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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
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Message started by danroot on 10/11/07 at 02:33:21

Title: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by danroot on 10/11/07 at 02:33:21

hey guys, i just recently bought my first savage, its an 1986 with straight bars and its got some problems. first, the electrical- the turn signals and horn dont work, the head lights are always on highbeams, the switch does nothing. theres an oil leak that seams to be coming from the top of the engine. 3rd and 4th gear are slipping a little bit.

so, basically the only positives about the bike are that it runs and it has new tires.

now, im not a mechanic, not even close, but i really like these bikes and ive been looking for one for a year now. home repairs beyond oil changes and battery replacement are going to be tough to pull off especially with no garage space to do a job like this.

basically what im asking is, in all of your experiences, roughly how much am i lgetting into on repairs (at a shop)? would i be better off leaving it as it is? parting it out? selling as is?

also, i paid 700 bucks for it, did i over pay?

any help would be greatly appreciated. and if theres anyone who lives close to santa clara, how much beer would it take to have you come over and check it out? ;D

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by Polar_Pilot on 10/11/07 at 03:31:32

1. The wiring is likely broken and has been patched back together or just left broken.
2 You have a leaking head cap seal and it needs attention asap.
3.Never and I mean NEVER let the oil level get low.
4. The gears cannot "slip". The clutch slips but not the gears.
5 Price you paid was good.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by splash07 on 10/11/07 at 06:26:39

IMHO it was a steal. All the above is acurate and it sounds like a good project bike. I too am without a garage or shop but still managed to completely rebuild my 2000 from the ground up in my living room and driveway.
The clutch is slipping prob due to the springs, an easy fix. leaky head plug seal also an easy fix. The electrical is going to be the hardest part and from the sounds of it your not that bad off. My bike doesnt even have signals or a horn and i ride with the brights on all the time (bright lights and loud pipes saves lives).

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by splash07 on 10/11/07 at 06:27:11

all these repairs can be done with basic hand tools and a good shop manual. good luck

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by islandwahine on 10/11/07 at 10:31:13

And don't worry about not being a mechanic, I wasn't either!
Emphasis on wasn't, I guess now I am ;D
Good luck with fixing the bike.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by Savage_Rob on 10/11/07 at 11:35:36

Sounds like the infamous head seal/plug needs to be replaced. It would be good to adjust valves at the same time. Clutch slippage could be something as simple as a cable adjustment but I'd suggest replacing the clutch springs with some stiffer aftermarket springs. Just the age of the bike could make that necessary as springs lose tension over time as they remain compressed. They run around $12 to $15 for the set. Replacing them will mean removing the right side cover and you'd be well advised to check out your cam chain adjuster while you're in there. Overall, the electrical problems will probably be the most frustrating but possibly the easiest access. I think there's even a simplified wiring harness design in the Tech Ref forum should you decide to entirely replace yours. I would follow the above advice about keeping the oil from becoming low as well as that of having a good shop manual. I personally prefer the Suzuki manual but the Clymers is simpler to follow and cheaper to buy. Take a peek in the tech ref forum for known problems with the Clymers manual though.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by verslagen1 on 10/11/07 at 11:53:26

Investigative work of any kind in any shop is expensive.

Shop rate times hours.

I'd do the basics and leave them as a last resort.

Clutch spring are easy to do, only a couple of hours of work. And check the cam chain adjuster while you're there. Read up on all your issues here, then make your decision. One fellow took his bike in for a lot of little things and it totaled $1000. Take care of the little things yourself, leave them the big things.

Key words to search for 'cam chain adjuster, clutch, head plug leak'.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by danroot on 10/11/07 at 14:06:56

so, including everything, about how many hours is this project going to take?

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by verslagen1 on 10/11/07 at 15:00:24

clutch, about 2 hours
adjuster, 5 seconds more
head plug, about 4 to 8 hours, not sure cause took break to get parts. And these are the parts the dealer doesn't stock so plan for a week downtime.

now I'm not a mechanic, at least I haven't twisted wrenches since cars went electronic. But the savage is just like my Vdub 30 years ago so I'm in my element, busted knuckles and formagasket.

If you have absolutely no experience, double the time.

I haven't got a clue with your electronic work. But I'd still wade into it before giving it to the jr. booger picker at the stealership. Cause that's who they'll give it to so it takes longer and they get more.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by YonuhAdisi on 10/11/07 at 21:06:03

First of all, smart move finding this site Danroot. And very smart to join and start asking questions before taking it to the stealership.

This group of Savage owners have saved my bacon many times with their advice and knowledge.

The symptoms you described have pretty much been answered by the above folks. I would heed their advise.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by danroot on 10/12/07 at 00:19:16

thanks for all the advice guys, dunno if im going to tackle this at the moment. ive never worked on anything before, so im hesitant to jump in. when i decide to open her up, ill let you know how it goes.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by slavy on 10/12/07 at 00:19:50

The best thing is to find somebody to give you a hand.
Don't worry about the electricals. They are easy. The way you describe, it seams that the left hand switch is bad and somebody just rigged it to have a headlight.
About the rest of the problems- they are common, the only thing is that You got all of them in the begining.
Before You start the repair, prepare Yourself with the parts: Head rubber cap/cause for the oil leak/, side plug for the cam shaft, clutch cover gasket, i'd advise to get friction plates for the clutch, and check the posts about the cam chain tensioner/adjuster/ mod. Have one ready made, so You don't have to stop in the middle.
Before You start working on the head cover, read the links aabout the famous oil leak. There will be many pictures and advises.

Title: Re: new savage owner, is my bike totaled already?
Post by stinger on 10/12/07 at 00:53:15

you would be wise to invest in one of gregg d's CD.s on the main page. walks you thru everything with pics