So sorry this has happened.
I'd get my money back from that worthless mechanic.
Since he's worthless, you might even go after him for the cost of the engine.  

Most likely the ticking you heard was the cam chain adjuster smacking against the side case.  And the final note was the chain scraping against the side and slipping out off of the sproket.  Causing the cam go out of time with the piston.  Piston smacking the valves.  And thumpers everywhere letting out a cry.

...I felt a change in the force, as if... as if one of our own has met an untimely end.   :'(

okay - seriously - what is the norm for this. I do nto know that he broke it but certainly I feel they mislead me or he did something too it and is not going to stand up and admit it.

Would I just be wasting my time trying to talk them into to taking some ownership?  The place is Hoosier Motorsports in Auruoa, Indiana. Again I am not saying he broke it- but I do feel he gave some bad advice and didn't take the right actions to tell me how to fix it.

What are the options now- do i simply have to accept the fact that it is dead - or is there a way within reason to get the bike a new engine?  This is my first bike and I thought one that would be with us for a bit longer. I am pretty bummed and feel like I was naive in trusting him.  Well I guess its a lesson learned a hard one-  Guys I am just not sure I have the ability to be fixing engines just yet. Money wise I feel lke I got the short end of the stick. I do not feel the guy I bought it from had any wrong doing - he was a good ole guy that I feel was honest.

I think I just rode the bike more than it had been for a long time and not knowingly trusted the dealership to guide me on getting it fixed and keeping it in good shape. On the other hand maybe it just happened and its not the guys fault entirely or maybe he knew it was done for and just didnt want to share the bad news with me. Not sure what to do next guys - any ideas: replace engine, part out, buy another one - give up!  ...go back to riding my horse. I know when he needs a fixin!

After tear down and inspection and determining what needs to be replaced, check the marketplace on this site, and e-bay. You may find a used engine less expensive that the sum of the parts, search the web for motorcycle salvage yards. There must be some that are involved in accidents that don't damage the engine. Any engine from 96 forward should fit and work. 86-88 4 speeds can be used but need to get the electronics for the ignition and voltage regulator also. Used is always a gamble as you have no way of knowing if it was taken care of either. If your dealership technician isn't familiar with Savages he may not have know about the cam chain issue. I think it will be hard to pin them down to helping, but you might have a dealer that is willing to help some. Good luck in your efforts to find a happy solution, Max

Quote:


This statement here makes them liable for the engine damage. By telling you not to worry about it, they put you and others in danger. What would have happened if you were on a freeway or in extremely heavy traffic going the speed limit  when your engine gave out? It could have been a real mess.

No, you do your best to talk to that Stealership and get them to make it right.

It doesn't matter that you know little to nothing about bikes. When you take a machine whether it be car or bike to a supposedly qualified mechanic, it is assumed that they know what they are doing and are supposed to fix the problem or if can't be fixed, to let you know and warn you of the dangers of operating it in that condition.

guys thank you for the posts - seriously it is giving me an understanding of what to do next.  I am really getting sick thinking about it now but darn it happened.  And by the way I was on the freeway in traffic- I just didn't freak out and calmly got over- happily cars behind me pulled out of my way and noticed me.  Oddly - I am sure none of you would do this but three motorcycles drove past me without stopping. I was shocked to see that. I did have to guys in cars that have bikes stop and offer help. Possibly the guys on the bikes saw me on the cell talking so realized I had help and was not hurt.  - I have and always will stop to help another biker- just seems to be the right thing to do.

I am on my way to my friends that helped me pick the bike off the side of the road. Will discuss and possibly make a visit to the dealership to ask to speak tot he owner or at least set a time to do so.

Please keep your comments coming - I am learning more with each posts. I do have friends that are trashing the savage saying what did you expect - but I am not buying that per what I see on here about the bikes. Might died - I do not think that means they are bad bikes.

I had an exhaust valve starting to go on my engine.  My oil consumption was up to about 400ml every 1000 miles.

I was religious about oil changes, I used full synthetic oil, ran a heavier weight in the summer (20w50) than I did in the winter (10w40)and I made sure my valves were inspected and set to spec every 3500 miles (I used .004" right smack in the middle of the specs)

The fact that I put 51,000 miles of mostly interstate riding on my little thumper is a testament to how well the bike is built.  Mine could have been rebuilt.  But I didn't have the time (still on the original cam chain too) and the dealer offered me a rediculous trade in value for it.

The fact that yours is 13 years old and you have no idea how the PO treated the bike, then it's not outside the realm of possibilities that is was an existing problem and just finally broke.

Take it back to the same mechanic and try to work something out.  (like you supply parts at your cost and he supplies labor at his cost).

So.....  If you are willing to get your hands dirty, the bike is fix-able.  The engine has been made for 20+ years so parts are out there.    

If you aren't willing to get your hands dirty, then it is not cost effective to fix.   Could be a $2000 repair bill if you figure in the labor.  Maybe more.

I bought my '01 on eBay for $500 with the engine in pieces and a melted piston & bad head (cam journal worn bad).   I have a friend (now really good friend  ) that is a machinist / rider that did the cylinder work for free.   Around $600 in parts ($200 for a complete used head asembly) and I have a great bike.

Only issue I had was the engine was in pieces in boxes.  I had to figure out where everything went.   Otherwise, the engine is easy to work on.  

 The factory manual is slightly better for engine rebuilding, the Clymer's is better for everything else.  I have both   .   If you choose to repair it,  You will definitely need a manual.

Twisted, check you PM's