Greetings to all! So glad I found this forum, as I am a new owner of a 2003 LS650 Savage. 4000 original miles and in near mint condition, I paid $1,150 for it last week.
I have only 2 issues: One, the bike starts and runs fine in the "res" position but wont even idle in the "on" position of the stock petcock. I drained the tank (it had sat in a garage for 18 months, started infrequently) and put new fuel with some Seafoam to see if that would clear it up. No joy. I am assuming the diaphragm is bad.
Second issue: the handlebar. General height is OK but that wicked 45 degree down swoop makes my elbows feel like they are gonna hit my ribs when I turn....especially at low speed. I have heard that a set of HD sportster bars will get my hands up a but higher and wider.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Boogie

ah'yup... standard bars will feel better... I had some from a Harley DYna or Sportster,.. relatively standard and it was much better...
I say had,.. because I later went to Drags and risers for cosmetic reasons...(still comfy)... but the stock pullbacks are all elbows and rib-bones...

The petcock problem... It's probably actually running well on Prime position,(that position doesn't require engine vacuum to flow fuel.(reserve and on both need vacuum)...
The lever is deceptive,... (the indicator arrow is opposite the lever)...

We generally go to a manual petcock ... A Yamaha 660 Raptor will bolt right on...
The stock pet can cause starvation, or flooding, depending on how it fails...
You're lucky,.. you're starving... (the flooding can cause real havoc, including gas in oil or even fire)...
Get a Raptor... ...

Welcome SS.com...

Welcome....you should know these things before you continue.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1366651397

Thanks all for the warm welcome.

I'll try the Raptor petcock, but I'm certain that the bike runs fine in "res" (long part of the lever facing to the front of the bike) and not at all in "on" (long arm pointed straight down). There's a pretty clear arrow embossed on the lever, so unless the lever is installed incorrectly...I think I am getting the positions correct.

Picked up a set of bars today at Ray Price HD here in town from a Triumph. Almost identical to the bars on the 2015 Harley 883 which felt really good to me when I sat on it. Took them home and they are gonna be purrrrrfect, so thats $80 well spent.
Next thing to tackle is the LH driver foot peg. The bike was in a barn and grandpa hit the peg with his Deere tractor and bent in about 15 degrees rearward. Since I have found exactly ZERO info on how to mod/hack/fabricate or replace this peg with anything except the original OEM part, I guess I am stuck with finding one. I guess that means there's no way to put mini floor boards on this bike? Those driver pegs dont stick out very far.

Remember, the peg is hollow inside.

You might have to take the bowl down and spray everything with carb cleaner and change out the jets for clean ones (why not get the pack of jets? Your gonna prob. rejet if you keep this bike)

I have a set of pegs, they're not 100% strainght but they're good (Pm me Ill semd you a pic of the one you want)

Make sure to clean your air filter, run your oil till it gets warm then change it Along with the oil filter, probably hasn't been done in a while.

Thanks for the replies. I think I will try to straighten this peg while I look into floorboards as an option.

Got to ride the bike yesterday for really the first time. It definitely needs some carb work/cleaning/adjustment. Vibrates badly enough that I cant tell the difference between a honda civic and a semi in broad daylight. Forget about at night...everything is just a wobble-show of unidentifiable light.

Again, this is a new chapter for me. My last bike was over 20 years ago and was a multi-cylinder. I cant ever remember having issues seeing what was in my mirrors clearly. I put about 50 miles on it and it started to even out a bit (probably the Seafoam I put in the fresh tank of gas) but it's still shaking pretty good.

I'm not a gas engine type guy. My expertise is in electric and electrical components and systems. Since I need the bike ASAP for primary transportation (temporarily), the idea of me taking the carb down is a non-starter. Since she has just over 4,000 miles on her, would a standard 5K service from a dealership take care of most of these issues?

Thanks again guys (and gals).

btw, this is how she looked the day I picked her up...after sitting in a barn for 18 months.

Boogie_with_Stu wrote on 05/27/15 at 14:57:45:

Check the engine mounting bolts, there's a set under the tank and a few along the bottom of the frame.  If these are loose (read extremely tight) you'll feel vibes in the footpegs and grip/mirrors.

I enlarged the picture of your bike and although its hard to tell for
certain, those tires look like they may be the factory original IRC's.
It's certainly possible with only 4000 miles on the bike.
If they are the originals then you should replace them.
They would be at least 12 years old and are probably cracked, hard, and lumpy.
In any case, check the date codes on them.