Stinger,
 You ride a LS650.....we can't hate you......

I agree with some of the posts that say it's driver habits.  Also think type of roads, city vs open highway has a bit to do with it.  Less shifting.

Still wish the tensioner was a little better.  Maybe a mini spring loaded dampener instead of a rachet.  I was tempted to take the paw out, but was advised against it because it would be too springy.

Excellen point Stinger. It is nice You are asking different people questions, just folow the logic of the numbers:
 The more the plunger goes out, the lesser part of it is inside the body, the shorter part is guiding it straight, the more slap there is, the more wear there is. Other words, the more wear on the cam chain, the  faster the adjuster wears.
Of course, depending on the riding stiles, depending on the shifting patterns , on the oil changes, on the air filter and the quality of the air and so on, there could be difference in the cam chain life. May be You live in an area with very low amount of fine hard particles in the air. Combined with a lower temp's and lower speeds of riding with no "stop and go" trafic it could give the perfect conditions. May be this is the reason why the service "gurus" are telling You this. I don't want to argue , because I am not there.  
The reason I bought the first LS650 was because the chain adjuster poped out and the guy decided to sell it cheap/16K miles/. At that time I did not pay attention. It took me time to notice a pattern. This is why I did the adjuster mod, not because i enjoyed taking the clutch side apart.  There are more pleasant things in the life than scratching Your head with greasy fingers.
It will be wrong to tell that the cam chain life can never be 50K miles, but it will be even worse not to mention the risk. Everybody here is an adult and everybody can decide for himself is it better to spend 1 hr and couple of $$ to check the condition of the adjuster, and most probably to do the mod., OR he or she will preffer to believe in his or her's good luck. I am sure, You have done Yours too.

Of course, there's a part of me that thinks that Stinger is just stirring the pot

I estimate my chain life at 50k, but by then it will be rubbing on itself.  If you don't have the slavy mod, there's no way you're going to get that far.

Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:


(ears perk up)  somebody say pot.... count me in.  

i bought my chain to have a spare, as one day it will wear out, better to have one handy then paying the dealer.

sluggo wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

Maybe "stirring" was the wrong word

i trust pot smokers more than drinkers.  

You are all forgetting one thing! In my own defense, I did buy a new cam chain and gasket and Greg set up a day to tear it apart and replace it. We were 3/4 done and it was HE  that said, Hey! this dosnt need changing, Lets just put it back together and we will do it next spring!
Second,  I dont think all dealers are rip offs. When I bought mine and it backfired, they took it in and did all the carberator adjustments for free.  I went in and looked at a new savage as I was concerned if mine was worn out at 30,000 miles. Told me my bike will last a long time and ride the one I have.
When I bought my bike, it was on sale for $3,900. I agreed on that price and the salesman came back and told me he could sell it to me for $3,700. Saved me $200. Or for the original sales price  of $3900 they would rejet and put on a  jardine muffler. He suggested that I take the lower offered price and and spend the extra savings on a supertrapp, which I did. Dosnt sound like they were trying to rip me off of anything.