Hi Everyone,

I am a long time lurker on this board (there is so much great information!) but am resigning to the group with a savage problem that I can't quite figure out.

The bike: I have a 1997 savage, bought used a few months ago with 6K miles. The previous owner was a mechanic who worked on bikes for 35+ years and spent a good amount of time restoring this bike (which was found in a friends garage). It seems to be in very good condition.

The rider: Medical student, first bike, with minimal motorcycle maintenance experience. I have entry level tools, a clymer manual, and internet access to suzukisavage.com (what more could I need, right?). I am determined to get to know this bike and figure out what is wrong with it.

The problem: The engine block has an oily/gas residue accumulating around the ridges that surround the cylinder. I replaced my stock petcock with a Raptor last week (I was having the "empty tank when it was half full" symptoms described on a previous board post) and decided to take a look at the air filter.  The filter is soaked with gas. There is also a very slow drip coming from the carb. The oil leve, when checked with the bike upright after warming the engine in idle for about 2 minutes, is exactly between the marking on the view glass.

The question: Is this a residual problem related to a potentially leaky stock petcock? Could the engine be sucking gas off the air filter and then somehow it deposits around the engine? Is this setting off any red flags in the minds of more experienced riders that I should be aware of?

Thanks for reading.

Are you shutting off the petcock when you are not running the bike?  The Raptor is not automatic - and should be turned off when the bike is not running.

It sounds like the needle/seat in your carb is not shutting off the fuel flow completely and is not properly shutting off the flow of gas.  I would recommend a carb inspection and cleaning.

Update your profile information to include your location - maybe their is an experienced Savage owner near you that could help.

Wet airbox is probably from the old vac-sucker... if not, yer' float needle needs attention...
The weepyness on the cylinder head, could be a couple of things... so, it's best to clean it real good, then watch to pinpoint the source...

PS,.. I have this pain in my elbow,.......... ...

Sarasota, FL.......I just got back from there!  If I had known I could have come over last week and fixed it for YA! (Although I would have probably wanted to test ride it for the entire week!)

Ah man, that would have been a good deal for both of us!

Dave wrote on 01/03/13 at 10:38:40:

Since you have the raptor, it may pay to remove the tank so you can clean around the head fins thoroughly.

Bummer...
It does sound like carb... a jet may be plugged, or the needle slide is sticking...  She needs a cleaning...

The loud click,... is a decompression relay, (it makes the engine easier to turn over at start by lifting the exhaust valve for a fraction of a second)... That's a normal sound...

Now,.. why your battery is dead, is another can o' worms... but,... since you replaced it recently, let's just check that battery connections are good.... (a loose connection will affect charging and starting)( also, check the ground strap connection at the rear of the engine near the clutch actuator)...

... and lastly,... (new to bikes?),... wear jeans.. (they don't melt)... ...

Haha, that's how I have the 'new battery' that I do right now...made that mistake when I had it for the first month. Never again!