Hey Everyone! I just purchased a new to me 1996 Savage LS650 with only 2200 miles. The bike had the original tires which were shot and I can tell it sat outside for awhile. I was wondering what kind of maintenance or problems I should be aware of before I start riding this year.

I like to pamper the rubber parts a little. I use 100% silicone oil. A pint lasts me years. Its available for cheap OR, well over $100.00 a gallon online. I get it from copier repair shops. Its called Fuser OIl. If you call & ask for some, theyll ask what model copier. It doesnt matter. There are thick & thin oils out there. Thinner is easier to spread. Minolta oil is just fine, I have had none I didnt like. I apply it to all plastic & rubber before I wax, because way makes plastic & rubber ugly & its hard to get off.. Dont do tires with it, I wont do the seat if Im wanting to ride soon,, its Gotta go on there Very lightly ( if at all) & given a chance to settle in,, The air duct from carb to engine gets it..


YOu mite press the brakes away from the rotor & then feel of how the caliper slides on its pins.. If its stuck, then do some work there.

If your rear brake locks the tire up with so little effort you cant really use the brake w/o sliding, then pull the wheel, & ( This is what I did & then put another 15,000 miles on it & was able to actually modulate the pressure & USE the brake. It would still lock up too easy, but,, I Could use it safely) & use a grinder to cut grooves across the shoes. I got rid of about 1/3rd of the contact area.
How the pedal height is adjusted matters, too.

Yep,, I missed that one.. IMO, that oil will keep the engine healthy for so long the rest of it will be worn out before the engine craps out,,

If you change to the Raptor petcock read TXSIZZLER'S post page one of the tech section, and get the correct Raptor 660 petcock part number 5LP-24500-01, some raptors are too narrow in the line. There's a good brake bleed article by Old Feller on page 3 of the tech section about 5 up from the bottom of the page. Verslagen has a useful post on valve adjustment on page 5 of the tech section 12 up from the bottom, There's a bit of a knack to getting the feelers in and others have bent special feelers for this purpose.