First Bike
1999 Suzuki LS650 Savage
|
|
|
The Savage was a great first bike. It's very easy to ride, it's cheap enough that you don't risk much money, and it's slow, so you can't get into much trouble. It's a cruiser, so it gives you a taste of cruiser riding position, accessories, etc., but, with Metzler tires, it handles well enough to give you a taste of canyon carving, which most cruisers don't do. It's a thumper (one-cylinder engine) and, once you replace the stock muffler, the bike has a strong personality.
|
The Concours is an old design (1986) that was so good Kawasaki sold it for 20 years. The Concours is very sturdy, and it handled better than most of its rivals. The owners group is the best I've ever seen—they know everything there is to know about the bike, including the right modifications for every possible shortcoming.
 |
|
I learned while I was riding Tipsy that most of the buffeting behind a windshield is caused by a difference in air pressure—the pressure in front of the windshield is greater than the pressure behind it. Air that's deflected around the 'shield pours into the low-pressure area behind instead of continuing over and around the bike. We sit in the low-pressure area and feel the air pouring in as buffeting.
It makes sense that you can reduce the buffeting by reducing the difference in pressure. An easy way to do that is to drill a couple of holes in the windshield or, in the case of the Rifle windshield system I had, in the windshield base. I drilled one on either side of the central vent—2 inches in diameter, drilled with an ordinary carpenter's hole saw. Afterwards, almost all the buffeting was gone. I did the same to the stock Connie 'shield with the same results.
Oops! Early one morning, Tipsy tipped me off in a low-sider. I
was only bruised but the bike's plastic body parts, handlebars and gas tank
needed replacement, and the retail cost was so high ($700 for a single hardcase
saddle bag!) that the insurance company (State Farm) totaled the bike.
I got a good price, though, with no hassle.
I replaced the Concours with this 2003 Suzuki SV1000. It's a terrific bike. Responsive yet stable, strong, really exciting. Big and comfortable enough for touring but agile enough to mix it up with sportbikes.
The forks and rear shock are fully adjustable (preload, rebound and compression). I tried
changing the settings a little at a time and just confused myself—too much of a good thing—,
so a friend advised me to take Gary Jaehne's suspension workshop at
Doc Wong's. Doc is a self-described
motorcycle nut here in the SF Bay Area who sponsors numerous rides and workshops.
Gary is a several-times champion racer
who also writes and teaches
riders how to enjoy their bikes. In two evening sessions, he showed us how to setup the
suspension properly. I have the bike riding sweet finally.
The KNOCK! Some '02 and '03 SV1000 and 1000S engines develop a very loud knocking noise at low RPMs when the engine is hot; it might go away at higher RPMs, but it's hard to tell. In Great Britain, Suzuki dealers installed thicker main bearings in knocking engines as a warranty repair. Riders in the US didn't get the same result from Suzuki America, which admitted there was a knock but denied it was a problem.
No one has reported any damage or breakdowns resulting from the knock, and Suzuki said
the knock would probably diminish as the bike wore in. Time will tell. I found that using full-synthetic oil helped, and after its 11,000-mile tuneup, the engine seems to be running more smoothly. The knock is still there, but it's not as strong as it was.
For more on the knock, see the SV1000 Archive and the thread entitled "The knock ... the final thread" at the
SV1000 Portal.
Top of This Page
Margarita Blue
2003 Suzuki SV1000
Modifications
Track days!
http://www.techpubs.com/PersonalPages/Motorcycles.htm
Last updated 21 June 2007
Copyright 2003-2007 by Mike
Bradley