SuzukiSavage.com - Savage Upgrades

Suzukisavvy Full Member Offline You're Droolin, While I'm Spoolin Posts: 101 Nebraska, USA Gender:	Savage Upgrades 01/05/16 at 12:34:06 Okay guys- So, I have a 1998 Savage and just last week I did the petcock switch- because it was cheap and easy- and this raised one last question in my mind. What else can I do to improve/upgrade my Savage to run better and to become more reliable and fun to ride?
Back to top	In my creepy robot voice. IP Logged

justin_o_guy2

Serious Thumper

Offline

What happened?

Posts: 55279
East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.

Re: Savage Upgrades
Reply #1 - 01/05/16 at 12:54:32

You just sidestepped a common hassle.
From here, it's more about you. You've got to keep up with the maintenance. Valves, cam chain, plenty to read about in tech.
How you ride, that will impact tires and cam chain. Your mechanical abilities and what you're ready to learn.
And the battery is a concern. You gotta run it enough to keep it alive.

A rundown on your experience, what the tires are like, numbers on the tires will tell the manufacture date.
Safety course, good idea.
Get into a corner too hot, Force the eyes to look where you Want to go, not where you think you are going or wherever you Don't want to go.
Target fixation
Look it up.
Don't do it.
Don't let it warm up sitting on the side stand. Start it, standing up,

Back to top

The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

IP Logged

Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #2 - 01/05/16 at 17:33:15 justin_o_guy2 wrote on 01/05/16 at 12:54:32: Get into a corner too hot, Force the eyes to look where you Want to go, not where you think you are going or wherever you Don't want to go. Target fixation Look it up. Don't do it. Great advice! That's probably the most common mistake. Everyone does it.
Back to top	« Last Edit: 01/06/16 at 18:09:26 by Kris01 » There's no problem that a full tank of gas and a sunny day can't fix! 2008 S40, Rotella T 15W-40 w/ZDDP added, Dyna, 140/90-15, Battery Tender Jr., Seat lift, #52.5/150/3 washers, Raptor IP Logged

hotprops Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 180 fort myers fl	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #3 - 01/06/16 at 10:03:19 would love to see a link to this target subject sounds like a good read .my goog fu needs work
Back to top	IP Logged

Art Webb Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3007 columbus, Texas Gender:	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #4 - 01/07/16 at 08:22:31 Target fixation, aka oh shititis, is a well known issue with motorcyclists: where you look, you will go, so if you think you're gonna hit the wall, and you stare fearfully at it, you will If you make yourself look past it (look where you want to go) you might not
Back to top	IP Logged

Struch Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 134 LA Gender:	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #5 - 01/08/16 at 00:41:04 check out videos on Keith Code or California Superbike School Keith have good videos for beginners about cornering and so on
Back to top	IP Logged

Art Webb Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3007 columbus, Texas Gender:	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #6 - 01/08/16 at 07:23:34 Thanks for that info, I always have time for good teaching vids, even after 30 + years on and off bikes
Back to top	IP Logged

Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #7 - 01/08/16 at 17:38:39 Ya never stop learning!
Back to top	There's no problem that a full tank of gas and a sunny day can't fix! 2008 S40, Rotella T 15W-40 w/ZDDP added, Dyna, 140/90-15, Battery Tender Jr., Seat lift, #52.5/150/3 washers, Raptor IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #8 - 01/08/16 at 23:33:07 Kris01 wrote on 01/08/16 at 17:38:39: Ya never stop learning! You might, if you don't conquer target fixation.
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

Struch Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 134 LA Gender:	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #9 - 01/09/16 at 02:52:03 yes that truth it helped me out allot I started riding 8-9 months ago and you now up coming traffic on the serpentine and so on
Back to top	IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #10 - 01/09/16 at 06:11:33 It takes a Conscious Effort to Force the focus away from the hazard and look where you NEED to go.
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Savage Upgrades Reply #11 - 01/09/16 at 12:13:08 justin_o_guy2 wrote on 01/08/16 at 23:33:07: Kris01 wrote on 01/08/16 at 17:38:39: Ya never stop learning! You might, if you don't conquer target fixation. You gotta point there JOG!
Back to top	There's no problem that a full tank of gas and a sunny day can't fix! 2008 S40, Rotella T 15W-40 w/ZDDP added, Dyna, 140/90-15, Battery Tender Jr., Seat lift, #52.5/150/3 washers, Raptor IP Logged

Rodger

Senior Member

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 256

Re: Savage Upgrades
Reply #12 - 01/23/16 at 16:23:47

+1 on justin's comments, particularly about safety courses. I took my first MSF course when the Army began requiring it to ride on post. I'd been riding for 15+ years, but learned a LOT.

Maintenance of the cycle is key, especially tires & brakes. While a vehicle that won't start or run properly is an inconvenience, a vehicle that won't stop or manuever properly is dangerous.

I keep a good quality tire guage on/in every vehicle I own & check tire psi frequently. This is even more important on the Savage, since inner tubes will naturally lose small amounts of air over time. Also, a tire that was inflated to the correct "cold" psi in the summer will be low when the ambient temps drop (& vica versa).

Back to top

IP Logged

Kris01

Serious Thumper

Offline

Eat, sleep, RIDE!

Posts: 3767
Tennessee
Gender: male

Re: Savage Upgrades
Reply #13 - 01/23/16 at 19:45:17

The first thing I do before throwing a leg over the saddle is check my tire pressure. I have, on several occasions, ridden with a low rear tire. It caught me by surprise and it isn't fun!

With 4 tires on a car, if you have 1 low tire, you'll be ok until you can get some air. If you have a low tire on a mc, that's 1/2 of your available traction that's been compromised. I don't like not being in control of my bike! Wink

Back to top

There's no problem that a full tank of gas and a sunny day can't fix!

2008 S40, Rotella T 15W-40 w/ZDDP added, Dyna, 140/90-15, Battery Tender Jr., Seat lift, #52.5/150/3 washers, Raptor

IP Logged

verslagen1

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.

Posts: 28845
L.A. California
Gender: male

Re: Savage Upgrades
Reply #14 - 01/23/16 at 20:08:40

Suzukisavvy wrote on 01/05/16 at 12:34:06:

What else can I do to improve/upgrade my Savage to run better and to become more reliable and fun to ride? Wink

Learn as much as you can... what makes any bike reliable and fun is you.
Being able to fix a rattle, a squeak or a groan is fun.

Next up is a death rattle that occurs between 10 and 30 thousand miles.
The cam chain adjuster... verslavy it and forgetaboutit.

Back to top

Versey's Place
Tech Section Index

IP Logged