Use a good quality oil with zddp content...
Car oils don't have it any more...
Most of us use Shell Rotella diesel oil... synth or dino...

Head bolts never come loose.... If nothin's leaking, just leave 'em... Break one and you'll be very sad...

...and, it's normal for the engine to tick a little when it gets hot...

Not sure about the rocker/cam wear... but, why worry about it?... You can't undo it, so just enjoy the ride...
Keeping the idle up to a smooth purr is the best thing you can do to make this engine last...
That, and the Verslavy... ...

You low milage engine is pretty clean inside, as would be expected in most cases.
There are a few small scratches visible in the photos on some of the cam bearing surfaces but they are pretty light compared to many that I've seen on running engines.
The camshaft rockers look fine and the camshaft lobes look ok from what I can see.  There are no glaring wounds.
One valve, exhaust I assume, has a little bit of carbon deposits on it.
It all looks fine.
Put the Verslavy tensioner in it, check the valve adjustment and go ride.

Yep, the engine make noises when it gets hot.
It is the nature of this critter; it grumbles a bit but that's just the way it is.

Why do so many Expect the bike to be a mechanical wreck with almost no miles? It's a production machine, in production for decades,successfully. It's not maintenance free,but it's not junk,usually. Can it be messed up? Ohhh yeah, we've seen dealerships install the oil filter backwards and wreck the motor. Low idle will wreck it. Pulling the plug and allowing grit to fall in can mess one up. The wrong oil will mess with the clutch. There HAVE BEEN bad castings, cams have had issues,but they are far from ordinary. The biggest hassle is generally the cam chain and tensioner. Verslagen has that well handled. There are performance cams available, I did the
One step up from stock ,
It's a noticeable step, coupled with a freer exhaust, yeehaw,,
Others have gone a lot farther, bored out, etc. The fastest Savage is not a Ninja,, But,, a Savage, just well tuned and ridden well, is not a joke. These are bikes well appreciated and much enjoyed by the riders who know the value of a nimble,torquey,easily maintained and affordable machine. You have found a bike that will give you years of fun,opportunity to learn some basic mechanics AND a forum where you will not go away wishing for help from.
If you're not a mechanic yet, you can learn from these guys. I,before I ever found this site, had been a mechanic and bodyman, and worked on drilling rigs,copier machines,cash registers,,, yet,the bike intimidated me..
Don't be intimidated.. The people here are willing and Well Able to walk you through anything short of a counter balance weight through the case.

Welcome, and,if you have not taken a rider safety course, I hope you will.

I think a lot of my trepidation comes from feeling like the seller of the bike wasn't totally honest with me, and after uncovering a few other issues (front break caliper piston seal issue, some hidden rust, leaky gaskets...), I'm now expecting to find other issues... but I guess things just aren't as bad as I feared.

My wife and I took the MSF course last spring (she's starting on a Rebel 250), and we're both loving it.

Thanks Dave! I'll take a look at Chron Techron.

In the 2nd picture, upper left corner, are those cracks in the casting on the left bolt area of the bearing? Also in the 3rd picture left side, center area.

David