Yep, the modern multi grade oils are better......However 70 degree oil is not thrown around or pumped through the engine the same way it is when it gets up around 200+ degrees.

I also believe the oil is being pumped twice as fast at 2,000 rpm as it is at 1,000 rpm....and that the rod bearing is more capable of throwing oil at the piston/cylinder at operating speeds.

I'm just not a fan of letting cold engines idle until they get up to operating temperature.  When I hear about folks who start their bikes up and let them idle for 30 minutes in the winter to keep the battery charged up and keep the fuel in the carb fresh - I just can't believe that is a good thing.  I drain the fuel, remove the battery.....let it take the winter off.  I put the battery on a tender occasionally...but not continuously.

youngde811, first off...welcome to the forums! You wont find a greater wealth of information about the Savage/S40 anywhere else in the world. Most of these guys are also "career riders" and can help with basic questions about riding.

I also live in Raleigh....down south of 1010 Rd. (which is technically below Garner so how it becomes Raleigh again is a mystery to me). There are lots of old farms and gentle hills/twisties out this way. I'm an old goat that just picked up riding again this summer after a 25 year absence, and believe me....it is NOT like riding a bicycle. I've also got a small 250cc Honda Nighthawk and just the difference between the 2 bikes is pretty huge. You cant throw around the Savage like you can that little 250. Seating position is different, pegs are in a different spot, bars are much lower and thinner....sorta like driving a ford Taurus and then hopping into an Opel. Turn radius, shifting patterns, counter-steering methods, braking distances....it's all different.

Did you do the Motorcycle Safety Course at Wake tech yet? If not, I would strongly recommend it. It will be worth every cent.

Happy riding!

Well I approached the Idle, Warm-up, a different way.

Being new to this, (old style) engine, and learning a tremendous amount from the people here, that have, ‘Been their, Done that”.

Idle, needed to be fast, 1,200 + rpm, enough at start up, to adequately Lube the upper half of the engine.
That accomplished 2 ways, Pull out the Choke, or increase the throttle screw.

As I (used to), drive a truck which had a ‘choke’, foot pedal, (gas/throttle), and, a ‘hand’ throttle, which could be set.
I looked at the problems and solutions., and modified.

Problem, when I increased the throttle screw, the bike ran to high when warmed up.  Didn’t want to keep the Choke out, (to warm up), 1. Didn’t need a choke to start, 2. Didn’t want the extra gas washing the oil off the Cyl.

So, a Shim.  With bike warmed up, set the screw to about 1050RPM.
Then a little piece of alum, (started with 1/16 inch thick).
When bike was cold, opened throttle, set the shim between the throttle screw, and cable end, and started.
(Just took a couple of draws with a rasp, to get to the right thickness, so when, ‘with shim’, Idle, ‘Cold’, was at about 1,400).
Then took a piece of sturdy string, put it through a hole in the shim, and around something close.

Now, I shim it, start it, Put on jacket, helmet, gloves, (30-40 sec),
drive it  down the drive, (‘bout 200 yards), Not touching the throttle,
(It’s at about 11-11.5 MPH, driving in 1st, no throttle, other than the, shim’.)
stop, check traffic, and go.  As soon as I twist the throttle, the ’shim’ just drops out.
(and hangs their waiting till the next, cold, start)
It is about 1.4 miles one way and 1.6 miles the other, till a stop sign.
As that point, engine warm enough, the the idle is back to a comfortable 1,050 +/-

May work for you, may not.
But it works for me.

MnSpring:

If I'm reading that correctly, you shimmed the throttle "more open" at idle. When you twist the throttle, it falls out. How ingenious!  

Hi BoogieWthStu. I'm scheduled to take the MSF course this October. Looking forward to it.

Cheers, david

Thanks. I think I have a pretty good mental picture. Sometimes the easy solutions get overlooked.  

There are a couple of intermediate detents on the choke knob. From the inside one, it will pull itself the rest of the way in as you ride. At least that's true on mine.

But anyway, full choke isn't your only choice. If the idle seems too high you can see if it will idle smoothly on a partial setting.

In this warm weather my bikes will take partial choke as soon as they start.

I've been using it since reading all the worries on this board about "cylinder washed with gasoline..."

If you "lug" the engine, it gets really loud and knocks very strongly. Otherwise, you're probably doing fine.