Hi there....as the owner of a new LS650 Im really happy with the bike but I do have a question...third gear seems to whine alot,especially when Im decelerating...Its also noticable in 4th but to not such a degree..I think I heard some where that the whine on the savage when decelerating was a bit of a common occurence...I might just be worrying about nothing..the bike is running great...but that whine...is this a normal thing?

Thanks for that...no its not the whirr of the belt..Its coming from the transmission...its hard to explain...you that whining sound as you lose speed when changing down...maybe a bit hard to explain....I will take it into Suzuki and get expert ears to have a listen....

The drive pulley being loose on the splines does sound like it is coming from the transgression (it is).   Check your nut and pulley washer for any signs of pulley motion, and grab that pulley and see if it moves on the splines.  

A loose pulley nut is a common enough problem on this bike, after all.

Taking your bike to a Suzuki dealership is a BAD idea -- yes they will find all sorts of expensive problems for you with your transmission, and your clutch system, and various bearings -- none of which are real or actually apply to your problem.  

Your wallet will certainly be lighter though.



Next thought, hmmm  (how to say this in the best fashion ???).

If you came here looking for some dealer service trip pre-information with no intention of actually taking a simple belt cover off your bike and shaking a drive pulley to see if the nut is loose, then you got whatever "good information" you came to get.

Here's some more good information if you want to get your hands dirty .....

(put this up into your browser's search bar or just double click on it)

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1335739552/15

Is the bike new as in "brand new" or just new to you?
If it's brand new, make the dealer earn his money.

The 4 speed transmission on mine whines like an old jeep from MASH. Hasn't gotten any worse since I had it, so I'm leaving as is.

Some noises can be induced by your riding style.  At what speed do you downshift?  I know if I shift into 2nd or 1st early (40  mph for 2nd, 30 mph for 1st) that the tranny will whine even though I've got the clutch pulled.

Thanks all for your responses,we are so far down the topic page that I hope some of you might read this...actually after I had put down that I was going to take it into Suzuki,I later thought that was such a silly thing to say that I would be lucky to get any replies ...I have read Oldfella your post but am going to need to study it for a bit longer as I am a complete laymen when it comes to maintenance..something I would like to work on though...the idea about the helmet was interesting too..actually I have started wearing earplugs when I ride...I am familiar enough with the bike now to know where I am gearwise versus speed without having to hear the engine too clearly...but the analogy about the old jeep was perfect..thats exactly what I was trying to say...like an old jeep from MASH winding down...yip thats it...also that comment was interesting about the speed in which I change down having a bearing on it...I know what you are saying and it is a art Im learning...dropping gears at 'just' the right time...thanks again for all your responses..Im going to start perusing this site alot more to gain some more insights into the LS650..a bike I have always loved...(and now I own YAY!)...Pete