If you don't want to work on your bike right now, try pulling the choke out a little, then shut it off, & then push the choke back in after the bike is off.  The Savage is a cool bike that anyone with a little desire, patience, and attention to detail can work on easily and get good results.

If you'll do a search for "mixture screw" or "brass plug" you'll find what you need to know about correcting the mixture, which will probably solve your problem.  It just takes a couple of minutes.

[glow=red,2,300]WELCOME [/glow]

STILL SAVAGE..are you still with us  

My 96 is back as stock, except for white spacer mod, at the moment and it hardly ever backfires now..when it does it only a little fart anyway....

Just spend some time reading previous threads and you will realise that you don't need hardly any mech. experience to do some of the basic mods because they are explained so well...

I love this forum and the people on it ( even though most are yanks and speak a forign language LOL..or is it me the limey who speaks the forign language? )

I also need this forum because most of the dealers in "good ol' blitey" have never even seen a savage.

SO....join in,  you'll have fun, (and some heartache) learning.  

How many people do you actually know that buys a new bike and leaves it completely stock?  I don't know anyone.  It's the nature of the beast and the hobby.

Even people that buy Harleys right off the showroom floor are bound with in the first year to make a bunch of mods.  Simple things as adding some chrome goodies to the muffler to changing the carb.  Somethings are done just for looks and others, like what the original poster was asking about, are to increase performance.

just my 2 cents

~Munson

Munson_kl279 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:

That is actually true about most anything.  You buy a bike, change the muffler (they never sound right when you get them!) repaint, change logos, add dinglebells, decals, trolls, whatever.  You personalize it.  Same with cars.  Same with houses.  People even try customizing spouses once they obtain one.  (That usually doesn't work.)

Backfiring is caused primarily by excess lean conditions.
 
It can be caused by something simple like loose bolts/connections on the carb/filter or on the header pipe/muffler.  Check those connections and gaskets  to be sure that they are tight so air does not get into the system.

After those are determined to be in good shape, then the carb needs to be looked at.  It is the pilot circuit in the carb that causes most, if not all, of the backfiring.

The bike is shipped from the factory with the carb tuned VERY LEAN so it will pass the exhaust emmisions requirements of the government.  Good for the air...not good for the running of the engine.  The pilot circuit needs to be adjusted for proper fuel/air mixture for OPTIMUM running....it needs to be made more rich.  The pilot adjusting screw on the carb has to be turned out (counterclockwise) in order to richen the mixture.  The pilot system is primarily for low speed running but is also a small  factor for midrange and high speed running.  

If you have replaced the stock muffler with an aftermarket muffler then you will likely need to replace the pilot jet with one size larger jet...doing the same with the main jet may also be advantageous.  

You can do all of this in a couple of easy hours.

StillSavage, looks like you kicked over a can of worms, don't worry, beside the carb mods, white spacer and main rejet, add a ounce or so of two stroke oil to the tank every fill up. It keeps the slide from sticking in the carb.

Any good tips to minor rust removal on the crome?