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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> New S40 owner! /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1507059398 Message started by keithloomis on 10/03/17 at 12:36:38 |
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Title: New S40 owner! Post by keithloomis on 10/03/17 at 12:36:38 Just bought a 2012 Suzuki Boulevard LS650 S40. Jumped on this forum as soon as I bought it. Lot of smart people here! Bike info: 1250 miles 2012 Latest inspection sticker (04/2016) Previous Owner said it has been ridden "a couple times" since last inspection. Also told me it "runs rough". He took it to a Honda shop and they told him the carb needed to be cleaned/serviced and it would be $300 but that the bike could ride without the adjustment. Previous owner said he changed oil and filter ~1yr ago. I have rode bike around. It backfires when letting off the gas, going to a coast. Rides smooth when accelerating and shifting through gears. There is some bluing on the exhaust headers. I just got a new raptor petcock in. Will install it and put in new gas today and give an update. Any other recommendations for a newer bike, with low miles, not much history? 1. Should I install an inline fuel filter when changing petcock? 2. Would you guys change any fluids/do any preventative maintenance? 3. I am at sea level (Virginia Beach). Should I jet carb? (saw it runs lean at low elevation) 4. Does this cam tensioner versy adjuster thing apply to me? Love the bike. Thanks, Keith |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/03/17 at 12:44:00 Check your exhaust header bolts. Loose will backfire. Just snug, don't get all macho. Busted stuff sucks worse than leaky stuff.. Right now just put Rotella T 15/40 in and a new filter. Plug the vacuum if you swap out the petcock. Don't recommend you add a filter. Too few miles to worry about the cam chain. You can run some Seafoam through the gas and see if it smoothes out |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by Dave on 10/03/17 at 12:52:40 Kieth: 1. Should I install an inline fuel filter when changing petcock? NO, it already has 2 filters...one on petcock and one in carb. Additional filters can cause fuel flow problems. 2. Would you guys change any fluids/do any preventative maintenance? Change brake fluid every couple of years, change oil when it gets dirty or old. 3. I am at sea level (Virginia Beach). Should I jet carb? (saw it runs lean at low elevation) Maybe, but jetting doesn't have a huge effect on the backfires when you fully close the throttle while coasting or shifting. Learn to keep it cracked open just a hair to cut down on backfiring. If you have a lean surge at low throttle when accelerating slowly - then you may need to raise the needle. 4. Does this cam tensioner versy adjuster thing apply to me? Not yet, you likely need to check once you get more than 10K miles on it - 20Kif your rides are all day ones! Short trips cause the tensioner to extend with fewer miles than long rides. Dave |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by Papa Bear on 10/03/17 at 13:49:59 Welcome Keith !! |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by batman on 10/03/17 at 14:41:19 A 2012 is 5 years old ,you may want to think about replacing the tires, I 'm sure they look OK,but that rubber may be hard due to age. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by IslandRoad on 10/04/17 at 01:14:08 I'd suggest reading up on the carb tuning. I'm at sea level also (in Australia). It's a really interesting subject. The two things I would keep in mind are: 1. If you tune out all the backfire that occurs on closed throttle, you'll probably be running rich the rest of the time, and 2. the tuning changes with the weather, so you're looking for a good average. I tuned mine in summer and settled for a slight back fire, and a very, very mild lean surge when cruising at low rpm. The bike pulls hard on WOT and purrs at high rpm. Then through the winter, the backfire disappeared and the bike didn't have quite the same kick. We've just crossed over into spring, and the occasional day at about 10 degrees Celsius higher, and the small backfire is back - but I had forgotten how much punch the bike has on acceleration! |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by jcstokes on 10/04/17 at 02:54:20 If you are new to these bikes, be careful of the rear brake in panic stops, it tends to lock up. If you are on the original IRC brand tyres, be careful in the wet, or on tar snakes as some here call them. If you can afford it, contemplate replacing the rear tyre. There is a value for money Shinko, which is very popular here, although I run a more expensive Michelin Commander. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by keithloomis on 10/04/17 at 05:17:41 WOW. Thanks for the warm welcome and quick replies. Got busy yesterday. Installing petcock today. Will also check exhaust header bolts - thanks Justin. Will try seafoam if other stuff doesn't resolve issue. Thanks Dave. Great info. I'm sure raising the needle will be detailed when I read up on carb tuning. Hello Poppa Bear! Ill check tires today Batman. I assume they are original IslandRoad - good stuff. I am a mechanical engineer and think I will find it pretty interesting. Sounds like you have a good tune. no backfire or slight backfire with some vroom vroom! jcstokes - I am new to the bike AND motorcycles! I will inspect the brakes and ensure to keep a good distance and be careful on hard stops. thanks. Ill post an update soon |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by Tocsik on 10/04/17 at 06:18:12 Welcome keith! Heed the advice about being easy on the header bolts. A small or stubby ratchet and just snug them up. Couple fingers on the ratchet handle, not your whole hand. Do this when the motor is cold. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/04/17 at 06:23:31 Don't sweat the rear brake wear. Nobody I know of has ever worn those out. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by keithloomis on 10/04/17 at 10:30:22 Do you guys run premium gas? Any benefits? Stick with recommended tire psi in the owners manual? |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by Dave on 10/04/17 at 10:35:01 7D737F627E7A79797B7F65160 wrote:
