First Bike
1999 Suzuki LS650 Savage
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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.
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The Concours was an old design (1986) that was so good Kawasaki sold it for 20 years. It was very sturdy, and, in its day, it handled better than most of its rivals. The owners group is still the best I've ever seen—they know everything there is to know about the old bike, including the right modifications for every possible shortcoming.
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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 the 'shield instead of continuing over bike. We sit in that low-pressure area and feel the air pouring in on us as buffeting.
I figured that if I could reduce the difference between the pressure in front of and behind the windshield, I could reduce the buffeting. An easy way to do that was to drill a couple of holes in the windshield or, in the case of the Rifle windshield system I had on Tipsy, in the windshield base. I drilled a hole on either side of the base's central vent—2 inches in diameter, drilled with an ordinary carpenter's hole saw. Afterwards, almost all the buffeting was gone and there was a slight increase in fresh air venting through the added holes. 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.
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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 run 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.
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Last updated 14 July 2008
Copyright 2003-2008 by Mike
Bradley