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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Avg miles til clutch ,and timing chain issues ?
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Message started by Evanswv on 01/24/22 at 10:45:00

Title: Avg miles til clutch ,and timing chain issues ?
Post by Evanswv on 01/24/22 at 10:45:00

From what I gather from YouTube, and from Googling, some regard the Savage as somewhat "bulletproof", and some seem to think that the timing chain tensioner is basically a "ticking time bomb". I notice a lot of videos deal with clutch replacement. I recently bought my bike , with what I feel is low miles (less than 7,000), and probably paid a little more for it than the average price. I got it for $2000, and it has pretty fresh tires, and was less than 10 miles away, but mainly I bought it because of the "low" miles. I want a bike that I can ride for a few years, and more than likely just do routine maintenance on. So , even though I realize that there is no sure way of knowing, I would like to ask how many miles do these bikes average before major issues normally occur ? Thanks

Title: Re: Avg miles til clutch ,and timing chain issues
Post by TheSneeze on 01/24/22 at 11:01:16

If you haven't heard yet, don't let the bike idle on the side stand.

Title: Re: Avg miles til clutch ,and timing chain issues
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 01/24/22 at 11:35:17

The clutch can take a lot of abuse. The Savage tends to be a beginner bike and therefore can see unusual use cases. If the clutch is well adjusted and you use oil that is approved for wet clutches, the clutch should last a life time.

The ACCT does stretch over time and there is no external way to see how much useful life is remaining. It is something that should be checked every few thousand miles. If the bike is new to you it would be a good idea to inspect it and take a measurement. This way you know that it's not a ticking time bomb, and when you inspect it again in a few thousand miles you can see the amount of movement and determine when to check it again.

Title: Re: Avg miles til clutch ,and timing chain issues
Post by JED on 01/24/22 at 11:59:21

Just a side note, I’d say you got a good deal. $2k for a bike under 7 thousand miles is a win, at least in Texas.

Title: Re: Avg miles til clutch ,and timing chain issues
Post by verslagen1 on 01/24/22 at 12:34:51

we say timing chain tensioner is a "ticking time bomb" because if left unattended it can cause a catastrophic failure due to lack of maintenance.

mileage is only part of the equation, short mileage trips are far worse.

if your daily commute is 5 to 10 miles, not only will you kill your battery, but the cam chain won't last long either. probably less the 10k miles.

25 mile commute and your battery will be topped up and you'll get around 25k miles out of the cam chain.

longer distances can exceed 30k miles.

Title: Re: Avg miles til clutch ,and timing chain issues
Post by Evanswv on 01/24/22 at 12:53:53

Thanks everyone. The guy I got the bike from did learn to ride on it, and now wants a bigger bike, but I don't know why .He is about 5" 4, and probably weighs in about 120 lbs, and the bike fit him good. I am 6".0, and about double his weight, and probably look a little funny on the bike. His girlfriend, (who is big) , and her Dad, both have big heavy cruisers, so I guess he wants one. Most of my trips on my motorcycle will be on the short side, and seldom more than than about 15 miles each way, but usually just about 5 miles each way. I always make sure my oil is JASO rated. I used to use Rotella 15-40, but last summer started using the Walmart brand 20-50 V Twin oil, and have about 7 quarts on hand. I realize it's more of a hot weather oil, so when I do change my oil I will use something lighter till the weather gets warm.