This is my first post to the boards.
I’m a very excited owner of a 2001 Savage 650.
I purchased this little beauty with 7200 miles for $1500.
This is my first motorcycle – I’ve been riding for about a month.
I’ve noticed a few “oddity’s” that might need a professional fix.
Before I bring the bike in to the mechanic I thought I’d post my problems to this knowledgeable group. I’m hoping to get a little more insight -  as well as perhaps a way to phrase the problems to the mechanic.

The first thing I’m noticing is that when I open the bike to about 55 mph (4th or 5th gear) after a little while it seems to stall when I reduce the speed back to 2nd and 1st gear. If I let the bike sit overnight without riding, it seems a little sluggish in the morning but then it’ll be fine.
Why does it want to stall after going at a faster speed?

Another problem is I notice a little bit of black rubber on the metal belt guard. It seems that at a faster speed the rear tire is rubbing against something. I can see the “wear” marks along the wheel.
What’s causing this? Does anyone have any insight?

Thanks in advance for any and all help.
There seems to be some really good people on this fourm.

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If you pull the front pulley guard you can use a string to line up the rear wheel drive pulley & the front pulley. Thats how we used to line up big pumps with 70( & longer) foot long belts in the oil filed. There are other ways, but this is a dead certainty.

Max says 18mm is a strange size, most are 24 mm for the nut end, other end you can use a punch through the hole in the head.  If yours is 18, try to find a close SAE (fractional size) in a 6 point socket and it should work.  Trying to think how it could end up being 18mm, maybe a nut off a car that is in transition to metric. Nut should have provision for a cotter key to lock it.

Last evening, all I wanted to do was ride to K-Mart and pick up a package of 1/4" flat washers.

Instead, I spent three and a half hours in my drive way trying to eliminate the tire rub on my rear fender.

As you already know, I move from a 140/80-15 rear tire to a 140/90-15.  The additional height had caused rubbing, especially when carrying a passenger or going over a large bump.

What I found was the bag support brackets (that were mounted inside the fender by the previous owner) were rrubbing the side walls of the rear tire.

I tried like crazy to center the tire as best I could.  IN every case, I could JUST clear 3 of the 4 rub points.

So.... Out walks wifey-poo.  She listens to me grumble for a moment or two and says 'Cant you mount those (the bag support brackets) on the outside?'  then walks back in the house.

BINGO.

All I had to do was remove the rear tire, then the fender bolts and slide the bag brackets between the chrome trim and the fender on the OUTSIDE.

I remounted the tire, then used the string method to adjust my center.

Works like a CHAMP...

To center the rear tire, loosen the 24mm lock nut on the belt side of the rear tire.  Loosen the 2 12mm locking nuts on the rear adjusters.  To move the tire track to the right, turn the right side adjuster screw out and the left side adjuster screw in.  Really quite simple once you get started and it pays off big time!