Savage 650 small rider question

[jdh3000]

I'm thinking about getting my wife a 650 Savage so she can have her own bike. She is 5' tall and weighs about 120. Her concern is holding the bike up. She wants to be flat footed, and I don't really blame her. She hasn't really sat on one yet. She can sit fine on something like a Honda Rebel, but I'm that won't be enough power on the highway. Does anyone know anyone this size that has a 650 savage and is doing alright?


Thanks,
JD

[MadCow]

I am no expert by any means. 650 sounds big to me. If she has riding experience..well..maybe..but if she has no riding experience (not counting being a passenger) start her out on a 250. Take her to an MSF rider course. If she has experience, still take her to the MSF Rider course in your area, and take baby steps before you hit highway speeds.

Is she strong enough to handle that 650?

[wsharp]

A riding buddy of mine has a Honda Valk and everyone he works with knows he is a biker. At work one day a girl he works with came up and said "I want you to help me find a bike." She is 5' 2" and about 140. First thing he had her do was take the MSF course since she had never ridden before. Around here the MSF uses the 250 Rebel. She passed the course easily and they went looking.

After many, many stops at several dealerships they decided that the Shadow Aero 750 was the bike for her. She wanted the V-Twin look and sound and enough ooomph to ride on the freeway. She easily handles the 750 now, although she did drop it once in her driveway and had to have help getting it back up. (They did not teach her to pick up a dropped bike in her course apparently.)

Now, with about 2 1/2 months and a couple thousand miles under her butt she is thinking she should have gone with the Shadow 1100 since the 750 is working pretty hard at 75mph and that the larger bike would have been more comfortable. I know that the 750 seat height is low enough that she easily flat foots the bike at a stop.

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by jdh3000

She can sit fine on something like a Honda Rebel, but I'm that won't be enough power on the highway. Does anyone know anyone this size that has a 650 savage and is doing alright?

The Savage saddle height is 27.2 inches versus the Rebel's 26.6 inches. Both machines are narrow, so there really isn't much difference for reaching the ground. I can't speak to the difference in riding position, she'll really need to sit on one and see if it's comfortable.

I'm looking at the Savage and several other bikes in that class. The Vulcan 500 looks good too, although the Savage has a huge advantage in ease of maintenance. One cylinder, air cooled, belt driven. No problems there...

[PerrydaSavage]

Hi, I am a happy Savage owner; 5'-4" @ 120 lbs and find that the Savage fits me perfectly ... it also has just enough power for most applications and looks cool too! The "big single" gets a lot of attention at the local "Bike Lot" as well. I think the Savage is one of the most unique Rides out there ... I really love it! Now if I could just figure why my '03 gets such crappy gas milage??

[DrBob]

The Savage is a rather light bike for a 650, with a love center of gravity, so it is very easy to hold upright. However, it is not quite a stable at high speed as a heavier bike like the Shadow 750.
The 'Thumper' makes a great first bike, and she will not outgrow it in a month like she would the Rebel. They remain fairly popular too, so you will not have a hard time selling it when she is ready to step up to a bigger bike in a couple years. Or she may just keep it forever, as I know several people who do litle highway riding and are still happy with their Savage after several years.
Seeger Cycle makes a really great looking 12-degree rake chopper kit for the Savage, so if she get bored with it you could always turn it into the most unique and cool looking chopper in town!

[Flour-Child]

I am 5'0' and 115 lbs. I have been riding a savage for 3 1/2 years and I am not looking for anything else. I LOVE my bike. I am just shy of 10,000 miles on it. I did ride a rebel for a year or so. However, the rebel did not have the stamina to hold the road. I like the savage being so light weight and yet the horse power and torque to get down the road. I may only be a woman rider, but I keep up with the guys.

[KathyFG]

Hi. I am the same size as your wife--5'1"/120. I am a new rider and just bought a Savage 650. It is the PERFECT size for me. It was the only bike I "tried on" (including Honda Rebel and Shadow) that seemed a good fit. It is low to the ground--flat footed is no problem, relatively light (only 50 lbs more than a 250), AND narrow (due to single cylinder, I guess). Unlike some of the other bikes, the narrowness is good because you don't feel like you're sitting on a fat horse. Very comfortable for me. A little powerful (therefore scary) for a beginner like me, but taking it slow. Plus it is a cool looking bike, and reliable. A bought a 2002 one for $3000.

Good Luck!

Kathy G
Orlando FL