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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> What to look for?
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Message started by novo64 on 02/15/12 at 16:17:49

Title: What to look for?
Post by novo64 on 02/15/12 at 16:17:49

Well I have been in here a while looking around and hoping some one can point me in the right direction. I am going to look at a 2003 savage on Friday, what are some of the things I should look for besides the usual has the bike been dropped, has it been well maintained type things. Thank for your help.

Randy

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by Doug on 02/15/12 at 16:27:05

This may help:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd8-cEkuB3s&list=UUp1dfLEBnxuor0JslvhC8rw&index=77&feature=plpp_video[/media]

Its a basic guideline to buying a motorcycle in general. He also has alot of other good information.

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by novo64 on 02/15/12 at 16:33:31

Doug Thank you very much! That was very informative. But I was looking for a little more specific info on Savages since I have never owned one. I have had an Intruder and now have a KLR650, but this will be for my wife and want to make sure it is in good shape. Thanks again.

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by Oldfeller on 02/15/12 at 16:40:21

Mileage

18,000 miles and more indicates a need for a cam chain tensioner extension (Verslavy).

Same mileage tends to point to possible need of vac petcock tube replacement (or a replacement mechanical petcock if you swing that sorta way)

Tires, what shape are they in? Originals were IRC tires (and they tend to suck pretty much when they get half worn out or better). A 2003 should be on its second or third set of rear tires and second front tire unless it was a low mileage garage queen.

Ask who did the maintenance on the bike. Front pads, check them (you can see them if you look closely) for thickness. Ask about brand of oil filter used and brand and weight of oil that was used.

We can mention all these things, but you don't really know what we are talking about, really. But the fact you are asking will back off the price somewhat as the seller does know what we are asking about ....

Oh yeah, check the ildle speed -- if it isn't a fast idle then the bike may have been partially starved for oil in the upper end (cam bearings).

The seller is selling it for some reason -- at 18,000 miles we have a good idea of why.

Listen to the following videos before you go and be familiar with idle speeds and "cam chain slap sounds".

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1308708632

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by palehorseman on 02/15/12 at 16:42:27

Timing chain sounds... clutch slippage... fifth to fourth downshift slip... backfiring and overfiring upon deceleration... brake indicator... clutch indicator... tires... all these things are good to note and use as negotiation points. Allthese things are common issues with these bikes. Dont let that deter you. All bikes have different issues. These are minor compaired to others. My advice is to find as many issues as you can. Get it as cheap as you can. And spend a few days and a few hundred bucks to make it a rock solid thumper. Good easy bike to work on. One of the easiest simplest and most reliable.

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by novo64 on 02/15/12 at 16:50:43

Outstanding this is exactly the type of info I was looking for. so far all I know is in the below e-mail I received from him and a picture of the bike.

Hi
I saw your ad looking for a suzuki savage
I have a 2003 I was planning on putting up for sale this spring
It has 6500 miles on it and is in good shape
I'll attach picture
Was going to ask about $2200 this spring but if you wanted it now I would sell for lower

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by Doug on 02/15/12 at 17:06:44

No prob. Novo. Wish you luck and hope all goes well.

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by palehorseman on 02/15/12 at 17:41:50

Sounds like a fair asking price. Best of luck with haggling. It looks clean.

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by Boofer on 02/15/12 at 20:42:14

Don't talk while you are looking/feeling your potential bike. Concentrate on your job. Sit on it with permission and pull clutch and brakes, rocking it back and forth gently feeling the shifter change. Crank it and ride it if possible. Let it set and idle while you walk around it. Lay down and look up. Looking/feeling will tell you a lot. Take your time. Just remember, there is a deal every day. You don't have to take something you're not sure about. Good luck.

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by babyhog on 02/16/12 at 05:24:14

Looks pretty much original... exhaust, turn signals, handlebars, etc. Which probably means it hasn't had much tinkering... which to me is a good thing! Hate someone screwing up the setup and can't get it right. And original turn signals "could" indicate it hasn't been dropped, cause they break easily with a drop. (yea, been there, done that). 6500 miles is good for an '03, I think. $2200 isn't bad either. $1800 would be better!

Good luck!

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by Doug on 02/16/12 at 05:29:37

5E5D5C515349300 wrote:

$1800... I was thinking the same thing. xD

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/16/12 at 05:39:12

Whats that chrome thing just above the heat/ connection cover shield

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by Bubba on 02/16/12 at 06:08:15

I think that's just the heat shield. One other thing to look for...where the header meets the cylinder head, grab a flashlight and check to see if there is oil residue dripping inside the hole there.
It's a common problem to have the head plug leak oil there but it's an easy fix.

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by Smokestack on 02/16/12 at 17:16:24

I asked this question myself when I bought my Sav. Coming mostly from dirt bikes as a wee lad and going for rips with my Grandpa on his ol' BSA, I wanted to make sure the bike was a good choice....

I think that thread got pinned in the tech section, actually. I'll go look for a link... Yup. Here ya go.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1295653542

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by WD on 02/18/12 at 08:36:54

Shift linkage is flimsy potmetal, see if it is bent between the hiem joints. Easy fix if you want to drop the left side foot bracketry.

If the bike has EVER had Castrol Actevo oil in it, walk away. Stuff is bad news, ruins clutch plates (frictions and steels).

Grab the belt and try to twist it 60 to 90 degrees about the center of the bottom run. If it won't flex over walk away, too tight ruins the drive sprocket seal and can damage the output shaft. Most people run them too tight.

Weak fork seals, mine lasted 5 minutes after taking initial delivery. Makes a mess but doesn't hurt anything.

Mine has had oil leaks since day one. It is a British style engine, expect British style leaks.

Head pipe nuts will back off while riding. Check monthly, no big deal.

Poorly made electrical switches, expect the sidestand and clutch switches to be bypassed. Spiders like to nest in the bar switches, shorts them out until cleaned. Be careful with the left switch, guts fall out after a few years, little springs and check balls go everywhere. Simple fix, switch is cheap. If the turn signals won't stay on, the switch has fallen apart.

Think BSA or Ironhead Sportster. You'll encounter more petty nuisances than serious issues.

Oh, if you can, pull the 6 pin relay off the frame where the tank and seat meet. Look for corrosion in the plugs. If it gets wet, the bike either won't start or destroys batteries.

I've had mine since 2/98. It's a nice toy motorcycle, I usually have something bigger for serious riding (I'm 6'2" 230#, even with serious mods it gets cramped after a couple hundred miles).

Title: Re: What to look for?
Post by novo64 on 02/18/12 at 08:59:38

Well I want to thank everyone for there help. Ended up getting it for $1780. Not to many problems with it. Lose exhaust bolt connecting to the engine fixed. brake pads will be replaced still have some left but just peace of mind. need to adjust the Carb it runs a little lean, backfiring on decel. And as usual change the oil.