SuzukiSavage.com - "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey

Kropatchek Serious Thumper Offline Why more than 1 cylinder? Posts: 1457 Alphen a/d Rijn Netherlands Gender:	Re: How reliable is SAVAGE survey? Reply #15 - 03/05/06 at 08:19:05 1993 42K Km Previous owner replaced the camchain and tensioner at 32K Km. Purchage at 33K km 2 years ago. No failures of any kind, I do not consider replacing a rear tire when it's worn, a failure. Greetz Kropatchek
Back to top	Never ask your bike to scream before her throat is warm. '93 Sav in '96 ( yellow) looks IP Logged

threezukes Ex Member	Re: How reliable is SAVAGE survey? Reply #16 - 03/05/06 at 09:19:23 '86 32000km overhauled at about 27000km due to either leaky piston ring or valve seal maybe both. Needs a new clutch and still leaks oil from many places starter, side covers...oh and just recently replaces the infamous oil plug. At least the simple engine is much easier to repair compared to most other engines.
Back to top	IP Logged

Ed L. Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline "We All go a Little Crazy Sometimes" Norman Bates Posts: 2808 Sunny Florida Gender:	Re: How reliable is SAVAGE survey? Reply #17 - 03/05/06 at 10:51:57 Only 5,000 miles on my '02, life gets in the way of riding. Purchased the bike used with 1500 miles on it. So far no problems with the bike except when I dropped it the second week I owned it and broke a few ribs.
Back to top	Silver '02, clubman handle bars, Cobra headlight, Sportster muffler, K+N stock air filter, 152.5 main, Superbrace, oil cooler, 1/2 inch aluminium plate forward controls, spark advance, goes like stink IP Logged

Taz

Full Member

Offline

Bikes and boats,
Yeah!

Posts: 122

Gender: male

Re: How reliable is SAVAGE survey?
Reply #18 - 03/05/06 at 11:00:10

If all goes as stated, I should be picking up my new 2006 Savage on March 11th.

From what I understand some/most of the problems begin after the first service. So... I intend to change my own oil and filter at 600 or less miles; Keeping the engine closed and tight until I feel a need to open her up and adjust valves etc.

Am I on the right track?

Back to top

IP Logged

slavy

Serious Thumper

Offline

smart cars for
stupid people

Posts: 710
Phoenix, Arizona
Gender: male

Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey
Reply #19 - 03/05/06 at 20:43:59

Always check and change the oil, I'd say- every 1000-1500 miles. If You do it this way, You can change the filter every other oil change or skip 2 and do it every third.
Always make sure the tires are properly inflated / at least once a week if riding regulary or before every ride if riding on the weekends/
Check and adjust the valves accordingly the manual.
If riding in a green country with a lot of bugs and flys- clean the chrome fork tubes every time after You come back from a ride - this will prolong the life of the fork seals.
Make sure the air filter works properly. If You install K&N, make sure You use K&N filter oil.
If the cam chain starts rattling- change the chain and the tensioner.
Whatever You do- either do it when You have time and desire and do it properly, or do not start it at all. A lot of people get hurt and a lot of machines get scrappped, because somebody was in a hurry.
The Savage will run untill You get tired of it and sell it to somebody else

Back to top

The arificial intelligence is no match for the natural stupidity

IP Logged

Tony Full Member 2004 No Login Offline Posts: 102 Saugerties, NY Gender:	Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey Reply #20 - 03/06/06 at 04:30:45 I have had my '05 S40 for about 1.5 years.I purchased her new. She now has 6200 on her. I've never had a problem that I didnt cause myself.
Back to top	-Tony ......Remember; Where ever you go, there you are. IP Logged

bikingb Senior Member 2005 No Login Offline Love to Ride! Posts: 278 Appleton, WI Gender:	Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey Reply #21 - 03/06/06 at 05:05:45 2002 purchased last July with 1500 miles on her. At 4500 now. It is snowing outside. Just finished mods. Can't wait to ride. No problems.
Back to top	Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of that which you really love..... Rumi http://bikepics.com/pictures/598442 IP Logged

torque Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline 2008 nightster,flat od green and black Posts: 748 rock hill,S.C. Gender:	Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey Reply #22 - 03/06/06 at 06:01:25 i had a 98 which we bought in 2003 with 4,500 miles,now it has 18,000. so i had 13,500 miles of trouble filled riding.
Back to top	IP Logged

Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey Reply #23 - 03/06/06 at 06:12:29 1998 Savage purchased in July of 2004 with 1640 miles on her. She now has 6,000 miles and no troubles to speak of. About the most abuse she suffers is running 75+ MPH sometimes on the freeway just to stay with traffic in the HOV lane and she doesn't complain about that.
Back to top	1998\|MAC muffler\|ceramic coated header\|K&N air filter\|Amal Mk2 carb\|Odyssey battery\|iridium plug\|NC windshield\|Dunlop 491s\|Superbrace\|EBC brake rotor\|12.5" Progressive shocks\|Kuryakyn ISO grips IP Logged

vroom1776 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2110 Gender:	Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey Reply #24 - 03/06/06 at 08:42:25 1997 savage. bought in 2002 with 8.5k miles. Cam chain tensioner broke at ~15k miles due to serious abuse on the highway. now has 23k + miles. runs great.
Back to top	IP Logged

Dynobob

Serious Thumper

Offline

2003 LS650 (with
Supertrapp)

Posts: 634
Northern Virginia
Gender: male

Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey
Reply #25 - 03/06/06 at 11:53:20

torque wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

so i had 13,500 miles of trouble filled riding. Sad

Hey torque, your grenading your engine has alot of people here worried about longevity. Funny how you claim to have not abused your Savage, yet I run into this old post while searching for something else:

torque wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:

with 100 octane.i just placed 6th place out of 13 bikes in a burnout pit.

Question - why were you running 100 octane in a low compression engine ?

Question - don't you think all those burnouts contributed to your engine's demise ?

Back to top

IP Logged

Banger

Full Member

Offline

Carpe Zookem

Posts: 159
Tennessee, USA
Gender: male

Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey
Reply #26 - 03/07/06 at 05:10:42

My 1997 Savage ("Zook," I call her) had 7,400 miles on her when I bought her. Rode her last summer until the clock showed just shy of 14,000 miles, so I put nearly half the miles on the bike within the span of about six months. Laid it down once at ~15 mph in a parking lot, which put a large dent in the tank. Foolishly tried to blow the dent out, splitting the tank. Welded the small crack in the tank and continued riding her. Going to work one morning, the fuel delivery valve (can we just say "petc0ck without the stupid zero?!?) snapped clean in two from rubbing against the cylinder head at highway speed. Replaced tank and valve and all was well again. Continued riding for another 2,000 trouble-free miles with a bright yellow 1996 tank on my sparkle black 1997 LS650.

This winter, I've enlisted the help of my stepfather to change the bike a bit. Just bought PPG flat black paint and primer. Chrome rails gone, sissy bar gone, tie-down handles added and welded into place (I kid you not...homemade!) and dual taillights fitted. New signals are on the way. We also did the cap leak fix.

Next will be dual headlights, euro-style, plus S40 or Intruder or Sportster flat bars. And I suspect a boat-load of miles this summer.

Regards,
Banger
=======

Back to top

IP Logged

Jim Smith Guest	Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey Reply #27 - 03/07/06 at 06:39:51 Mine is a 2002, bought it used in 2004. It has 12,700 miles so far and all I've had to do, other than services, is to replace a battery, which was my fault for failing to check and top it up. I've owned several Suzukis and always found them to be very reliable bikes.
Back to top	IP Logged

cowboylukas YaBB Newbies 2004 No Login Offline Posts: 15 Michigan Gender:	Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey Reply #28 - 03/09/06 at 22:26:20 Bought in April 2004 2004 with 12,000 miles on it. Original everything except rear tire replaced from wear at 6,500 miles. I replaced it with a bigger tire that is rated for more miles (made out of harder rubber)
Back to top	--2004 Silver Suzuki Savage--Lukas IP Logged

WD

Serious Thumper
2005 No Login

Offline

Professional
"scooter
trash".

Posts: 5207
Rosemark TN
Gender: male

Re: "How reliable is SAVAGE?" survey
Reply #29 - 03/09/06 at 22:47:36

1998 bought new with 1 mile on it (mechanic took it for a quick shakedown per my request). Current mileage? I don't know for sure, never check anymore.

Problems:

1) Fork seals popped 5 minutes after taking delivery. I wheelied it unintentionally...

2) Headlight snapped off. I added a toolroll to the bars and forgot the bucket was plastic...

3) Insides of fender rails rusted rapidly. Sold them to Max Morley to make a fender rack for his bike. Grin

4) Handlebar and riser knurling stripped out. Oh yeah, 14 inch apehangers attract people with NO respect for other people's bikes...

5) Headlight, aftermarket blinker sheared off, brake hose smashed flat, tank crunched (twice), tail pipe tip ground down. Taught the kid to ride on it and he layed it down, once at speed. Oh well, it runs and I'm fixing it up.
-WD

Back to top

On 2 wheels since 7/87

Black and Chrome 2003 1950s style custom

IP Logged