Suzuki Savage 650cc as first bike?

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UncleS2

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While I've cooled off a bit, still have the bug. I went to a Yamaha dealer the other day- they had no VStar 250cc at all, so I sat on a VStar 650. It didn't feel as heavy as I thought it would, but still heavier than I want to learn on.

I've begun looking online at the Suzuki Savage/S40 650cc single-cylinder bikes. Only about 40-50 lbs heavier than most of the recommended 1st bike 250s(Yam Virago/V-Star, Suz GZ, Hon Rebel/Nighthawk, Kaw Ninja) some owners love their Suzuki "thumpers" (even though many say they get buzzy & vibrate badly at highway speeds).

Someone has posted here about the Savage/S40 being a "real man's motorcycle". Exactly what does that mean- hard to handle, needs more skill?

Would a Savage make a good first bike? Or is it more of a specialty motorcycle?
 
I think what he meant was the Suzuki doesn't have the "starter bike" stigma. When I started riding, I was planning to buy a Rebel. Numerous salespeople refused to sell me one, stating I wouldn't be happy long at all. Looking back they were right. I started on a Triumph Bonneville America.

Now I have a Suzuki, which has had zero issues in 4 years. The S40 gets my nod based upon my admittedly limited experience.
 
How tall of a guy are you? A starter bike doesn't have to be a 250cc.. I prefer a bit of a larger bike just because I'm 6'4'', not because I want to feel like any more of a man.

I really like the new Yamaha vstar bikes..
 
I'm about 5'11" tall, with a relatively short inseam of ~30". Gotta be able to flatfoot whatever I get.

I'm having very poor luck finding anything near home & most CL used bike prices run fairly high. If I'm willing to drive over 500 miles round-trip possibilities open up, but it's a long expensive trip to make if the bike in question turns out to be a reject.

A Savage might serve just fine. Oughta get up to 50-60 mph quicker than a Rebel or Virago 250 too!
grin.gif


Justin- the V-Star 650 I sat on was *Gorgeous*! But it felt awful heavy for me to learn on.
 
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The Suzuki Savage/S40 has been around a long time,I remember riding a well worn beat up one 20 years ago.There was a styling change to make it the S40,but has been the same basic bike all along....which makes it well sorted.They don't pull well from down low like you would expect....or are made to assume by the long stroke styling of the engine.I'm no sports bike rider,but they touch down a bit early for me.

We have a couple in our town I've done inspections on,one owned by an elderly rider,the other by a woman learner rider,both really like them.
 
I had one as my first bike. I only kept it six months or so, as it turned out I wasn't really a cruiser kind of guy. I still think that they're neat bikes, though. Something like 28HP, the tongue is kind of hanging out at freeway speeds. Nice and grunty around town. Almost impossible to stall. Supertrapp made a nice slip on megaphone that looked pretty cool and wasn't rockNroll loud. The ol' Savage is certainly suitable as a first bike.

I would get the Suzuki TU250X, though. Still looks cool, it surely handles better and has EFI.
 
I like big singles. I could be very happy with a Honda GB500 or a Yamaha SRX6

But the Savage I rode was lacking in some areas of big single goodness. It's a good bike, just seemed to need something....
 
If the bike is in good shape, I think it will make a great first bike. You'll quickly adjust to the weight.
 
The Savage/S40 is a good choice, and maybe a better made bike than the VStar650. It doesn't have freeway cruising power, and that's probably a good thing. It handles well, and is mechanically reliable. Check suzukisavage.com for good info about any maintenance trouble spots to keep your eye on (every machine has some and the Savage/S40 has very few). Do adjust the fork spring spacers and the rear shock settings for correct sag--to get the bike with your loaded weight into the center of its suspension travel.

Hyundaiguy,
A friend is an indie motorcycle mechanic presently working on a Boulevard C50. The driveshaft splines were dry, no factory lube at all remaining, and the splines stripped resulting in a $600 repair. Consider whether it is worth two hours labor to take the shaft out, put moly grease on the splines, and reassemble.
 
I've been reading on the SuzukiSavage dot com forum for days now, even registered so I could post questions there(as NoBikeYet
grin.gif
). Camshaft drive chain seems to be a trouble spot, but not terribly so. Slight carb mods are popular for the Savage/S40 too. (I tinkered with the Weber 2bbl 2-stage I put on the old Volvo, ordered & tried different jets on it, wound up going with stock jetting but at least I *knew*
wink.gif
). I'm confident I could do the Savage carb mods to improve low & midrange pwr a bit & eliminate backfiring. Some owners remove the belt drive system & replace with chain & sprockets, giving it more of a highway gearing, at a total cost of ~$100, so that's doable too.

Thanks for the advice & suggestions, guys. The Savage/S40 is now near the top of my "short list" of models to seek out.

Wwe're about to get more snow tonight, so there won't be any trailer-towing bike-buying trips for a while.
 
The Suzuki S40 is surprisingly small in real life. I haven't ridden on one, only stood next to one and looked at it. I would suggest taking a look at a Kawasaki Ninja 500. Now discontinued, but you can still get brand new ones for less than $4000 around here. A couple of years old and you're in the $2s. Bigger than the 250, a lot more power, especially on the highway, simple to work on, and comfortable for 2-up for an hour or two. I can easily go 20 mph over the limit 2-up and still pass anything I want to. They are surprisingly versatile and you won't grow out of it. If you have more money check out the Kawasaki 650 or the Versys--both even better bikes.
 
One thing. I had read that the engine had to be removed on the Savage to adjust the valves.
 
Originally Posted By: Stuart Hughes
I'm about 5'11" tall, with a relatively short inseam of ~30". Gotta be able to flatfoot whatever I get.


"Flatfoot" is not a requirement for light to midweight bikes. I have SHORT legs and have been riding BMW bikes for 39years/350,000miles with only the balls of both feet hitting pavement. To date I have dropped the bikes once...I hit a big patch of oil with my foot while stopped at a traffic light.

Did I just Jinx myself?????
 
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
One thing. I had read that the engine had to be removed on the Savage to adjust the valves.


Previous S40 owner here, the engine does not have to be removed to adjust the valves. The fuel tank has to come off, but this is pretty common for bikes where the head/valve cover is under the tank.
 
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