SuzukiSavage.com - A mid-sized bike for short people

Oldfeller--FSO

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A mid-sized bike for short people
10/28/16 at 15:31:20

I looked long and hard for a bike I could sit flat footed at stop lights, and I found the Savage. And I have been a happy Hurley killin' Savager for a long time now.

But it isn't really an interstate bike, really, because it struggles some with a steady diet of 80 mph plus and it does beats on the rider some in doing that.

So, I have been looking for something affordable that gets close to fitting my bill for an open road bike.

At least 750cc or more, it has to have at least 55-60 ponies and over 35 ft/lbs of torque.

Top end of over 100 mph with some oomph for passing trucks (and Hurleys).

Belt or shaft drive, no chain slinging greasy muck stuff.

Standard riding position or cruiser position only. No crotch rocket crouch please.

Ease of maintenance says hydraulic valves, please.

Regular gas, please.

Over 3 gallon tank size, please.

45-50 miles per gallon real world, please.

Can't weight over 500 pounds, please.

Seat height can be rigged to be 27 inches or less for my short legs. Seat needs to sit good for all day riding.

I only got $1500 to spend on a bike right now, so that is a somewhat serious limiter too.

..... and last but killer least, it cannot be a Hurley -- I got me some enduring bias, I do.

My ideal bike is acting sorta elusive to me right now, you know?

Got any ideas to share ???

Huh

AND it would be nifty neat if it used a 15" tubeless rear wheel so I could continue to use them cheap arsed immortal rear tires, except they would fit on the rim better.

AND it would be nifty neat if it had a forum that was neat like this one, full of illustrated how to's and such.

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« Last Edit: 10/28/16 at 21:13:06 by Oldfeller--FSO »

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Rodger Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 256	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #1 - 10/28/16 at 16:15:01 Dang!! Was thinking I have the bike for you, O.F. But.... 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad 1500 FI..fits the specs, except in weight & price (743 lbs, asking price $3,000, incl new, unmounted Kenda Kruze tires) ...
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SALB Serious Thumper Offline FSO Posts: 668 Whittier, AK Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #2 - 10/28/16 at 16:16:36 I was looking for something similar before I bought this last S40. Although just a little short on ponies, the Honda Shadow 750 will do freeway easy enough. Newer ones are shaft drive, and the newest FI. Finding one for $1500 might be a challenge.
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MMRanch Serious Thumper Offline Evil flourishes if Good Men do Nothing. Posts: 5837 LYNCHBURG TN Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #3 - 10/28/16 at 18:15:44 I understand you can re-gear one of these to run interstate speed up to 80. but the wind is so bad at that speed its not a lot of fun . http://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-Suzuki-Boulevard-/112184100315?forcerrptr=true&h...
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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #4 - 10/28/16 at 18:26:52 Second hand Yamaha Bolt, $1500 budget might be tough.
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MMRanch Serious Thumper Offline Evil flourishes if Good Men do Nothing. Posts: 5837 LYNCHBURG TN Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #5 - 10/28/16 at 22:01:38 I'm going for a 4.75 gal. tank for my LS this winter ... I'll take lots of pictures and post them when I start the project.
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Blade Full Member Offline Posts: 135 Sydney Australia Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #6 - 10/29/16 at 03:40:10 My other ride is a Suzuki VX800, which I converted into a cruiser and lowered by around 4". It is based on the Intruder 750, with the engine bored out to 805cc.
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Blade Full Member Offline Posts: 135 Sydney Australia Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #7 - 10/29/16 at 03:41:53 From this:
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Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12673 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #8 - 10/29/16 at 04:03:59 Nice, but moving from 31 inches of seat height down to 27 will take out most of the shock travel free space (i.e. rear tire clearance).
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Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12673 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #9 - 10/29/16 at 06:13:37 Went bike looking this morning at a $1500 motorcycle, came back discouraged to a degree as when I left I thought I was looking at a bike with a 489 pound dry weight and was flat amazed at what it actually hefted when it was full of water and oil and gasoline. 560 pounds vs a Savage is a LOT of extra weight .....
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Rodger Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 256	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #10 - 10/29/16 at 06:39:42 Yup, "dry weight" specs are about as useful to us as a bikini is to a lobster. I bought the S40 'cuz the Nomad is just NO fun in city traffic.
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Drestakil Full Member Offline innocent bystander Posts: 178 Southern Illinois Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #11 - 10/29/16 at 06:44:36 Other than price it seems like the H-D Street 750 would fit the bill. It might be awhile before they come down to the 1500 range. I know it's a Harley but this one doesn't seem to fit in with the "bad-ass leather boy" look of the full size ones.
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Ruttly Serious Thumper Online Thumpers Rule Posts: 5107 Manteca , CA Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #12 - 10/29/16 at 07:06:08 Go sit on a Triumph,heavy but Low center of gravity and well balanced,nice bike. Forget what model it was,one of the retro twins !
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oldNslow

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Re: A mid-sized bike for short people
Reply #13 - 10/29/16 at 07:31:55

Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 10/29/16 at 06:13:37:

Went bike looking this morning at a $1500 motorcycle, came back discouraged to a degree as when I left I thought I was looking at a bike with a 489 pound dry weight and was flat amazed at what it actually hefted when it was full of water and oil and gasoline.

560 pounds vs a Savage is a LOT of extra weight .....

I think you are going to keep being discouraged unless you revise your wish list a bit. Unless you are looking for a project. I don't know what things are like where you are, but 1500 bucks doesn't buy much motorcycle around these parts. Some 20 year old 2 or 4 cylinder japanese standards and such. Which would meet most of your criteria except for seat height. Or a Kawasaki EN500, if you can find one close to your price.

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/kawasaki/kawasaki_en500_vulcan_classic...

28" seat height, under 500lbs. and its a water cooled twin. It's the same motor as the old 500 Ninja I think so the performance should meet your specs.

Most of the ones that pop up on Craigslist around here are priced between 2 and 3 thousand though.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28663 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Reply #14 - 10/29/16 at 07:45:25 1986 Honda VT700C Shadow 700 might be close... (a bit ugg in the style department)... http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/honda/honda_vt700c_shadow%2083.htm PS.. I rode a 500 for while,.. and even it would fit the bill. http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/buyersguide/Honda-VT500Shadow.htm
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