Hello, newbie here looking for some help.  I've been lurking on the site for a month or so doing research and ended up with an 03 savage 2 weeks ago as a first bike. I did some searching and could not much on my type of problem. I'll start with the history since it seems to be the first thing most ask when trying to help. It's an 03 3900 miles. First owner put most of the Milan's on then let it sit for a couple years. It was then purchased by a retired guy who buys and fixes bikes to flip them. He put in a battery, cleaned the Carb and got it running. He put about 60 miles on Inc delivering  it to me and sold it. Since I had it I did a couple cosmetic things changed the oil/filter and air. I put it back together ran it about 25 miles went it quit on me. Ran great till I pulled from a stop light and it stalled a couple times when tring to take off, then all forward progress stopped. I had to tow it home. Engine runs fine, I can let the clutch out in gearand nothing like it's still in n. It shifts through the gears fine and the tension on the lever feels normal. The I used was Suzuki 4cycle I got from the dealer with the filters. Since the problem I changed the oil again with Mobil 1 v twin, old stuff mil key and nasty already also played the clutch adjustments and it made no diff. Checked the belts and pulleys on the other side and they looked OK. Tomorrow I'm going to pull the clutch cover off but I don't really know what I'm looking for. I can't believe the clutch plates would be smoked already, I hear they can take some abuse. I can upload pictures after I open up the case. Any help would be realty appreciated. I'm pretty bummed about getiing the bike and having it break first time out. I'll be around the forum going forward, thanks Ryan

Left side of the bike, take the cheesy cover with 3 slots milled in it off. Take and post a pic before so much as thinking about taking the clutch cover off. Let's walk through the easier to inspect stuff first.

Get us an overall pic and a detail pic where the shaft comes through the pulley, to start with.

While the cover is off, push, pull and twist on the pulley and see if it is tight on the output shaft. Do that in N and in gear. Let us know the result.

We can go into it deeper afterwards if necessary.

how far does the clutch rod stick out?

12mm ok
your problem is either in the clutch or the drive pulley.

sometimes the spline on the pulley wears till spins on the shaft with a clunking sound.
having it work right with the cover off and slip when it's on would tend to say the rod was too long, but it's ok at 12.  How much gap between the lever and the perch on the handlebars?

the best I can tell the pulley and belt seem ok. I look close at the pulley and belt seem snug and to rotate fine. I pushed it around in neutral and there was not noise, or wobbles or anything I could find. I could be wrong of course but don't see anything at this point.

One of the main symptoms was that I could roll it in gear with no resistance with the clutch out, as well as the no power in gear. Now that the linkage is disconnected, oil out and side cover off it seems to lock up fine. If I put it in first I can hardly move it and when I do I can see the basket and gears rotate like it locked up. It basically feels normal, like it did before if you parked it and put it in gear.

Does anyone know what this could mean, should I be changing the discs, rods or any other suggestions? I seem to be narrowing in on the problem but don't know what to fix or replace to correct it.

Thanks  

Mine clutch lever is way more loose than what I thought I needed at first. Loose like, 'holy dang, this can't be right,' but it is.

Verslagen said:

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....same thing for the clutch rod, push the lever up, if it goes higher than this, then you need a longer rod.


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Ver,

I thought we agreed a few years ago that the datum line on that chrome clutch lever (shown above) ran along the bottom of said clutch lever, like shown in the two pics below:








So, what is it?  Does the datum line run along the bottom of the lever or does it run through the longitudinal center of said lever (as your pic inferred)?

Jes' seekin' the truth here.....

Okay, you changed oil, then 25miles later,, she no go..

What kinda oil did you use?