Ok my fine friends in MC-land - lets assume for just a minute that I am ready to move up a tad on the MC totem pole.......One I am not looking to throw a lot of $$ at the next step up - I paid $1200 for my Savage 1 year ago with 6900 miles on it - now has 9500 and oil leak fixed new tires, brakes, petcock, 6" forward controls, winshield. Now if I were to move up a tad what would my next bike be? I have some interest in the Suzuki Intruder water cooled 800, Kawasaki Vulcan, Honda VTX.....but I want to take a small step in power not a monumental one. I like the weight of the Savage, the power, the sound, the mileage......just looking for advise on the logical next step up.....your opinions do matter to me.

thanks

Or, you mite have a look at the Kawa w-650,, hard to find, but good bikes. Not a screamer, but faster than the S-40, no cam chain, bevel drive cam.

Honda Shadow RS normal riding position,507 pounds wet weight,chain drive so can easily be geared higher.Triumph American wet weight 550

I know it's a sacrilege to say it,... but the closest thing would be a 883 Sportster...
Slightly more power, still air-cooled, and single carb... but, much heavier.
Although,... newer models are fuel injected, and have fuel pumps to complicate things...

piglt wrote on 04/14/11 at 10:21:02:



+1  

the S-50/intruder vs800 is really the next step from a Savage, it's 805cc 480lbs exact same seating position and the extra power is minimal because of the extra weight. so if you just want a little more umph, that's your bike, the sporty 883 isn't bad either, just 550lbs, so you are going up like 200lbs instead of just 125 or so for the s50, now if you want a 550 lbs machine that feels like a savage with extra extra umph, try the S-83/intruder vs1400, the bonus with the 1400/S83 is that you won't need to move up again ever really, unless you want a touring comfort bagger bike.

if you wanna stay with a cruiser style

otherwise you have lots of options, try some fz8 or triumph bonnivelle or other styles of bikes out, sit on them and see how you feel about them

mick wrote on 04/14/11 at 10:56:15:


Mick, actually NO, I haven't ever sat on one.  Only seen one in person.  Don't have a Triumph dealer near me.  I just fell in love with the looks of the bike, and the specs are nice too.  And the Triumph name speaks for itself.  But you could be right, probably would be too big for me.  That's why my S40 will probably be the only bike I ever own.  (and believe it or not, I've been considering selling it... sssshhhh)  

But weracerc has an inch or two, and a pound or two on me....

babyhog wrote on 04/14/11 at 11:07:10:


the America/Speedmaster's aren't that big, the Thunderbird is wide though, looks great from the side, hard to straddle for me though.  

the bonneville is just one sexy bike. get the Ryca kit and make your S-40 new again piglet!  

I vote rebuild. It'll cost you way less than a new bike, you get to keep all the investment you've already made into it, and without getting too complicated and in depth with it you can still get a very substanstial boost in performance without any extra weight or having to adjust to a new bike's quirks and personality. Besides all that, what you learn by taking it apart and putting it back together will mean you will never be intimidated to make repairs.

K/N cone filter ($50)
38VM carb from lancer ($150 IIRC)
stage 1 cam from lancer ($200 less core charge)
screaming eagle dyna muffler on stock header ($25)
95mm wiseco piston ($175)
Bore job ($50)
Barnett clutch ($150)

Grand Total - $800 and some time, and Im pushing 0-60 in 4-5 seconds. My buddy Ineclipse also has a '95 (stock) and every time we get done with a ride he asks if he can take mine around the block. He's usually gone for about 20 minutes before he comes back and praises every attribute in comparison with his stock machine.