imagine... movie star Sean Connery with his awesome scottish rrrolling RRRs... in big bad boy biker mode...

If I were a rich man,.....................................................If I had a five speed
Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum..............Whana whana gunna whana whana gunna gunna bang!
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum....................................I would have a gear-ra forrra town,
If I were a wealthy man................................................A gear-ra forrra croo-zi' tow-w-wn
I wouldn't have to work hard.........................................I wouldn't hafta rev hard
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.....Rumble rumble rorrra rorrra rumble rorrra rorrra bang!
If I were a biddy biddy rich...........................................If I had an extra middle gear
Idle-diddle-daidle-daidle man........................................I'd be cooler cruising town!

Grin

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
Gentleman Rider

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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