OK, just kidding.  But does anyone else wish our bike had pushrod valve actuation instead of OHC with the attendant cam-chain worries?  The rpm limit of a big single is well served by push rod valve actuation so I don't see why not.  Besides, I loved the look of the chrome pushrod covers on clasisc singles like the Norton ES2.  As far as a conversion - forget about it seems to be the forgone conclusion.

I prefer the KISS of the LS650 stock.

If the cam would be gear driven, yes. More than likely if Suzuki built it with a cam in the case, and pushrod activated overhead valves, they'd probally still link the cam to the crank with a chain. I am thinking the whole chain isue is why this thread was thought of. We're not alone. How many miles are most ppl supose to change the timinimg belt on a car? 80,000-100,000? The timing chains on older v-8's is mostly gone by 100,000. Anyone have a Toyota with the 22R that had the chain eat through the cover, and into a water jacket, leaking water into the engine? Newer Harley's have a cam chain, and a primary drive chain that both need a look-see around 50,000-60,000. I know most/all vehicles accumilate more miles before this kinda service than the Savage, but how much more $$ was paid for those other vehicles. I have never heard of an ol' chevy I-6 jumping time. I am sure the engine would be far gone before the two gears that operate the cam would become that far worn. If someone could find a way to build flat head enigne that would operate as efficent as modern engines, that would be awsome, because they are very compact. Pushrods also give the engine another advantage. They allow the engine to be made shorter, which keeps a bikes frame smaller, generally makeing for a lower seat height, and contributes to a lower CG. If someone thinks that a pushrod engine can't perform, look at the new Vette, then decide. A pushrod OHV thumper makes complete sense, now go get ya a Bull Blast, ok, maybe it does'nt allways come out rite. Papa Smurf jumps gravy holes on the pig.

This thread is edging towards bring back cast iron engines, cross ply tyres, or maybe even swap the front disk for a drum and use friction pate shock absorbers and leaf springs, just like grandpa had.

The Savage's cam chain is a weak link because Suzuki got the tensioner mechanism's geometry wrong - on the whole overhead cams are just way, way better things to have than pushrods.
Most OHC bike engines with a cam chain are virtually zero maintenance with no corporate problems like the Savage has – blame the little guy in Hamamatsu who designed that part of the Savage motor and got it wrong, not the OHC concept!

KwakNut wrote on 04/12/08 at 07:18:01:

Hex on the little guy at Hamamatsu!  Hex I say Hex!  

KwakNut wrote on 04/13/08 at 08:29:30:

Savage specific rebutal:
1. Chain vs push rods,
a. total weight, push rods win
b. momentum for actuation of valves, chain wins
2. rpm limited by stroke so OHC not effective
3. not effective in low rpm engine
4. savage has rockers, you would need DOHC to eliminate them.
5. agree

Not saying that I'll convert the savage over to pushrod, but if I were sitting in the bigwig's commitee that designed her 30 years ago, I would have voted for pushrod.  The cam would be a little stubby job, cheap, gear driven, perhaps smaller gears, cheap, pushrods instead of chain, cheap, less mass in the head, cheap.  Price is set by market demand, more profit.

verslagen1 wrote on 04/13/08 at 10:07:58:
1a.  Usually, but not always – a pushrod motor still needs a chain/gears to drive the cam from the crank, and that little lightweight chain won’t weight much more than pushrods and tubes.
2.      Kind of agree – though even that big stroke could rev at least a thousand higher and be reliable.
3.      Agreed.
4.      Yes, not the case for the Savage – but 2-valve inline SOHC motors achieve this.

I can’t disagree with the view that the Savage gains little from OHC setup, but seeing as the biggest advantage of pushrods would probably be the head height, they’re going to be on their way to the museum.

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve loved quite a few pushrod bikes over the years and I have a pushrod V8 in a car at home, and love its character.