SuzukiSavage.com - Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity

Coaxial

Full Member

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 184
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Gender: male

Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity
04/23/14 at 07:39:51

Hey!

I've been doing quite a bit of thinking. I want to keep my s40 for life. My questions is if it will last the test of time.

I am currently at 42,084 km (26149.8 miles) and I do about 10k km worth of travel per year. City travel.

What can I expect in the regards parts failure?

When will I need to open up the engine and such?

Some data: Original Cam Chain with Versy adjuster, Regular oil changes with T6. Regular full carburetor overhaul. Running a tad bit rich due to Jardine Rumblers.

Back to top

2007 Suzuki Boulevard S40 Black. K&N Air Filter, Jardine Rumbler Exhaust, Raptor Petcock.

145 Main Jet, 45 Pilot Jet, 1.5x

IP Logged

Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12673 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #1 - 04/23/14 at 07:50:09 Talk to us again after you go past 100,000 miles. Do remember to keep your front pulley nut tightened down with an air wrench -- do this every time you change the rear tire.
Back to top	Former Savage Owner IP Logged

Coaxial Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 184 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #2 - 04/23/14 at 08:00:28 100k in miles wow. I guess this thumper can go the distance then. I was kinda hoping you would have said sooner so I can convince the wife that I need Lancer's upgrades while im overhauling the engine.
Back to top	2007 Suzuki Boulevard S40 Black. K&N Air Filter, Jardine Rumbler Exhaust, Raptor Petcock. 145 Main Jet, 45 Pilot Jet, 1.5x IP Logged

WD

Serious Thumper
2005 No Login

Offline

Professional
"scooter
trash".

Posts: 5207
Rosemark TN
Gender: male

Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity
Reply #3 - 04/23/14 at 08:16:34

Coaxial wrote on 04/23/14 at 08:00:28:

100k in miles wow. I guess this thumper can go the distance then. I was kinda hoping you would have said sooner so I can convince the wife that I need Lancer's upgrades while im overhauling the engine.

You do need to upgrade the carburetor guts, if not replace the entire thing with a cable slide Mikuni or proper Bendix/SU/S&S/Edelbrock Quicksilver.

You do need to get a Barnett clutch kit and a spring kit for said clutch. Braided stainless front brake hose is a mandatory safety enhancement, along with EBC brake pads/shoes, and a Yamaha 660 Raptor petcock. Oh, Barnett clutch and throttle cables, and before installing, cable lube or (my way) soak both of them and the rear brake cable in a bucket of hydraulic or GL1 gear oil for a week or so. Speedometer cable is self lubing on Savages, it acts as an oil wick...

Drop your fork tubes and do a fluid change. Drop the triple tree out and service the steering bearings. Pull the speedometer out, remove the rear gear housing and lubricate the guts (Vaseline).

If the tires are getting thin or cracked, change them. Shinko are sufficient for this bike.

Change the headlight bulb, they do dim as they age. Corrosion and micro pitting on the terminals reduces the carrying capacity.

That's all the "easy" stuff.

Back to top

On 2 wheels since 7/87

Black and Chrome 2003 1950s style custom

IP Logged

Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28661 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #4 - 04/23/14 at 08:55:40 Most any machine will last as long as you keep replacing what breaks on it... The good thing about our Savages is they are easy to work on, and there is a 25 year stockpile of used parts out there. Unless you live near the sea... in which case the bike will eventually rust out from under you... ...
Back to top	Ludicrous Speed !... ... ... IP Logged

Dave

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 18099
Camp Springs, Kentucky
Gender: male

Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity
Reply #5 - 04/23/14 at 09:20:49

Our member youzguys has 111,000 miles on his bike on the original engine without a rebuild. He has replaced worn out cam chains, clutch, and other maintenance things.....the head has never been off.

Watch the Marketplace on this forum and stock up on a few wear items if you see a good deal. It wouldn't hurt to have a spare belt, a few cables, maybe even a back up engine or cylinder head if you see a good deal on one. Parts are cheap and easy to find if you are patient - they are always more expensive when you need something in a hurry.

Keep fresh oil and fuel in the bike, keep up with the maintenance items, pay attention to the oil level and cam chain wear, and it will run a long time.

Back to top

Someday I will be old......But not today!

