Hey, boys.  I'm a newbie rider and Savage owner.  My 2006 had been stored/not ridden for at least nine months and ran the way you're describing - I actually laughed at the "can't tell the difference between a Civic and a semi" reference, because I had that, too.

Here are my personal observations so far:
    1. Changed the petcock to the Raptor.  IMMEDIATE improvement in performance - so much smoother - I was shocked!  Still does chug a bit when cold, but now the mirrors work properly.  
    2.  After studying the owners' manual and the newbie info on this forum, I realize that I was shifting too early.  It likes higher RPMs and I was just not used to them.  I am getting over my "clutch guilt" (used to a car's dry clutch) and becoming more comfortable riding it - which helps a LOT - as well as with shifting later.
    3.  I added Seafoam.  This happened at the same time as the petcock swap, so I don't know whether this is helping or not.  I've only ridden about 180 miles since starting the additive, but I'm hoping it smoothes out a bit more yet.

Good luck!

* Tomi

Daren wrote on 06/02/15 at 09:40:15:


It doesn't say "Diesel" on the front of the bottles that I buy....however it is useable in diesel engines.  It is a Heavy Duty Engine Oil as stated just above the 15W-40 rating.  It is useable as is and is safe for wet clutches, some of us add a bit of Redline ZDDP just to be anally retentively satisfied.

Dave, thanks for the picture.

Ok, time for an update.

Earlier in this thread I talked about a vibration that was bad enough to cause my mirrors to be useless. I also mentioned that I had a "noise" when making left hand lean-turns at speed.  believe I have found the answer to both issues.

I bought a new set of Triumph Bonneville handlebars (they were perfect for my desired sitting position) and decided to dive in and put them on yesterday. I found:

-Clutch perch is badly damaged where the cable guide screws into the perch. Badly enough that the screw guide came completely out of the threaded part of the perch while I was taking it apart. I had never noticed it before because it was conveniently covered by a rubber boot. Clutch perch will need to be replaced.
-Left side handlebar riser mounting hardware is damaged. The riser itself is fine, but the large washer that sits under it (on top of the rubber anti-vibration grommet) is bent and needs replacing. The M10 bolt that holds that riser on is also bent.

 It became clear that the bike had indeed been drooped. The seller had told me that the bent left foot peg had happened when her father bumped the bike with his tractor while it was being stored. The road rash on the clutch perch and the bent handlebar hardware tell a different story.
I went over the left side of the bike with a fine toothed comb. The lower drivebelt guard had a "scuff" at the extreme lower rear corner. I got the bike up in the air and saw the belt was only 1/16" away from the guard. Using a rubber mallet and a wood block, I bent the guard away from the belt. "Noise when turning left" solved.

So, I was pretty bummed but at the same time, grateful that I now had an explanation for the issues I had been having with the bike. I went ahead and replaced the stock grips with Kuryakyn ISO grips. Today I will install the Sportster seat I got off Ebay last week, and the light bar/driving lights I bought off Amazon. The new clutch perch, new matching chromed clutch/brake handles and the new clutch cable should be here by Friday, so I will have the weekend to install them. Should look great with the new ISO grips.

Bad news: my "like new" Savage with only 4,000 miles on it had been dropped.

Good news: I am MUCH more attuned to the small things to look for. I got my hands dirty and got rid of the fear of taking this "new" bike apart. The bike really is very easy to work on with the proper tools.

If anyone has a stock set of risers with all the hardware, I'd be interested in purchasing them. Otherwise, I will get the OEM parts from Cheap Cycle Parts.

I'll keep updating this thread if that is OK with the moderators. Perhaps it will serve as a "newbie" diary of sorts and help other newcomers.

Stu, what Sportster seat did you go with?  is it from an 883 and what year?  Just wondering how easy they mount to our bikes.  

as I said above -- I also had to put in a new raptor petcock.  Crank case was loaded with gas and I'm lucky I didn't get badly burned with the amount of fuel pouring out.  A new petcock and a couple oil changes and it was back on the road.

mibeaulieu wrote on 06/10/15 at 08:04:35:


I have the same issue. Couldnt figure out how the oil level in the window was ABOVE the circle. I was also having "rough running/bogging issues so I ordered the Yamaha Raptor (OEM) petcock. Hope to have the bike back together over this coming weekend.

Trippah wrote on 06/10/15 at 17:58:20:


Trippah...you KNOW better than to make a post like that and not include a link
It saves us from the "what is a fork brace and where do I get one?" posts lol