Greetings. My Savage has been running poorly over the last week. It feels like the bike is starved for fuel or air, and power is lacking. It idles ok and is still rideable. I commute on it daily and just hit 15,000 miles.

The first thing I did was check the air filter (because it is the easiest thing to do...).

The bottom of the airbox and filter are covered in oil.

Is this bad?

Would this cause my bike to run as described? How do I fix?

You also have air in your oil box (the case).

You drained the oil out of your air box and want to light it on fire to see if there is gasoline vapor in it?   I always had to use lots of rags to get the oil out of mine (and there always is some, btw).   Puke tube from the head is there for a reason you know.

Or are you talking about the engine sump?   Which one?

     


Sure, have yourself a blast -- just do it away from the bike please.  

Put a jar lid full of "it" out on something that isn't going to burn and try lighting it with a match and tell us what happens.

I bet on the match goes out when it hits the oil.



You can sniff the stuff and detect gas fumes if any are present.

How was that air filter?  Reverse direction blow out with an air hose got what sort of crap out of it?

Question,  do you bring the bike to a level position when you check the oil?   If not, Serowbot is most likely right.  Overfilled oil will blow out the crankcase vent hose on the top of the engine and go into the filter.  

There is also a hose sticking out the bottom of the air box and down  under the bike.  (sticks out a bit).  There is a plug in it and it's to drain any oil condensate that builds up.   You are suppose to take the plug out every once and a while.  But, if you haven't, make sure you have a pan or something underneath because you will get a fair amount of gunk out.

NOW,  if you do check your oil level upright,  then you need to do other stuff.

1) check the petcock to make sure the vacuum diaphragm isn't leaking.  (note: it's used to shut it off the gas when the bike is off).   If it's leaking, gas can overflow the carb fuel bowel and work it's way down into the piston and then down by the rings and then into the engine oil.   Quick check is to remove the vacuum hose from the carb (comes from the very back of the petcock and goes to the right side of the carb) and see if any gas is in it.  It should be dry.

2)  Also a good thing would be to get the compression checked.   That would give you a basic idea that the integrity of the piston and rings are still good.  Several of us have pistons go bad and that would lead to lots of "blow-by" and clog the air filter.