8)As a former Rebel owner and current Savage owner, I can personally attest to most of the points previously mentioned. Both are super 'lil Bikes and are pretty evenly matched for the most part. IMHO the Rebel comes out ahead of the Savage in a few minor areas, namely the ease of servicing the battery and spark plugs, fuel milage, bar mounted speedo with trip meter and low speed handling ... though, I suspect that the S40's drag bar set-up has improved this area for the LS considerably. The Savage/S40 beats the Reb with it's belt drive vs chain, overall power-to-weight ratio, super low end torque (climbs hills like a goat!), comfort, more chrome and general "uniqueness".
As WD stated, if the CMX450 Rebel were still in the picture, then this discussion might be even more interesting! Have always thought the 450 Rebel was one cool Bike ... wish Honda would reintroduce it ... especially with a belt drive!

Back in the early '80's I was looking for a street bike.  I felt that the 250's were just a little bit underpower for the L.A. Freeways, so I was looking at the 400-450cc bikes.  Back then there was a Honda CB400, a Kawasaki 440, the Suzuki 450, and I don't remember but I'm sure a Yamaha 4xx.  I ended up with a Suzuki GS450E to which I mounted a Quicksilver fairing:
picture not of my bike

This bike took me on a vacation to Seatle -- 85mph up I5 thru the central valley to SF (barely pacing traffic in the right lanes) and then up the coast on 2-laners at 45-55 getting 80mpg.   In other words, more than capable of anything I asked of it.

The 250 class is still a little underpowered for California freeways.  But since the 350-450 class is gone and I didn't want a BIG bike so that was what I was looking at.

If I could get one I would be riding a:

Standard frame/sitting (not cruiser style) with a chain drive 400 single (same engine as the Savage 400.)

Paladin: those bikes are really beautiful.  I'd love to have one of those.

As an ex rebel rider I think this discussion is pretty interesting. However! What would Savage/S40 vs. Shadow VLX sound like?

Aha!  I've had both a Savage and a VLX600 at the same time!  It's hard to say which one I liked better.  Wife definitely liked the Honda looks, but the Savage mechanicals.  I'm about the same.

SUZUKI ADVANTAGES:

• The Savage has an advantage in low-end torque, and it is near impossible to stall the bike by quick-handing the clutch as long as you have some throttle.  With the VLX, you have to stay in the friction zone a bit longer, 1st gear is higher, and it's harder to creep along in slow traffic.  
  Savage was also lighter, which is good at low speed but not so great above 70 or so.  
  My 1st Savage was a 5-speed, my current Savage is a 4-speed, and all VLXs are 4-speed.  No big deal, but 1st gear is so high on the Honda.  
  The Savage is much simpler with one cylinder, one plug, and air cooling.  The VLX is water cooled, 2 plug per cyl.  
  Replacing the battery is easy on the Savage but requires pulling the exhaust pipes on the VLX.
  Finally, the Savage is all steel and aluminum, but the Honda has alot of plastic in irritating places - side covers, chrome air cleaner cover, some of the engine case covers.

HONDA ADVANTAGES:

• The Honda had a clear advantage in engineering, build quality, and ride comfort.  
  VLX has forward controls straight from the factory, the Savage does not.  
  The VLX air cleaner rattled a bit at speed, but other than that the bike was solid, quiet, and very confidence-inspiring at any speed.  
  Savage is painful for a passenger, but the VLX is very comfortable for a passenger.  
  The VLX has an accelerator pump and a coolant-heated carb, the Savage does not.
  The Honda has the V-Twin look, and nowhere on the bike is the engine displacement given away.
  The Honda never backfired out the exhaust, but little poots from the air cleaner were common.  The stock Savage sounds like a 12 gauge low-brass field load on deceleration and shutoff.

A DRAW BETWEEN THE TWO:

• Stock bike against stock bike, the VLX and Savage are very close - My neighbor and I heads-up raced the two bikes, and neither bike consistently outran the other.  (They both, however, outran his 883 sportster up to about 70 mph then the 883 pulled ahead).  
  Both the Savage and VLX are ridiculously lean from the factory.  
  Both had the same top speed, till I started monkeying with the Savage.  Of course with mods the sky's the limit for either bike.
  Savage belt is zero-maintenance, but the Honda chain allows easy for gearing changes.

Hard to say which one I like better, but I still have a Savage and the VLX was sold with no remorse.

(I also have a Honda CB1000, and just sold a YZF600 and a Suzuki GS1000.  I like anything that runs and/or goes bang)

Just my 2 cents.  

Paladin. wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:



Sorry, I knows its off subject, but I never noticed that those bikes had the same engine as a Savage.  Maybe a new project...650cc tempter....ohhhh!

link to tempters for sale in Japan ...
http://www.goobike.com/cgi-bin/search/search_result.cgi?maker=3&exhaust1=&exh...

Another difference...I have NEVER heard a Rebel 250 with ANY kind of sound like a 650...especially with aftemarket mufflers.  (Do they even MAKE an aftermarket for the Rebel?)  The "aural" experience of the Savage makes it worth it to me.  Of course, if quiet is important, they're both pretty silent from the factory...