Dave wrote on 10/28/15 at 04:07:12:I don't know the exact number - but I have seen several damaged engines and heads on this forum or on eBay. All of them have dropped one exhaust valve into the cylinder - I am not aware of any seats coming loose.
On some of the internet discussion about dropped valves, the cause is suggested as over revving the engine to the point that valve float occurs, and the valve does not follow the cam on the way back down.......and the piston hits the valve head. Until somebody that was actually riding the bike when the valve failed comes along and tells us what they were doing when the engine failed......we are just speculating about how the Savage engine occasionally drops a valve.
Dave, my daughter was riding an '87 with 9600 miles on it running Valvoline MC oil at 60 mph when someone decided to make a right turn without using their turn signal. She used the brakes and downshifted at the same time. She said the engine revved high and then it stalled and she rolled off the road. The engine dropped one exhaust valve and the internal damage was similar to the damage seen in the engine pictures Cadence has provided.