If you're hearing tapping on the left, got a high mileage bike, I'd open up the clutch cover right away and let the gremlin out!  Before he gets a chance to really booger things up.

No sir, wouldn't ride another inch.  get yourself a clutch cover gasket and getRdone.  (nope, nada, wouldn't even turn her over, new engine will cost you 400 kind of sweat)  

Go to the bottom of the screen to the "Forum Jump" drop down menu (it will show Rubber Side Down), click on tech referance, then click on table of contents thread.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1191167029

tapping in the left side..... high on the left side or low on the left side????

I'd use a stethoscope, well, screwdriver, tip against engine, handle on bone in front of ear & then in the ear, too. Top left on the engine, to see if the valves are claching a bit. Then, on the right side, too. See if you can hear clicking. Whirring is normal, because the cam chain slides on the guides. After you've listened, I would still open & look. This will allow you to gain the experience of having heard the sounds & seen the mechanical parts that make those sounds. IF the noises arent good & you open & see it in need of maintenance, then, you know what it sounds like when its time for work. If it sounds okay & looks okay, then later, if it starts sounding different, then its time to look again. Likely time for a cam chain. Dont pay someone else. Buy the tools, get thew book & we will talk you thru. WE? Yes, I just volunteered these others to help you, too. If you pay for the maintenance this bike needs, you will spend more than the bikes worth in a few years AND, your riding season will be spent with your bike sitting in line, waiting to be worked on. Most of the tools needed can be "El Cheapo" tools. My allen wrenches are from Harbor Freight, never stripped any. The cheap torque wrench from Sears is doing me fine. Looking at the torque specs, the bolts are to be torqued to any number of foot pounds, between 7 & 12( I think thats the range for the header studs) & looking at the manual, I noticed the range was wide on all the stuff I expect to ever touch, so an inexpensive torque wrench should do it. If you arent very strong, then for just a few bucks, an impact wrench, I have 1/2 inch & 3/8ths, a cheap compressor, just a small one to use to break nuts loose, will make it easier on you. I was able to reinstall the clutchpack without a backup holding the engine because the impact would run the nut home before the engine would spin. Must have worked, that was about 4,000 miles ago. All in all, this is a crude little bike, simple & forgiveing. Dont be afraid, wade on in. I was skeert, even tho I have a good mechanical background, but these folks talked me thru & just paying the labor on the cam chain would have cost me more than the price of the compressor & torque wrench.( I think, anyway)

before i changed out my cam chain tensioner for the verslavy i'd get an intermittent "click/tap" that sounded like it was on the left side. After putting the verslavy in its gone.

He just heard the noise on the left side.  It was recommended that he open both covers I think and found the cam chain tensioner was about to come undone.  Tapping the case each time it wobbled.  When you are listening to a caucauffeny, it doesn't matter where the clarinets sit.

left cover is generator and starter gears.

and right side is clutch and cam chain.