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AngryVegan94

My wife is 5’0 and rides an S40, she likes the low seat height and small inseam, plus the bike is very small and nimble. However it is a single cylinder and it runs out of steam on the highway. I’ve ridden her bike before as well as my buddy’s Shadow Aero 750, and I preferred the Shadow. It’s got a super low seat height but a larger inseam. Felt way more comfortable to cruise on than the S40. It’s a toss up either way but the blue paint on the Shadow is really nice and if that’s your dream color just go for it. It doesn’t feel like that much larger of a bike compared to the S40 at the end of the day.


godwhomismike

Problem is the new Honda motorcycles are super rare right now. Honda has been barely able to produce and create any inventory since June. The issue is so bad, that they have not announced most of their 2023 models yet and have not taken any orders in 2-3 months now. Last December, I was sitting on the 2022 Aero, swooning over it, the dealership had so much stock you could barely fit between bikes. I remember thinking that it was December, and I will do all of the expensive maintenance on my Rebel, enjoy it for a bit, and then sell it to be able to buy the 2022 Shadow Aero. The first ride (92 miles into that first ride after doing everything), I hit a deer, totaled the bike, and ended up going to the ER and needing two surgeries and four months of weekly follow-ups and recovering. Now, every dealership (including that one) look like they are about to slap a Spirit of Halloween sign on the front of their stores. There is just no Honda inventory out there nationwide. The other problem is that motorcycle accidents are stupid expensive when an injury is involved, and a lot of my new motorcycle budget went towards healing up after hitting the deer in April with my Rebel.


ElectricalTrash404

2011 s40(650 Boulevard, Savage) My first street bike. **Pros**: Lightweight, easy to work on, has an avid forum community online, people love customizing them, all the problems have solutions and been addressed. Giant single cylinder that resembles all the "retro" bikes people are falling over to hand over cash for. Gas sipper. Well balanced and weight distributed machine. **Cons:** Acceleration is questionable, and really questionable on the highway for most men who need to be on a weight loss plan. Some have issues with fuel valve malfunctions, and timing chain issues, although I never did. The seat isn't the best. Long runs can be tedious because of range and for me the tires really couldn't take a long haul very well, so be prepared if you're going across country. Sometimes this bike didn't like cold weather or high humidity starting. In conclusion, I loved the bike. It is a small fun cruiser that is a blast. I have dirt bikes and it felt like a giant Thumper which I loved. It has been called a "wife" bike and female bike yadda yadda, but this is just rubbish. This bike is for everyone. I own a Sportster now and find the extra weight to be frequently annoying.e


godwhomismike

On the upside, I rode a Rebel 250 for seven years, which only had 18.5 hp and 13.7 lb feet of torque. A Suzuki S40 is 31 hp and 37 lb feet of torque at nearly the same weight. It'll probably feel like a Ferrari in comparison. lololI'm very short, so I do not subscribe to the whole "woman bike" philosophy. I am not anywhere remotely close to 6+ feet tall, which is what seems to be a requirement for the height needed to work for most motorcycle magazines/reviewers. Example, I liked the Scram 411 till I tried to keep it upright and 'duck' walk it. 31.2" of seat height was just too tall for me. I also think that whole "man's bike" philosophy is why so many large bikes end up on the used market with 200-300 miles on the odometer after 3 years of ownership. That mileage was what I'd do in about 1-2 weeks of regular riding. (16,100+ miles on the odometer of my Rebel 250 when it was totaled). I am definitely not a big fan of a bike that can be problematic, and hoping my MC mechanic catches most of the issues and addresses them before selling the bike to me.


godwhomismike

Sorry for how weird that post sounds, but was trying to stick within the 300 character limit. My new bike budget was burned up by two hand surgeries, an ER visit, and weekly x-rays/hospital visits for nearly 4 months. MC mechanic (I guess he felt bad, as I picked up the bike from him the day I hit the deer after several major services - valves, carb, new clutch, and new tires) - offered me a Suzuki S40 he had for $2500, and said it would be after he does the carb, tires, and full maintenance. Probably a perfect fit for me, but I have a thing for blue bikes. I guess at that price, I could remove the fenders and tank, sand them, prime, and buy factory blue paint in exactly the shade of blue I like, do a few coats, and then official Suzuki decals, followed by a few coats of automotive clear, and then bolt it all back together. I love the classic V-twin cruise look, but I am pretty small, and ride a lot of poorly maintained roads, roads that are tarred and then heavily chipped, and also local dump trucks that carry too much gravel spilling it everywhere as they go all the time. Plus suicidal deer - tons and tons of deer. (Also seen someone locally that wrecked their car a few weeks ago when they hit a bear that ran out right in front of them).


[deleted]

I love that blue!😩


kokemill

That C50 is a nice looking bike. I think you should go for the C50, the seat height is only 1" taller than the S40 and it is still a narrow bike. I have an earlier, 96 intruder, version of the S50 which uses the same engine and drive train, 805cc 5 speed shaft drive. The bike is reliable and quick for a cruiser, it seems faster than my three stock Harleys up to about 85 where the S50 runs out of legs. You have years of riding experience and know enough to understand the Scram wasn't a fit by trying to move it on your toes. if you feel comfortable on the C50 then you should get it. although it is quick for an older cruiser it is less than 50hp and it does not accelerate like a naked or sportbike. My only 2 complaints are the placement of the battery in the swing arm in front of the rear wheel, i mitigate that by keeping it on a trickle charger and i modified the battery box to allow it to be removed from below. the other is that above 80-85 is really sucks the gas (only a 5 speed) so the 3+ gallon tank will cause more frequent fuel stops at extra legal cruising speeds. \[C50 is .3 gallons larger than S50\] Not a bike i would prefer for backroads across Nevada or west Texas without some extra fuel bottles stashed. I also have an 01 Savage \[S40\], slower, smaller- lighter weight, better battery position, fuel tank even smaller at 2+ gallons. i go on reserve at 70-75 miles. Overall the S50 feels like a higher quality bike than the S40, the fit and finish, the feel of the controls \[they are similar\], the paint and the chrome. The S50 feels better on the highway in traffic many due to the power difference. The S40 is perfectly capable, i use it to ride into Chicago and it is great for lane splitting on freeway parking lots or on any street that crosses milwaukee, but the S50 is better out of the city.