Posted by Mike Bechler on June 26, 2001 at 19:15:25:
I've only seen one Savage in my entire life -- mine.
I bought it at a Honda dealership about 2 weeks ago.
I never would have thought to look for one until I
saw it; I was just trolling for a used bike. All the
dealers around here sell mostly cruisers and (what
we used to call) cafe racers -- you know, the racy
kind with the short handlebars. I wanted something
more laid back but not a full-blown cruiser, so this
was perfect. I used to ride a Honda 450 K4; I've been
through a CX500 and a VF750F (Sabre) as well. I got
a killer price because (I think) it was at a Honda
dealership and they didn't really want a Suzuki in
their parking lot:-).
This could be the most fun motorcycle I've ever
had. It certainly has an ample supply of good looks
and cool. It's going into the dealer tomorrow for
it's first servicing (I hope the original owner did
the 600 mile service (gulp!) but I don't really know).
Are there any Savage riders in the SF bay area? And
is there any modification I can do to make it a bit
more civilized at freeway speeds without making
it louder? Our company might be moving and I'll
have a long freeway run every day.
What I've found out so far:
Fuel: I switched from 89 to 92 octane and my mileage
immediately went from about 39 to 45.
Power: I don't need to go over 80 so it has enough
power for me. I can pass at 70 and sustain 75; however
the vibration would be a bit much on a long run, and
with that much wind hitting me, I could use a further-
back sitting position or a backrest. It's actually
comfortable at 65 but around here that doesn't even
qualify for the slow lane.
Gears: There seems to be a gap between 2nd and 3rd;
if I want to cruise at 30, it winds a bit tight in
2nd and lugs in 3rd. Also, I could use a lower ratio
in 5th; it seems marginally lower than 4th.
Servicing and Documentation: The manual was quite
useful with some notable exceptions. The measuring tool
for the belt is WAY too tight, and the procedure for
checking the spark plug says "undo the two bolts and
slide the tank off". Sure, if you want to rip the
petcock off on the way. It remains to be seen whether
I will be doing the kind of servicing that requires
pulling the tank; depends on if I can find a reasonable
way to do it. I did want to check the spark plug.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share some of what I've
found out.
Mike