Right now I'm in the process of figuring out a set of bags for the Savage. I'm looking at military artillery shell cans. My Savage is silver so I thought Id paint them with that silver toolbox paint. Still thinking it through. I could just use this but id rather ride the Savage.

I have taller shocks , just cause I have 32" inseams .   also  I now have more ground clearance for my Floor Boards  .

I put 12 inch shocks off Ebay,  think they came off a pre 04 Sportster ?

Do you think a taller wheel will clear the swingarm?

The thing about taller shocks is the "Swing arm angle" changes.  Turns out the drive belt is tightest when the swing arm is level.   So , when the swing arm falls below "level position" the belt gets looser.   Then when you sit on the saddle the swing arm get level again - drawing the belt tight.  Then ya hit a bump and the swing arm get above level and the belt goes loose again.  
This happens all the time anyway , but longer shocks gives ya a different starting point in the cycle.   I weigh 190# , so 12" shocks work good for me.  
I believe 12.5" is about as tall as you can get on the "Swing arm / Frame Combo."

Hey MM......you gotta stop mashing that "POST" icon!

My Cafe' bike has 13" shocks, and I believe that is about as far as you can go.  I do have to make my belt a bit loose when I am not on the bike, as it does tighten up when I get on the bike, and it tightens up even more when the suspension is compressed by a bump.  Going up to 13" with the standard rear fender looks a bit weird, as the fender is really high above the tire.  In order to lose the Cruiser look and get the bike to look more like a Cafe' or Tracker, and to quicken up the steering, the common practice is to use 13" rear shocks and drop the forks a couple of inches....this would look a bit weird with the stock bodywork and seat on the Savage.

Yep, I think that was a record... 5. 2 & 3's are common, but 5 wow.  

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so the internet blinks out and I don't think it worked ,  but still post even though it doesn't show on my screen ?

Thanks for the Heads-Up.  

I've found that a 'screen and a comfortable seat makes all the difference on a long ride.  At the third or fourth day of an aching back from leaning into the wind and your tail feeling like the seat is a 2X4 on edge.  It just ain't all that much fun anymore.....  

German engineering is intimidating in the beginning. I remember when I bought my first Mercedes diesel ten years ago. There was a lot to learn and it wasn't all just mechanics. Much of it is hard to explain but Germans design things from a different thought process than Americans. That first Mercedes I bought is simple in comparison to the latter one I bought. But today. I have a completely different understanding of the vehicle itself and the purpose for which it was built.
Long story short, the old 1976 Mercedes is still carrying my youngest son to school every day. The thing is a tank and with in excess of 300,000 miles on it; the doors still shut like the door of an old freezer that's never been out of the basement. The 1995 Mercedes is fast approaching the 300,000 mile mark and shows no signs of slowing down; not even an oil leak. That is the difference and today I understand and am comfortable with the layout and design of that German engineering. It's rock solid and made to work on.