raydawg wrote on 06/06/14 at 21:19:26:... Now if I was doing an interstate commute, I could agree, as the thumper gets pushed around....
Rode 570 miles on the Interstate one day, rode 510 miles the next day. Riders can get pushed around, the Savage is
Jes' Fine on the Interstates. Even my Vespa doesn't get pushed about on the Interstate, altho' I will admit it is a bit slow.
raydawg wrote on 06/06/14 at 21:19:26:... the Rebel, its smallness was in fact a liability, often leaving me in a precarious situation due to my misjudgments of traffic, etc....
Misjudgement of traffic will get you into trouble, not the bike. A bigger bike can get you into bigger trouble. I started on the streets with a pedal bike, knowing I am squishable. A decade later I got a new Honda Sport 50 (no step through cub for me!), 100cc that went on the freeway, a DT175 for over a decade in L.A. and in the Mojave.... I have learned traffic. Judgement will keep you safe. A Road King or a Vespa is the same to a SUV.
raydawg wrote on 06/06/14 at 21:19:26:I know some of you have a lot of riding smarts, years upon two wheels, and you choose to ride this bike, why?....
Why the Savage? A retread in 2004, looking at 250 cruisers -- all 330 pounds, all capable on the freeway, the Rebel pokes my thighs, the Virago has this weird pods, the GZ is interesting ... until I noticed the Savage -- just 50 pounds heavier with a 652cc single? Found one to sit on, it
fit very good, so I found one and bought it. A bit heavy, not too bad. Wickedly quick. Mileage not too bad. You can flog it fast or you can be lazy, bike don't care. The only thing the Savage doesn't do is high speed, over 85 mph. But then, I don't need to be the fastest thing on the road.
raydawg wrote on 06/06/14 at 21:19:26:... Would you get a different bike if it was readily doable? ....
Did. I was retired. Wanted my last bike, one that will do me until I want to ride out into the Mojave and hide and die. I considered a bigger bike. I considered a new S40. I considered a TU250. But it is getting not fun swinging over the saddle. So I got a Vespa LX150.
"Better" is a variable. If you want big, bigger is better. If you want small, smaller is better. I like the people on this forum because we have all liked the different, have all learned the truth:
** RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE **