Well I have been in here a while looking around and hoping some one can point me in the right direction.  I am going to look at a 2003 savage on Friday,  what are some of the things I should look for besides the usual has the bike been dropped, has it been well maintained type things.  Thank for your help.

Randy

Doug Thank you very much!  That was very informative.  But I was looking for a little more specific info on Savages since I have never owned one.  I have had an Intruder and now have a KLR650,  but this will be for my wife and want to make sure it is in good shape.  Thanks again.

Timing chain sounds... clutch slippage... fifth to fourth downshift slip... backfiring and overfiring upon deceleration... brake indicator... clutch indicator... tires... all these things are good to note and use as negotiation points. Allthese things are common issues with these bikes. Dont let that deter you. All bikes have different issues. These are minor compaired to others. My advice is to find as many issues as you can. Get it as cheap as you can. And spend a few days and a few hundred bucks to make it a rock solid thumper. Good easy bike to work on. One of the easiest simplest and most reliable.

No prob. Novo. Wish you luck and hope all goes well.

Don't talk while you are looking/feeling your potential bike. Concentrate on your job. Sit on it with permission and pull clutch and brakes, rocking it back and forth gently feeling the shifter change. Crank it and ride it if possible. Let it set and idle while you walk around it. Lay down and look up. Looking/feeling will tell you a lot. Take your time. Just remember, there is a deal every day. You don't have to take something you're not sure about. Good luck.  

babyhog wrote on 02/16/12 at 05:24:14:

$1800... I was thinking the same thing. xD

I think that's just the heat shield. One other thing to look for...where the header meets the cylinder head, grab a flashlight and check to see if there is oil residue dripping inside the hole there.
It's a common problem to have the head plug leak oil there but it's an easy fix.

Shift linkage is flimsy potmetal, see if it is bent between the hiem joints. Easy fix if you want to drop the left side foot bracketry.

If the bike has EVER had Castrol Actevo oil in it, walk away. Stuff is bad news, ruins clutch plates (frictions and steels).

Grab the belt and try to twist it 60 to 90 degrees about the center of the bottom run.  If it won't flex over walk away, too tight ruins the drive sprocket seal and can damage the output shaft. Most people run them too tight.

Weak fork seals, mine lasted 5 minutes after taking initial delivery. Makes a mess but doesn't hurt anything.

Mine has had oil leaks since day one. It is a British style engine, expect British style leaks.

Head pipe nuts will back off while riding. Check monthly, no big deal.

Poorly made electrical switches, expect the sidestand and clutch switches to be bypassed. Spiders like to nest in the bar switches, shorts them out until cleaned. Be careful with the left switch, guts fall out after a few years, little springs and check balls go everywhere. Simple fix, switch is cheap. If the turn signals won't stay on, the switch has fallen apart.

Think BSA or Ironhead Sportster. You'll encounter more petty nuisances than serious issues.

Oh, if you can, pull the 6 pin relay off the frame where the tank and seat meet. Look for corrosion in the plugs. If it gets wet, the bike either won't start or destroys batteries.

I've had mine since 2/98.  It's a nice toy motorcycle, I usually have something bigger for serious riding (I'm 6'2" 230#, even with serious mods it gets cramped after a couple hundred miles).