Samurai as Daily Driver?
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bondvagabond
Observer
I concur. I think of my samurai as the most comfortable motorcycle I've ever owned. I am 6'5" and traded my xr650l for it. The factory sliders have a little bump on them that can be flattened with a punch, allowing almost 4" extra seat travel.
My wife calls it the Wee Beast, and I get an honest 33mpg on hwy. A K&n intake that I literally pulled out of a dumpster made keeping up with traffic less of a joke. I run my tires at max sidewall because I am a stingy bastard with the gas. No whiplash yet, but lets just say I air down when hauling the wife around.
The heater in these things get a bad rap, they frequently get full of leaves/junk and are very difficult to clean out following the factory procedure. There is a well documented fix for this on the samy forums where you drill a clean out hole, then build a removable plug so clean out takes less than a minute. Mine will defog the windows after The Missus and I and our two dogs hop in soaking wet from a hike, here in Oregon that is kind of the ultimate heater test.
In keeping with the motorcycle theme I wear ear plugs for highway travel, really makes a difference in driver fatigue.
Unlike a Big truck with a manual, you won't wear out your leg rowing threw the gears in stop and go traffic.
One DD factor that no one has mentioned is parking. These things rock to find parking for in a big city. Many's the time I would enter a full parking lot and be able to park at the front where someone had parked poorly taking up part of an additional space. The non-clowncar drivers couldn't fit, but I could
If you work on your own vehicles you will love being able to lift every part of it by yourself. The engine without head and belt driven acc. Weighs 50lbs and literally fits in a standard U.S. style milk crate. That is where I keep my spare. no cherry picker, or tranny jack required.
Many parts are cheaper because they are smaller/lighter duty. 15bucks instead of 25bucks for break shoes, etc.
Even for DD use I like good tool kit/repair manual. I have a factory manual in pdf on my phone, and a tool roll has everything I need to do field repairs. the tool roll goes in a backpack, and I never leave anything in the truck I don't want stolen. I leave my doors unlocked to discourage top cutting.
I keep an old rotor from a tune up, and made a dummy out of it and put it on if it will be parked for any length of time to discourage a drive off theft.
It's a great daily for me. Everyone is different. If you have done motorcycle touring you will be impressed with the comfort level. I love being able to afford to explore all those little logging roads that aren't on the map.
I drove one as a DD for over a year, SOA lift with 33's super swampers! it really depends on what your willing to put up with, to me it was a lot of fun, I felt like I was offroading everyday, kind of like the VW van I had, everytime I got in it was like a time machine, every ride was a fun one! here is a pic with my son, he inherited my tastes, I had a 2006 BMW X5 as a DD, he hated it! lol!
goldenbeagle
Adventurer
Guy in my neighborhood has one of those Sammy's....the top is falling apart, everything leaks worse than a under water oil line, but he runs the poop out of it.
I have seen him crusing down the highway with snow hammering down and he has wrapped himself in a blanket to stay warm...all with a smile on his face.
Does he have a few screws loose? Possibly! But I bet he would drive that damn thing west and wheel the wheels off of it and make it all the way back.
I have seen him crusing down the highway with snow hammering down and he has wrapped himself in a blanket to stay warm...all with a smile on his face.
Does he have a few screws loose? Possibly! But I bet he would drive that damn thing west and wheel the wheels off of it and make it all the way back.
goldenbeagle
Adventurer
That thing is cool as poop! I want one...I would beat the grease out of it daily!
Those Sammy's just scream "Please wheel the poop out of me".
How is the Lockrite in parking lots, tight turns on pavement, etc?
SRN
Adventurer
Chirps the tires if you have the clutch out and under power. Just push the clutch in and coast around the corner. You get used to it.
Update: Removing the 1.6NA diesel (54hp/74ftlbs) for a 1.9TD AAZ (75/114) this next weekend. The 1.6NA just wouldnt do it for power, I live at the top of a 5 mile long steep grade and I was so slow, it wasnt any fun. Offroad, it was more than ok, but on freeway speed uphills, you could not hold freeway speeds (stock gearing, lower 5th gear tranny, 235 tires). I'm hoping the 1.9TD AAZ will be sufficient. FYI
Jeff@QuadShop
Explorer
I did the AAZ and it is fantastic. One thing that you will need to do to get proper RPM's is to install the older tranny with the taller 5th gear and run a minimum of 31" tires. I started with 31's and the taller 5th gear but found out that the RPM's were too high for any speeds over 65mph. I went up to 33x10.50's and that made the gearing perfect for the interstate.
You will also need the much larger Quantum radiator and fans, if you don't it will overheat on the hills.
You will also need the much larger Quantum radiator and fans, if you don't it will overheat on the hills.
Rig is running with 1.9 TD AAZ, runs great. I already had the quantum radiator and dual electric fans, I installed a large oil cooler when this motor went in and it runs cool. Unfortunately, I have the lower 5th gear and 235s, looking for 33x10.5s as the RPMs are too high, but I finally have the power to go up hills! Sold my CRD Jeep Liberty for a Lotus Elise. I have to say that the Samurai doesnt make for a bad commuter when compared to the Elise, I think I'll switch between the two for DD status. Looking forward to filling it up and getting some MPG data.