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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> 'Time' is the winner ! /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1760902792 Message started by zipidachimp on 10/19/25 at 12:39:52 |
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Title: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by zipidachimp on 10/19/25 at 12:39:52 As this riding season comes to a close, plus the fact I'll be 82 in Feb, add in some personal circumstances, and I'm left with the conclusion that it's time to sell my '08 S40. I bought this bike in 2014, purely because of my past experience with a Ducati 250 single. If a single could shove me down the road at 60-70 mph, why would I need anything more? I've tried this bike as a 'tracker', 'bobber', cruiser and finally as a 'standard'. The standard won! In the 11 years I've owned this bike, I've also bought/sold a Honda VT600, Kawi Vulcan 500, and a second S40. The Kawi had the best motor, but the mufflers wanted to lever the rear wheel off the ground in corners! Scary! Any way, if circumstances change, I will too, it's been a blast! I'll stay on the site as interested observer(ha!). Cheers! 8-) ps: still believe Suzuki should have built this as a 'standard'. Oh well....... |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by LANCER on 10/19/25 at 13:27:40 Yes, Suzuki should definitely have built this bike as a standard. As you retire your riding years, I pray you are blessed with peace in your retirement from riding. |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/19/25 at 14:38:38 Hay Zip ... I suspect I'll be ridding a Honda Trail 125 in 15 to 20 years . Have you thought of anything like that ? You don't quit Ridding when you get Old ! You get Old when you quit Ridding ! :) I'll be 73 in a few months. (Feb) https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_ct125_hunter_cub.html 203 pounds wet . ;) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by zipidachimp on 10/19/25 at 20:43:53 Thanks! Cruising Craigs... there are a couple of guys renting REs here. May try it next spring, sounds neat. Could be just the thing in my situation. Cheers! 8-) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by blod on 10/19/25 at 23:56:33 There is no need to give up with motorcycles just because you get old, just don't ride them, drive them instead. I bought my first sidecar outfit when I was 16, and can honestly say they are far more fun than a solo motorcycle. Suzuki Savage http://https://i.imgur.com/iwKIlk6h.jpg CJ 750 http://https://i.imgur.com/lkANnYth.jpg |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/20/25 at 09:40:53 Hay Zip One of my bikes is a Royal Enfield Meteor 350 , 420 pounds wet , over 200 mile cruise range. Mine is coming up on 26,000 miles and just broken in good ! :) Honestly : It's a 65mph Cruiser. But can do 75mph before the speed limiter cuts in . There is a BELT DRIVE system for it , and it is so EASY in every way ! ;) It would be my ONLY BIKE but sometimes I need more cruising speed so I've also got a 650cc RE Interceptor. |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by Dave on 10/20/25 at 09:43:59 Time is not always our friend. I have several friends who rode into their 80's - but none of them made it to 85 on 2 wheels. Eventually - we will all find that we just can't keep riding. Find a way to give it up willingly when it is time - there is no reason to ride when you can no longer do it safely. I hope to be able to ride as long as you have......it is a goal of mine to stay healthy and agile. |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/20/25 at 10:04:58 I may have only 10 years left to get my "Bucket list Rides" done ? Looks like the next few Summers are going to be Busy ! ;) I hope some of you fellers are equally busy to get your bucket list done. Its always good to Share ! :) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by zipidachimp on 10/21/25 at 21:39:17 Boofrickinhoo ! Just sold it 4 hours ago. 2 inquiries in a day. Will stick around. Sad, but a bit giddy at the same time. Looking for possible rentals in the spring. Cheers! 