...and the other side...

Thanks Fish!  The exhaust is a 31" Thrush.  LOUD.  It'll ripple your britches if you stand behind it.  The paint is not really paint.  That's a plasti-dip liquid through a Wagner.  I've actually changed colors three times in a couple of weeks.  5 bolts and peel and spray.  I think I'm gonna ride the red for a while now, though.

Ahhh yes.  Jetting.  Somehow I knew that would be the first question.  The short answer is....I'm still chasing it.  The guy I got the bike from had already re-jetted for a straight slash-cut.  The glasspack gave me close to the same length with a little better back pressure. Still loud, but it's directed away from me now. I also went to a higher flow panel filter. Anyway, it's not exactly dialed in, but it's livable.  I'm still not sold on the set-up...I may go back to the cast-offs...but I'm liking the conversation the glasspack makes out on the road.  Ironically, that very experiment was how I found this fantastic site!  As soon as I put the Thrush on, I started having problems. In the end, it was the vacuum petcock, but the crazy timing of events had me herding cats for three days!  ....raptor.....who would have known?!  Whomever figured that one out the first time deserves a medal!

 As far as the Plasti-Dip goes, Naptha is the secret.  Check out the guys at dipyourcar.com (<--not sure if that will auto-link or not, sorry).  That stuff is addicting!  I just checked out some of their how-to videos and started spraying everything I own!  It peels right off if you don't like it. What a blast!

Ha! Nice.  But then again, I'm a sucker for any story with a girl named Maybelle.  

Yeah, that dip is a little pricey...but what price fun?  I've bought the gallon size, but they have black, white, and red in rattle cans, too.  Plus glossy coats and "metalizers".  Can't wait to try some of that craziness!

now...cam chain.  I've been told that it had been replaced.....I think I may leave it at that for now.  I did the ol' screwdriver/stethoscope diagnostic and it wasn't slapping around.  I'm going to try to get through the summer as is, I think.  This thing has a bunch of unknown miles on it, and every time I tear something apart, I strip a bolt or create three other problems.  She's been put up wet a few times.  But it was cheap.  I checked the valves day 1 and they were spot-on, so my confidence level in the seller is going up. I've enjoyed wrenching on it so much, though, I may spring for a low-mile bike if one falls in my lap.  I've owned many bikes in the past and this Savage is as much fun as any!  Especially for sub-urban assault!  Currently, I still have a Sportster and a old Benelli 125.

geez.....I am too, now.  Thanks!!  I may have to take that and run with it as my own, if ya don't mind... Stimpy - FSO wrote on 05/05/12 at 14:32:18:

Dude!  There's no such thing as a junk bike!  Turds....maybe.  Hard to put a shine on those.  Anyway.  Yeah, yeah.  Roger that.  Loud and clear.  I've never been much on walkin'.  Just letting that fresh oil change collect a little bit more evidence...actually, I'm having too much fun to park it for another tear-down in the immediate future.  If I break it, I'll fix it.

Wow.  Interesting outlook. Maybe we should define "fatal". Let's just say that I'm confident in my instinct.  Heck, I've been blowing motors in one way or another for over 30 years! ...even competitively for a few of those years.

Ehhh.  Sorry.  Nothing personal, mind you. I realize you're just looking out for another "newbie".  I completely understand the tensioner's role and it's importance.  I also understand that further investigation is needed and it will happen in due time.  Meanwhile, I've found nothing to indicate that the seller was untruthful or incompetent.  Ridden hard doesn't always mean abused.  If I thrash it, I'll plug another motor in it and grin sheepishly for a while...Like I said...it was cheap.