I've been reading the forums for 2 days straight trying to find real world data on these mods.  

Now before any of you say, "just get a faster bike" "the savage isn't meant to go fast" or "it costs too much for minimal gains", I'm not looking for a fast bike, but rather a faster savage.  I'm also not worried about cost, what I'm more worried about is longevity.

I plan to ride this bike hard from stop light to stop light and I also plan on taking it on 2 hour trips here and there.

What I would like to know is, who here has long and hard miles on their big bore/performance cammed savage?  Not who knows someone or heard of someone who has one, but current members who put their bike in its paces?

I've read maybe 2 or 3 threads where people did the mods, then they vanish when people ask them how its holding up.

I'm ready to buy a cam and piston, but don't want the motor to grenade like I've read would happen.

So please, real answers as I'd like to get this motor finished while its already apart.

Regards,

Peter

Lancer is one of the pioneers in the real world application of the performance parts, and will be able to provide info.

Oldfeller has done the Stage 2 cam, and has a lot of miles on it....I am sure he will chime in and give you a report.

I did a Wiseco 95mm, carbide cylinder treatment, Stage 1 Cam, Mikuni 36mm, and some clean up of the ports, and I made my own muffler.  I have about 2,800 miles on the engine since this work was done.  I went with the smallest Wiseco and cam upgrade since I don't want a race bike....just one that runs really nice.  The engine is also a really big single, and what I really wanted was a compression upgrade rather than a larger engine.  Also the engine has breathing problems....and a larger piston will use up the available airflow a bit earlier and I really didn't want to limit the power at the higher rpm's.  Also a larger piston will make more torque and power down low....and put more strain on the clutch and drive components, and for the first engine mods I just went small.  So far I have not had any clutch slippage issues wth the stock discs and springs.  I used an oxygen sensor and meter to set up the jetting in my carb.

I am very happy with results.  The engine runs very nicely, has considerably more power than it did stock, I still get about 58 mpg, and it doesn't have any bad manners or burn any oil.  It idles fine, drives well in traffic, and makes all the power I need to get me smiling.

If you do go the Wiseco piston route......don't take chances and let the local machine shop do it for you.  You only get once chance to get the cylinder bore correct, and a couple of forum members have had the piston and cylinder fail from improper clearance.  Buy a kit from Lancer, or get a Wiseco and send it to Boretech and let them do the work.

We have a forum member that has put 100,000 miles on a stock engine and never had the head of the bike....he has done a few cam chains and other maintenance.  I don't expect I will ever have that many miles on my engine - but I don't believe I have built an engine that willl self destruct.  

wolfsgrin:

Good choice not doing any knife edging....this is not a 14,000 rpm bike and the benefits of knife edging a single cylinder low rpm bike would probably be negligable.  If you are looking to get rid of some inertia, the fllywheel is kinda heavy and might be able to have some weight reduction for not too much money.  You would be a pioneer in this.....it has been discussed but no one has done it yet.  You might give up some smoothness at low rpm if the flywheel is trimmed.

Hardtail.....springer.......sounds to me like your engine modificatons are going toward performance while your chassis mods are going the other way.