8-) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by blod on 10/22/25 at 02:39:07 You lot give up too easy, kinda pathetic really. When I'm a cripple and can no longer walk to my bike, that is the time I will have to give up. Until then I will be riding every summer hopefully into my 90"s . If I can drive a car I can drive a sidecar rig. I will put my zimmer frame in the side car if I have to ;D http://https://i.imgur.com/zgYjftfh.jpg http://https://i.imgur.com/Zrfg29Oh.jpg |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by zipidachimp on 10/22/25 at 03:50:52 It's not a case of 'giving up' . More a case of not burdening my daughter with getting rid of all the detritus of my 81 years. Some can cope, some can't. Picking up your own trash is not a bad idea and opens up other possibilities. Now I will have time to learn guitar and put my impulse buy of 5 guitars to good use. Yes, in the weeks after I retired I bought 3 motorcycles and 5 guitars. Motorcycles won!!!!! Cheers! 8-) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/22/25 at 17:35:38 I never thought about a Side Car before , but that might be a way to keep a larger bike in my 80's and beyond ? But Back roads and a small bike makes for a fine afternoon ride especially on a small bike. My 350cc Single putt- putts around at 30-65 mph in a might fine way ! :) I think a 125cc might do just about as well ? :-? I had a Honda 250 Rebel that I liked for a few years. ;) https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_cmx250_rebal%2096.htm#google_vignette |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by Dave on 10/22/25 at 18:14:34 636D6E65010 wrote:
That is a bit hateful sounding - it is his decision to make and I am sure zipidachimp has thought long and hard about what is right for him and his loved ones. If he and his family no longer enjoy or feel safe when he is out riding - it is time to move on to the next chapter in life. We will all be there someday. I have had 2 friends in their 80's who rode longer than they should have. One of them started dropping his bike on a regular basis, as he just wasn't strong enough to hold it upright when he came to a stop on uneven ground. It was really scary watching him drop his bike in town with heavy traffic rushing around. The other one started falling behind on group rides and often would just stop and start looking around, as he was uncertain about where he was - one or two of us would have to fall behind with him and make sure he made it to the lunch stop (and then back home again). I have a great deal of respect for people who take the initiative to move on to the next phase of their life willingly. I had a grandmother that lived to be 104 and she aged gracefully. When she could no longer maintain her home she moved to an apartment. When she could no longer drive she sold her ca and moved to a small efficiency apartment near her son's house (my uncle). When she could no longer live alone she moved into assisted living - and she did it all willingly and never once complained about the changes that were required. I had a friend and a mother that did not do so well. When my friend passed away after 4 years of fighting cancer - it took me and 2 other friends 2 years to sort through his unfinished projects, house and pole barn and get his estate settled. My mother never downsized and lived on a 36 acre farm, and it took 1.5 years to get her estate settled. I hope that I can age gracefully and willingly take care of my business while I am still healthy enough to do the cleanup work myself.....I don't want other people working to get my affairs settled! |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/23/25 at 20:03:52 Dave one of those fellers you referred too might have been better on a lighter bike ? Your Right though ! We all will either be on 125cc bikes or quit ridding altogether . I started on a Honda S-65cc that only weighed 160 pounds with 6 HP. It cruised at 40-45 mph just fine. ;D But it was FUN! I'm already going with light weight bikes ... at 73 next Feb. both my bikes are only a little over 400 pounds each. I like the looks of the new Honda 150cc |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/23/25 at 20:39:55 Honda XR-150 https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_xr150l_17.html |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/23/25 at 20:57:18 And this one too ! https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_ct125_hunter_cub.html#google_vignette I might use the "Getting Old" reason to get both some day ? ;) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by zipidachimp on 10/24/25 at 22:51:47 The main reason I sold now is to be able to explain to the buyer why and how I modded my bike, and to be able to give him all of the stock parts I took off. My daughter, if I croaked, would never be able to do that. He rode the bike home and came back the next day with a truck to haul away a load of bike stuff accumulated over 11 years. I ended up with a clean garage!!!!! If I'm still healthy next spring, I'll buy a lightly used 'new' bike, unmodded, that's easy to sell! Think 'Hunter 350', 'Triumph 400'. Cheers! 8-) . |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by Dave on 10/25/25 at 05:41:56 736173616C7F707D763E0 wrote:
