My wife told me today maybe I need a bigger bike......  

I am not sure why she thinks that, other than I guess big bikes seem, uh, what, more real?

Now if I was doing an interstate commute, I could agree, as the thumper gets pushed around and it's at its wits end at those speeds, but I don't.

Of course I am at the small end of the spectrum of all the bikes on the ferry, etc, and I do get a sense of "yours is a toy" bike from some of the piggers, but that ain't enuff to make me cave into my ego/pride.

Am I missing something, is bigger and louder really better?

I know when I started riding about 3 years ago, I thought my lil' Honda Rebel would serve me just fine.
But when I got the s40 I knew I was wrong about the Rebel, its smallness was in fact a liability, often leaving me in a precarious situation due to my misjudgments of traffic, etc.

I know some of you have a lot of riding smarts, years upon two wheels, and you choose to ride this bike, why?

Is the affordability of this bike the draw?
I am not constrained by cost, but I don't want to pay for more than I need either.

Is it the repair-ability of it, where you don't need a slew of support stuff to work on it yourself?

Would you get a different bike if it was readily doable?

Just seeking some input with the hope of clearing up the confusion in my mind, thanks!

I think sometimes it's hard to listen to the snide remarks or haughty looks from some riders with big pot bellied gas tanks between their knees. I have to admit that although I don't ride superslabs very often, I am sometimes tempted to move up to a Shadow 750 or an S50 just to have a bit more power, rumble and less vulnerability to harsh winds. My wife seems to be open to me moving up to a bigger bike and she literally never gets on a bike, but she can't understand me when I say that even if I do move up eventually, I'm NOT getting rid of my S40 EVER. I've had bikes off and on since I was 18 and I'm now 47, but most of my bikes were smaller and it's been ten years since I had a bike, so I have to say, this little gem I've got has got me smitten. I guess I have some concerns about riding something heavier. I really like the look of the S50, but worry I'll have the same frustrations regarding a small range gas tank. Who else wants to chime in here? I'd love some others to respond to the first post here. Raydawg seems to be thinking similar to me regarding moving up in some respects. Oh, Justin just beat me to the punch...too funny...guess my rambling did me in.

I bought my first savage because it was affordable. I can work on myself, and save money. Using it, instead of a car, as a commuter, it payed for itself in 2 years. Yay, free motorcycle!

I'd like a bigger, fancier, more comfortable bike but, I don't want the hassle of maintaining it. I would have to re-tool and relearn the new machine.

Now days, I keep the Savage because I can't afford the down time of waiting for a backlogged dealer or mechanic to find time to fix a more complicated machine.

So, earlier this year, I wen't bike shopping. Here's what I discovered:

A BMW K has a 17 step procedure for bleeding the brakes. (Nope)

Removing the tank of VStrom requires removing the front fairing, a half dozen bolts, and then those pull-and-pray plastic fasteners. (Nope)

A Victory  jackpot costs $16,000. (Nope)

The Honda CTX700, is an awesome machine with new,  fancy technology, but Honda only offers a 1 year warranty. (Nope, 3 years or more to take on that technology).

So, I opted to buy a 2nd S40. Now I have one on the rack and one on the road at all times. No need to get on a waiting list for valve adjustment. I just twist some bolts when I have a free hour or so.

Also, every ferry trip I've been on has included at least one other thumper (DR or KLR). On one trip(Bremerton->Seattle), the whole wall was dual sport thumpers covered in mud - beautiful machines they are!

I have to say that I would prefer to be back on a larger machine most of the time. Savage is just too physically cramped to be comfortable, and too short winded to be safe in Memphis area freeway traffic.

I've owned in excess of 105 usable street legal motorcycles over the last 27 years. For me, a minimum of 805ccs works better, so long as it is NOT one of those horrible cartoons known as the VS800/S50. One of my all time favorites, the Kawasaki Vulcan VN800A, commands near Sportster money these days. It is that good. The VN800B, or Classic, commands nearly the same money, for a machine less capable than a stone stock Savage or Honda Shadow VLX600.

