When I was riding those ,they got a decent amount of attention wherever it went. As for being a good starter bike, I couldn't agree more. A Suzuki shop manual and this forum will give anyone with just a decent grasp of mechanics the ability keep it on the road. And, like one of the comments said, some beginners Don't want to graduate to a bigger bike. It's plenty big enough for the casual rider for running errands, even heading over to the next town and doing twenty miles or so at seventy. For the smaller statured, it's awesome. If they would have had a low mileage Savage in inventory I would have grabbed it. I spent a few weeks hunting a local one. Just couldn't find one. So,today I'm going to get to adjust the chain on the 450. And lube it again. And clean the sprockets.
Yay chains,,, 😁

Hey guys!  Agree!  The article reminded me of the thought process I went through when I decided to buy a Savage.  After a 30+ year hiatus from riding, it sounded perfect.  I’m smaller in stature, can do some basic wrenching but I’m no mechanic or customizer, and I mostly wanted it for weekend fun and not cross country road trips.  I’m so grateful for the fellowship of this forum and everyone’s help walking me through issues I never could have tackled alone or with a Clymer Manual.

That said, I do still fall in/out of love with the Savage for various reasons.  Y’all’s Kawasaki Eliminator 450 and Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 check a lot of the boxes for me too!  I like my Honda Shadow Sprit 750 too, but I wish it was 100lbs lighter and easier to work on.  Just digging the carbs out of the “V” is a royal PITA!

Sell those wheels on eBay, MM.  I had a set off a parts bike and they sold pretty quick (like $75-$100 for each, can’t remember exactly).