Both of those Honda bikes (CRF125 and Trail125) are somewhat off road oriented, and have seat heights around 30". A Honda Rebel 250 has a seat height of 27.2" - that likely would be far more friendly to an aged body. (For reference a stock Savage has a seat height of 27.6"). |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/26/25 at 16:33:24 :) XR150 air cooled The Meteor is 30.1" and Hunter is 31.1" . On paper the S-40 looks like a better choice for ageing legs , but in practice the Meteor seems easier to ride , how the weight hangs in there might be important ? Dave you've had the Trail Honda for a while . How was it ? |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by blod on 10/26/25 at 22:08:11 How about a Suzuki Savage ! They are really safe with a very low seat, and perfect for an old git. :) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by Dave on 10/27/25 at 03:35:35 6F7D6F7D70636C616A220 wrote:
My Trail Honda is a 1982 110cc version. It is a typical Honda and starts first kick. It is very hilly where I live, and that is a bit of a challenge for keeping the speed up. There is a steep hill on the road to town where I can get my errands done - I can maintain about 30mph on that hill and the speed limit is 35 (thankfully the road is curvy so cars can't easily maintain 35 and I don't hold traffic up much). On the main road through town the speed limit goes up to 40mph, and I can ride through town with traffic as the STOP signs and traffic lights slow people down. Once you leave town and the main highway speeds go up to 45 or 50 - I am a menace to society and it is not advisable or safe to ride the bike in traffic. The little Honda 110 is great for riding over to my neighbors house(s) when I need to go over to help them or visit.....or borrow a bigger tractor from Bruce! It is my "go to" bike for anything within 5 miles of home. On level ground 40mph is the highest comfortable speed, as anything over that feels like the engine is revving too high. With the off road transmission gears engaged it can climb around on some very steep grades - however the soft suspension keeps the off road travel speeds very low. The Honda horizontal engines are durable - but they have always had low HP....this bike is 7.6HP when brand new. The 1984 Honda CB125S that I had was far better at keeping up with traffic - it had 12HP and could maintain 50mph on level ground. The older Honda trails bikes are great for short trips in slow traffic, or for riding around a campground - they really aren't commuter or touring bikes. The modern 125 Trial Bike is a bit less than 9HP - which is still not enough to ride safely on highways with speeds over 45mph. |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by blod on 10/27/25 at 05:25:16 The old bugger on this savage is 5'7''. http://https://i.imgur.com/DCkaRg3h.jpg A midget could comfortably ride a Savage. :) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/27/25 at 07:38:59 Looks Good Blod ;) Too bad Suzuki doesn't still have something similar in their line-up ? They all look like Ninja's now ! I would have just as soon had a Suzuki than an Enfield but Air Cooled and Standard Styling are getting RARE to find . ::) HP is Soooo Over Rated in todays world ! Who cruises at 9000 rpm ? |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by Dave on 10/27/25 at 08:50:12 1D0F1D0F02111E1318500 wrote:
Anybody who is riding a 250 Ninja on the interstate! ;) I did that for 1,300 miles when I rode from KY to your house, then to Stewmills, then to the Barber Vintage Days....then back home. Little twin cylinder never missed a beat!!!!!! :) |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by blod on 10/27/25 at 08:58:32 485A485A57444B464D050 wrote:
There are still lots of good Savages around. I bought mine last year for $ 2500 - 3000 Canadian if I remember correctly. I would not buy new |
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Title: Re: 'Time' is the winner ! Post by MMRanch on 10/30/25 at 21:10:27 Little twin cylinder never missed a beat!!!!!! Your RIGHT Dave ! Bikes don't have to be BIG to be FUN ! That Honda 473cc twin that they put on their mid weight bikes could be the upper HP limit for the country and our roads would be better off. IMHO The Speed Limit here in TN is 70mph. |
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