I've owned/ridden bikes made between 1915 and 2005. Indian went out of business in 1950, Harley Davidson in 1964 where my money is concerned. Kawasaki only made 3 decent platforms, the KZ900/1000/1050/1100, the VN800 and the VN1500. Yamaha made 2 decent bikes, the 60 spoke XS650 Special and the XS1100 Special. Honda made a few decent bikes, the VLX600 and VT1100 ACE, the SOHC CB750 and 10 speed CB900, the CMX450C Rebel, the original CB450 Black Bomber, the Benleys...

Suzuki makes 3 tolerable bikes today, the S40, the C50T and the C90T BOSS.

My next bike will be a VN800A, VN800 Drifter, 99 or newer VN1500, or a C90T BOSS, unless I have the 1957 Panhead shipped here and completely overhaul it. I'm leaning towards liquid cooled, losing half a quart or more of oil daily due to the local riding conditions is ridiculous.

I have ridden my Savage across 15 states and it has not yet once broken down on me. It has always been big enough when I ride with my friends on their BMW's and larger bikes. They have nothing but good things to say about the single cylinder. There was a little bit of apprehension at first when we were going to take a long road trip because of it's size, but that did not last long. I always get comments on the old style look and I like the fact that my bike is different than most.   Sports cars are small, but pack a whole lot of fun for their size. The drawback for me is the inability to carry lots of luggage and the fact anything I need to replace I have to order and wait for it. Dealers just do not carry parts for these bikes.

650cc is more than enough..
if you are a big fella it can feel slightly cramped, otherwise it's nice and light like a bike should be. I never feel blown around on the highway, I do 75mph ALL DAY on long trips, pass the 18 wheelers no problem.

Recently I took the savage up the mountain on a horse trail, 15 miles, try that with a big overweight pig..

you can easily turn turn the s40 around in it's own lane without putting a foot down.. try that with a big overweight pig

who gives a rat's behind what other riders think anyway  

Thank guys, good stuff......

I did some honest chewing last night on my issue. I must admit the weak link to the bike is in my mind.
My pride/ego is getting pricked by those who feel their job is to run past me getting off the ferry.

Funny how life works, my youngest son just left mother and I to an empty nest......FINALLY  
He landed a very nice job for a national company which does abatement work all over the states. He still had his first car he bought when he got his licence, he just turned 23.
Last week he bought a brand new Mustang with all HP.
I know the temptations of having a fast car when some one else challenges you at a light, etc....
I worry about him, and have shared a lot with him about it...... you can't get any seconds back, after something avoidably bad happens.

So.... it appears I don't heed my own advice, eh  

We have a long uphill draw when we exit the ferry, the bikes forte.
I have often ran with the "biguns" as they try and shake me, they can't. I can almost hear their minds, "WTF"  

One guy who owns a new 750 shadow that he dumped tons on with pipes, air, etc, was telling me how much faster his bike was with the mods.
Well as chance would have it, one day we were lined up adjacent to each other, we have two rows of bikes, which empty into two lanes of asphalt, but after a quarter mile, reduces to only one lane, all uphill mind you.
Well right off the bat I could tell he was going to "show me" his prowess....

I bit  

I won to the single lane pretty easily, he looked at my stock taillight and exhaust the rest of the way of the one lane.
About two miles further up it flattens, and turns to two lanes.... here is where they just love to blow by me, as if I was holding them back.

Of course once in front of them I did drop back to posted speeds, as this strip is easy pickins for the cops, who have written many citations on bikes here (not me, YET   )

So.... upon reflection, I see where I am nut'n but a jerk myself, darn!

Maybe if I had the BIGGER bike they wouldn't feel the need to taunt me (real or perceived doesn't matter, my perception is my reality)...
who knows.
But looking back on circumstance maybe if I did get a bigger bike I would be the one taunting others, eh, seems like my MO if I'm being honest here  

In conclusion:

I am keeping her, period.
She has taught me a great lesson here.
Also, I can learn to wrench her and glean the satisfaction of knowing I can take responsibility of my commuting means on my own accord.

And finally, with the money saved I have a great argument to bolster me when I explain to the wife about the new outboard I will hang on the transom of the boat I am restoring  

PS: I have a dyna I think I will put back on her today, you know, trick my mind a wee bit, pretend I got a new girl whispering in my ear that I am such a stud with her husky voice  

THANKS ALL!  
   

I rode a 225cc bike for about 6 years...
I was never ashamed of the size or power,...
...but it looked like a parakeet with wheels... ...

That's what got me into a Savage...
...