IP Logged

old_rider

Serious Thumper

Offline

Backyard Bill
Productions

Posts: 3147
flordia panhandle
Gender: male

Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity
Reply #6 - 04/23/14 at 09:25:05

Serowbot wrote on 04/23/14 at 08:55:40:

Unless you live near the sea... in which case the bike will eventually rust out from under you...
Grin

...

Oh no... I live 4 blocks from the gulf.... anybody know how long it takes to rust out from under me? Shocked

Although I use a silicone spray to keep parts slippery so water won't bead up and cause problems. Grin

Back to top

We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.

IP Logged

Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28661 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #7 - 04/23/14 at 09:33:48 old_rider wrote on 04/23/14 at 09:25:05: Oh no... I live 4 blocks from the gulf.... anybody know how long it takes to rust out from under me? ...let's just say, I wouldn't bother with an oil change... ...
Back to top	Ludicrous Speed !... ... ... IP Logged

Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #8 - 04/24/14 at 19:54:33 WD wrote on 04/23/14 at 08:16:34: ]You do need to get a Barnett clutch kit and a spring kit for said clutch. I thought I read somewhere that any clutch upgrades seemed to shred other parts. Wasn't there a video of a guy that used the Barnett clutch and it mangled the transmission or something?
Back to top	There's no problem that a full tank of gas and a sunny day can't fix! 2008 S40, Rotella T 15W-40 w/ZDDP added, Dyna, 140/90-15, Battery Tender Jr., Seat lift, #52.5/150/3 washers, Raptor IP Logged

verslagen1

YaBB Moderator
ModSquad

Offline

Where there's a
will, I want to be
in it.

Posts: 28886
L.A. California
Gender: male

Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity
Reply #9 - 04/24/14 at 20:03:30

Kris01 wrote on 04/24/14 at 19:54:33:

I thought I read somewhere that any clutch upgrades seemed to shred other parts. Wasn't there a video of a guy that used the Barnett clutch and it mangled the transmission or something?

Wasn't a Barnett clutch, it was a Frankenstein.
you can get barnett kevlar clutch disks and they are stickier than stock.
and work just fine thank you Cool

Back to top

Versey's Place
Tech Section Index

IP Logged

WD

Serious Thumper
2005 No Login

Offline

Professional
"scooter
trash".

Posts: 5207
Rosemark TN
Gender: male

Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity
Reply #10 - 04/24/14 at 22:32:35

old_rider wrote on 04/23/14 at 09:25:05:

Serowbot wrote on 04/23/14 at 08:55:40:

Unless you live near the sea... in which case the bike will eventually rust out from under you...
Grin

...

Oh no... I live 4 blocks from the gulf.... anybody know how long it takes to rust out from under me? Shocked

Although I use a silicone spray to keep parts slippery so water won't bead up and cause problems. Grin

Lived a block and a half off the Gulf in Long Beach MS when I bought my 98 brand new. I wish you could see the pics of the rusty junk fender rails off of it when I sent them to the late great (and dearly missed) Max Morley. Within a couple months, the undersides were solid rust. The clear coat had been eroded from the switch housings, and those had started turning into white oxide... Salt air and Savages mix poorly, you need to be sealing the undersides of everything with bedliner spray, catalyzed urethane, or epoxy paint once you phosphate treat any already present rust.

Back to top

On 2 wheels since 7/87

Black and Chrome 2003 1950s style custom

IP Logged

jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #11 - 04/24/14 at 23:04:05 Coaxial, if you've done 26000 miles, put your self up for one of Serowbots tin/pewter awards, he can explain how to do it.
Back to top	Completely stock 2010 S40, aftermarket rev counter and back pack, Airhawk seat pad IP Logged

Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28661 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #12 - 04/24/14 at 23:26:59 Jc,... Coaxial has been awarded... Thanks for pointing that out... ...and get on there yer'self!... Ride!... ... More the better... ...
Back to top	Ludicrous Speed !... ... ... IP Logged

jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #13 - 04/25/14 at 00:29:07 Got about 2018.3 miles to go.
Back to top	Completely stock 2010 S40, aftermarket rev counter and back pack, Airhawk seat pad IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Suzuki Savage s40 Longevity Reply #14 - 04/25/14 at 01:03:10 What will break is the clutch throwout paddle,,its sintered metal, & a few have busted, its not real common, but it can cause real problems,,If I was keepin mine Id give some real thot to havin one machined. It busted the cam chain guide the tensioner mounts to. Good thing it was a 15 MPH boo boo..
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged