Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 17:03:09 -0400 
From: "Peter A. Simon" <ps3p+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Another question..(about Savage 650)
	<1992Jul17.172647.29110@bnrmtl.bnr.ca>

>In article <1992Jul17.150504.20477@aber.ac.uk>, azw@aber.ac.uk (Andrew
>Michael Woodward) writes:
>|>
>|>So, how reliable are Savages? They always get a lousy press from the 
>|>Kamikaze FZXRC1700DOA crotch rocket rider journalists. 
>|>I quite fancy one for the same
>|>reasons I got a Landrover. How far have you got on it and how far does
>|>it go between breakages? What about fuel consumption? How easy are they to
>|>service? Are the valves on shims or screws? How long do back tyres last? 
>|>These are the things REAL riders want to know? These are the things the 
>|>UK M/cycle press arent interested in!
>         
>It's been only a week since I bought it, so I don't have much
>things to say about it now. I've ride about 500km yet, and it 
>still running....The consumption is ridiculous (compared to my
>car :) 
>But seriously, if you are REALly interested, I will have more
>intelligent comments in a few weeks. Right now, I know that it
>tends to vibrate above 120kmh and it's a little bit hard on the
>right hand which sometimes got numbed. Beside, the bike behave 
>real good. I don't think that bike is made for the highway.
>Stay tuned...
 
Stephane Proulx
 
i've put 8100 miles (13,500 km) on my savage and have observed the following:

milage = 45 miles/u.s. gal (don't know the conversion to km/imp. gal.)
at 120 km/hr without faring.  55 mpg at 90 km/hr.  same figures with or
without passenger.

mine hasn't "broken" yet but it is real sensitive to stale gasoline and
i've thought it was broken.  a fresh tank of gas fixes it right up,
though.  i've replaced: clutch cable (probably necessary due to an
accident that bent the clutch lever), speedo cable, front brakes (12,000
km), rear brakes (13,500 km), front fork seals (12,000 km--probably
because the bike sat for 5 months in all weathers).  it is currently
leaking oil through head and cylinder seals (NOT head gasket) but this
doesn't effect performance (and netters here assure me that it doesn't
matter functionally, although esthetically it's the pits).

the bike is relatively easy to work on--which is one of the major
reasons i got it.  suzukis are notoriously user unfriendly when it comes
to making what should be simple repairs (you have to pull the gas tank
to change a plug) but i do 98% of my own maintanence and rarely have to
swear voluably.  the belt still looks good.  the wheel bearings are
fine.  one of these days i'll measure the tire tread and probably
discover that they need replacing but they still look good for the
riding i do.

the finish stays nice for a long time (i wax mine frequently) although
some of the chrome is marginal.  the aluminium covers have gone for a
shit due to the fact that i ride in the winter on salty streets but
that's not the bike's fault.

my major complaint is that it shifts real hard--especially really
grinding when going into second.  nothing i do with the clutch
adjustment helps.  i've heard that synthetic oil might, though.

i've never ridden anywhere the DoD limit but have cruised at 120 kph
with enough jam left to pass, and have detected nary a wobble at 150
kph.  and, in spite of stephnane's observation, it vibrates far less
than my old 650 matchless twin.  it doesn't corner like a crotch rocket
but it's good enough to drag its pegs if you're so inclined, and it's
easy to handle in traffic.  it starts in any temperature that i feel
like riding in (cold or hot), and i've ridden through two VERY hot
chicago summers without failure (although the pipe turned blue).

the savage is what it is, the minimalist motorcycle.  rides (and pulls)
like a tractor, shifts like a truck,  marginal on the suspension, hell
on the butt.  if i wasn't leaving the country i'd never be selling
mine--not even after i get my hog.

and the valves are on screws--easy to get to.

now, a question for you:  are they sold new in the UK (haven't been sold
here since 1988), and do the new ones have 5 gears?

-peter

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*                             WATCH BACK!                           *
*                                                                   *
* DoD #10o00                 Suzuki LS650H         NAUI INST. #1434 *
*                             (for sale)                            *
*                             Honda CM400                           *
*                           (for sale, too)                         *
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Organization: Senior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA