First, let me say hello all!  I purchased my first motorcycle, an '87 savage a few weeks ago.  I absolutely love it!  Fits me like a glove.

However, i've been having one particular problem.  When i first start the bike, it runs fine for a few mintues.  Don't need a choke or prime to start it . . . it starts right up.  But, after about 5 minutes, it starts to bog down and will die.  It will not just idle.  I have to keep on the throttle to keep it from dying.  I've turned up the idle, which helps a bit, but doesn't fix the issue.  

During this time, the exhaust appears to be a little smokey and black.  Not a ton of smoke, just seems like a little more than normal.  

After this 10 - 15 minute period, the bike seems to warm up or something, and runs perfectly.  Idles with no problem.  I can ride it for hours and hours with no issue.  

Any ideas what could be causing it?  My best guess is that it's running super rich or something.  In fact, one time i even saw a little gas dripping when i keep it just barely idling enough not to stall.  Also, more than once, I just took off and rode with it like that (since I have the throttle on it will run okay).  And, 10 minutes or so into the ride, it seems to kind of buck and sputter for a second or two, then the power comes back on, and she runs perfectly.  Almost like something was sticking in the carb and finally became unstuck.  

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Sounds like an excellent place to start.  Thanks a bunch for the advice.  I'll give it a shot this weekend.  I'll keep you posted as to my progress.

Thanks!

One other school of hard knocks tip - if you are going to work on anything around the carb or perhaps anything within 10 feet - place a shop towel on the starter - you see that gap between the starter and crankcase ? - that is a dropped item blackhole - anything small that you do not have a spare of , dropped  with in 10 feet will be sucked in there !

I probably won't get a chance to work on it until this weekend.  I'll be sure to respond and let you know how it goes (and take pictures, if applicable).

Thank you to everyone for the advice!

Here's my plan of attack:
- remove tank
- take apart carb enough to clean it and do white spacer mod
- clean carb
- reassemble

I'll let you know how it goes!

Alright . . . the saga continues.

I finally found some time to take the carb apart last night.  Not to happy with what I found.  There are 2 screws at the top of the float.  1 of which was stripped!!! There was no getting that thing out.  Doh.  No white spacer mod for me.  

The other screw must have loosened up over time and had backed all the way out!  It was just laying in there.  Sheesh.  

So, I put that screw back in, cleaned everything up with some carb cleaner, and reassembled.  

No luck.  Still had the stalling problem.  So, I decided to adjust the idle mixture screw.  Turns out it also must have worked its way loose . . . it was out over 5 turns.  

Here comes the fun part.  As I turned in the screw, it definately ran better and stopped stalling.  In fact, it runs best with the screw all the way in!  

If I'm not mistaken, it shouldn't run at all like that, right?  I don't recall if that's an air screw or a fuel screw, but here is my new theory.

I'm assuming turning the screw all the way in makes the bike run rich.  So, I'm thinking there is an air leak (at the manifold?), that's allowing air to get in where it shouldn't.

Any thoughts?  

Thanks in advance!

Joe,

Thanks for the reply.  I'll definately keep you posted.  I have a buddy who is a motorcycle mechanic . . . i'm going to have him look at it soon.  Maybe he'll have an idea.

Like yours, even with my idle screw all the way in, I still get a little black smoke when the throttle mostly open (indictating a mixture too rich).  It's weird.

It's not all that weird.  I have been tinckering with bikes, atvs, and snowmobiles for years now and I have seen a change.  The thinking in the past was better rich than lean as lean will burn up an engine......then the EPA said wait a minute, what about emmisions...which is probably why the savage was in the us from 86 to 88, then it finally came back in 95 and it was all leaned out to meet some kind of EPA thing.
I am going to try and do a few WOT plug chops to see if I may have to use a smaller main jet or not.
My bike (and from your description) and your bike are too rich from the sounds of things.
I am going to try and figure out which main jet is best and then go back to the other circuits after that.  
Indeed, lets keep each other posted as it sounds like we are already in the same boat.
Best of luck..Joe

The difference is definitely the result of emissions regulations.