I have the itch again so in my research a Suzuki Savage looks like a great bike for me. I might go look at a older Savage tomorrow. 1988. From the ad and Emails it looks fine but you never know. Is there anything I should be looking for? Any Cronic problems to look for that I could use in negotiating a better price. Thanks Everyone.

thats as old as i am.  just give it a good look over tyres, suspension, drive belt, fork seals etc

jabman wrote on 07/29/09 at 13:50:45:


I bought something for my 87 some time ago and the bike was older than the girl working the counter.  She seemed to know her stuff, though.

I feel like I lucked out when I bought my '87. Was away from riding for around 15 years and just wanted a cruiser with ballz. never thought I would be riding a Japanese bike, but after looking at how high the prices were since I'd been away, I decided to leave the HD thing behind. Had no idea what a Savage was but after taking a test ride, I knew right away that this would be the one. PO was asking $1300 for it, but took my offer of $1050. Came with with custom paint, SuperTrapp, mirrors, new cables, brakes, Guardian cover, new tires, an extra front rim and new helmet thrown in. Oil leak was also included. Bike was on Craigslist for weeks with really bad pictures that didn't do it justice.

To be honest, I have no idea what's been done inside of the bike, but I can see black sealant in the middle of the cylinder and gray on top, so the PO did work on something in there. Bought it in March 2008 with 12XXX miles and as of today, I'm up to 20,200 miles. It's been running so well that outside of oil changes, battery and a new air filter, I've not had to perform any serious mechanical work on it yet.
She runs like a dream. It's one of the best motor vehicle purchases I've ever made.

Bought front brake pads which I'll be installing soon. Inside of tank is rusty and bit of paint lift by the gas filler neck, but I'm leaving it alone for now.

But yes, shine a flashlight in all of the nooks and crannies, up around the header and top of the cylinder, and, also in the gas tank. The rust will be staring you in the face if it's there. If you can get the owner to allow you to take the seats off, you'll be able to see most of the wiring. Listen for that Cam Chain noise also.

Depending on the seller, who can be honest or not, oil leaks can be pretty easy to hide. They could simply clean the oil off and it will not show itself until after being ridden for a while. Well, depending on the severity of the leak of course. I would just ask them about the well documented Savage plug cap leak, or any other oil leaks.

What really led me to the decision to buy mine, outside of the price, was the test ride. The low end torque blew me away.

Hi there guys,
I was just about to post the same exact question so I will do an Intro and jump on board.

After almost a 20 year motorcycle lull, my GF is buying me a bike for my 40th birthday. I have been looking at used Savages, Late 80's and Early 90's models and have been reading pretty much every thread in the forum for the last several weeks(Up to page 95 in this Section and read most of the Tech Section). I had a CB550 in High school and a Norton 850 Commando in College 20 years ago so I am no stranger to home maintenance and repair.

One of the bikes that is tempting me is an '89, the owner claims the bike is solid and in good shape and runs reliably. I am asking for service records, mileage, whether it is currently on the road. Any other questions I should ask before going to see it?

I have a picture and it looks to have an oil leak. If compression is good, does that look like the Savage "Plug/Cap" Leak?

Asking is $2000 which seems a little high without the leak and I am thinking that if compression is good, maybe CDN$1500 - CDN$1600 is more reasonable assuming the rest is in good shape. i.e. Can pass a safety check.
Price tend to be higher up here in Canada so keep that in mind.
A new S40 is CDN$6600 up here!

What do you guys think?

I'll post a pic in a sec, won't let me on 1st post.

Edited to add CDN for funds

dinsdale wrote on 07/30/09 at 08:26:26:


A 20 year old bike for $2,000? That sounds really high to me, but not sure what the market for bikes is like in Canada. I just picked up a 2005 for $2,100 in ID, but It needed lots of cosmetic issues but mechanically it appears to be very sound with only 5k on the odometer. Here's a pic of what mine looked like when I brought it home 4 weeks ago:



And what it looks like now:



I think your $1500-1600 is a much more reasonable range seeing that you can see the paint peeling around the filler neck and aftermarket paint/mirrors I would venture to say it may have been laid down and fixed/repainted...  

Thanks guys.

EJID: A dealer wants CDN$2900 + taxes (13%) for a 1997 with 40,000 kms on it.

I am comfortable with a bike as a project as I can't afford much more than CDN$2000 but want to avoid a complete rebuild as I don't have the shop, time or $$$  for that and want to ride it as well.

The Oil Plug fix and Tensioner mods are within my capabilities.

I will definitely use them as bargaining points if I take the plunge.
Well, my GF will.I tend to be impulsive and emotions driven when buying vehicles. I let my GF do the bargaining and she is a pro at it.
She talked a guy down from DN$2800 to CDN$1200 for my 1964 Grew that I fiddle with as well.



Here are  a couple more pics of the bike from other angles.

Here is a reply to an email request for more details.

Quote:


Do you have to pull the engine to pull the head for a head gasket?