No benefit from Premium Gas in a low compression engine like the Savage has. You can buy a "name brand" fuel like Shell, Sunoco, etc. as they have better additive packages than cheap gas stations and it can help to keep things clean. The recommended tire pressures will work fine to get you started. You can play around a few pounds in either direction and see what it does for you........however the stock IRC tires aren't very good no matter what the tire pressure is. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by jcstokes on 10/04/17 at 11:14:18 Keith, if you are new to motorcycles, have you done the Motorcycle Safety Foundations course? I'm far from the USA, but some on this forum recommend it. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by keithloomis on 10/04/17 at 11:38:38 Thanks Dave I plan on taking the motorcycle safety course soon! |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by keithloomis on 10/05/17 at 03:51:05 Raptor Petcock installed. Capped off the old vac port and put in a new fuel line b/c mine wasn't in great shape. Filled her up with new gas and rode around for 20 miles. I also snugged the header bolts (I think - I tightened 2 bolts) Bike still backfired when letting off the throttle in 1st gear and sometimes in 2nd. She ran great though. I am going to take IslandRoad's advice and read up on carbs and tuning. Possibly when it cools down this winter the backfire will disappear. And the bike is running strong when ran hard. I might be in the sweet spot!? Tires appear to be the original IRC Grand High Speed's. At 5 years/1,250 miles the tires aren't very worn, but I guess the rubber is aging a little. I guess I'll get some new Shinko's at some point? But not in a rush? Thanks everyone for help so far. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by ohiomoto on 10/05/17 at 06:25:21 I've been playing with my jetting this summer and the best thing I found for the backfires is a slightly higher idle speed. I'm currently running "lean" stock jetting with a Dyna muffler. (I don't think the "lean" stock jetting is a lean as everyone says it is.) I still get some backfires (which don't bother me) but they will just about vanish with a slightly higher idle speed. Stock speed is 1100 and I would guess I'm closer to 1200. And it's a guess. The PO had a low idle and supper rich jetting with (55/155/white spacer mod). I think he wanted it to sound like a Harley and it did have a deeper sound, it was smooth power but it was slow and had a hard time accelerating. Going from 60 to 70 on the freeway took forever. My "lean" jetting isn't perfected yet (possibly still a bit rich on the bottom end or slightly lean in the middle), but it's running much cleaner and accelerates a lot faster. I have a little more testing to do, but my point is DON'T jet for sound or backfires. Jet for power and performance, live with the backfires (normal for our bikes) and/or adjust the idle (within reason) to compensate. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by SALB on 10/05/17 at 12:54:53 Setting the idle circuit slightly rich (not flooded) will help slightly with the pops on decel and backfires when you shut it off. 8-) |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by SoC on 10/05/17 at 13:54:06 Keith, welcome. I would add about taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course if new to riding. I have been riding off and on my whole life and just took a course in August at the recommendation of a friend who is an instructor here in Jersey. I was surprised to learn how much I didn't know, though I thought I did. There were folks who didn't make it through the full 3 days and a couple who failed. It's well worth the time and money. The more you learn the safer you will be. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by LANCER on 10/05/17 at 15:04:00 "Live with the backfires, normal for our bikes". It is normal for our bikes only because they are jetted & tuned too lean at the factory. With good jetting & tuning of the carb, AND the choice of a good muffler, backfires can be eliminated. It takes both to achieve the desired result, the good "popping & crackling" on decel. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/05/17 at 15:20:07 It takes both to achieve the desired result, the good "popping & crackling" on decel. Reelthing had it right when I got it from him. |
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Title: Re: Idle Mix Screw Brass Plug removal (with Pics) Post by keithloomis on 04/24/18 at 05:33:31 Stock 2012 S40, 1500 miles on the odometer. I have swapped to Raptor Petcock. Location: Virginia Beach, VA, USA Altitude: Sea Level My bike backfires a lot on decel (which I dont really mind). Bike sat for a while (9 months?) when it was with the previous owner. Couldn't have been ridden much only having 1500 miles. The bike idles very low/slow (rough). Idle sounds MUCH better when choked. Bike runs great at every speed when I'm not idling From my research I have seen that the idle screw will unseat approx 3 turns. "Turning the screw clockwise will turn the screw in and reduce the amount of fuel, turning it counterclockwise will increase the amount of fuel in the mix". Also, "The engine should be completely warmed up before you start trying to adjust the idle mixture" I have looked up how to remove the brass plug. Is starting with the idle mixture screw a good start? Is it possible i need to mess with my idle SPEED screw? If neither of these get my idle to sound better I think I should clean my carb out and make sure I dont have any debris or anything clogged? THANKS!! Keith |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by eau de sauvage on 04/24/18 at 21:18:08 @keithloomis is starting with the idle mixture screw a good start? It's definitely the *first* thing every owner should do. |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by George Palickar on 05/05/18 at 17:56:14 His is an old thread but I will reply anyway. My last Savage project was a 97 that had been through the ringer. The owner must have been here because the bike had the marks of suzukisavage.com. raptor, little mods here and there ect. Anyway, there was high flow fi!ter in when I got it, and I swapped it out to a stock paper one. Backfires went away 90 % |
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Title: Re: New S40 owner! Post by Hiko on 07/17/18 at 21:46:20 73617576616765000 wrote:
Totally agree with above I gave my idle mixture screw an extra half turn today and it made a huge difference to the rideability. Much smoother throttle from idle and no more afterfiring on decelerating but still does a cough on shutoff. I dont mind that. Had trouble removing cover plug until I used a clawhammer claw under the head of the extracting screw and levering off the end of the butterfly shaft? Then it was easy. Many thanks for advice on this to everyone |
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