I'm a vet who has downsized to a Suz TU250 that is looking for a bit more power but not the weight. Have owned many big singes over the years and like the size and simplicity. I dont like the cruiser/chopper stance of the Savage, but I LOVE the Ryca look- but not the price. I actually was thinking of just the seat/tail section and a handlebar change; maybe the foot controls moved back some, but NOT rearsets. Is that doable? Has a semi-Ryca been created by another member? I can see the frame RAKE is rather long, but I could accept that for the VERY limited riding I'll do with a bike.  Thanks, George in NC.

2" taller rear shocks (Intruder 800 fit), and standard or drag style bars, will go a long way.
The front of my seat is also raised 2",... and the gas tank is raised 1" in the rear to give a flatter look. (easily done with spacers)...
...(midsets are just too much trouble for me)... ...

Hey Serowbot, any problems lifting the tank that high and having clearance around the petcock?

Sorry to 'jack this thread.

that's a thermas

As far as rear(mid)set footpegs goes, Ryca's seem to be the only option, you could modify them to bring the pegs forward some. They are supposedly  fairly standard positioned to begin with.
With the rearsets in mind, I'd recommend either raising the stock seat or mounting a taller variety from a different bike, a Triumph Bonneville seat (with the dip) is supposed to fit if you switch the fender brackets.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1377965704

FWIW re the footpegs. Since you haven't got the bike yet, you might want to ride it with the stock pegs for a little while before you make a decision to change them. The pegs aren't really all that far forward compared to a lot of cruisers. When I first got my S40 after mostly riding dual sports and motocross bikes, the foot peg location felt a bit odd, but it didn't take long for  it to feel completely natural. Now whenever I jump on a dirt bike or a standard - like the Bonneville that I've been drooling on down at the local Triumph dealer, the peg location on those bikes feels weird.


the pegs on the S40 are far enough back so that I can still lift my butt off the seat when I need too while negotiating the truly crappy roads around my home.

Give it a little time and you might save yourself some unnecessary work and expense.

I recently bought a 2003 Savage here in NC, and that price (depending on the condition of the bike of course) is pretty good. If the bike hasnt been dropped, the chrome and trim are in really good shape from being stored indoors, and she is turn-key ride-able, you'd be hard pressed to find one too much cheaper.

Sounds like you'd be happier with a bike with a great engine but everything else is crappy  , but even "parts bikes' can go for $900-1000 around here.

I suppose you would need to look at what all you wanted to do before you purchase the bike. That year has short risers and buckhorn pull-back handlebars (I hated them), so you will need a set of bars and either store-bought or DIY risers. Good news is, you wont have to replace the clutch or brake cables.

Changing the seat can get expensive..and has it's frustrations. Our Savage has a "frame dip" where the seat is, and getting a flatter seat on there will leave a big air gap. If you are handy and can work with sheet metal, covers can be fabricated to cover that gap.

Changing the position of the controls even more so than the seats...is a lot of work.

Changing a Savage into a bobber is not that hard from what I have seen here. Changing her into a cafe-style racer is a bit more money and work. Changing her into a STANDARD bike (like a Bonny or the old Kawasaki 550's) seems like it would be harder than both of the above. Again, it all depends on how much labor you can do yourself, and how many parts you can scavenge off of eBay.

Good news is, the Savage has one of the best singles out there. Your powerplant wont be an issue.

Have you done a Google picture search for "modified Suzuki Savage"? Plenty of ideas out there (though a lot of those pics will bring you back here). Just a heads up, when using the search function here...the default search time frame is just 2 weeks. Make sure you change that to at least 1 year if you really want to see what's here.

We have a Bike Builds sticky at the top of the Rubber Side Down section, you can look at a lot of bikes there and see if something works for you or gives you an idea.

Perhaps the look and ride you are going for, is something like this:

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1369527081

That bike has a lot of work in it......it is very well done.


Moving the pegs and controls back is not easy.  If you have to ask about it, most likely you don't have the ability to do it on your own.  If you are an experienced fabricator it is still time consuming.

I bought the RYCA rear set and kick stand mounts, and then bought some rear set pegs that I liked a bit better than the RYCA pegs.  I fabricated my own brake rod and shift linkage.

You don't have to change the footpeg location to make a nice bike - however the stock pegs are far enough forward that the bike will always look and ride like a Cruiser or Bobber.