Mine is probably running lean
I notice it does better in cooler temps
That doesn't change the facts, though
It's not designed for frequent Interstate runs, and running like that all the time will wear it out prematurely, in stock condition
There's a reason guys like Dave and MM have altered the gearing and added power to their bikes
and it for sure wears ME out running it that way all the time  

I tend to agree with that.  Better running in cooler temps generally = rich condition..

I get the typical lean surge. It's very irritating.  I've been meaning to rejet for a few weeks now but I've been working night and day and haven't gotten to it.  It's like I always say, you can't make time you have to take time.  I'll get to it soon.

Haha! No, a stock S40 is definitely not running rich!  

Are you positive the jets are stock? Are you the original owner?

Check my signature. I didn't change my jets by much but it made a HUGE difference. I'm at sea level (mostly) and it's VERY humid in the summer. More humidity means less room for oxygen which means smaller jets (but more than stock).

Dave wrote on 12/24/15 at 05:32:55:


I took the MSF course, and, for a while I had some possible regrets for not learning this myself. The feeling kinda faded away some as we got into the more advanced stuff. I can't say for sure how I would have done it myself. I probably would have missed some concepts, to some degree; however, I was already familiar with the nature of manual transmissions. I had driven farm tractors, and the car I drove (and still drive) was a MT car. I am somewhat mechanically inclined. I could probably have picked it up in nothing flat.

The boy in the video probably didn't have a clue as to the nature of that stuff, and while it sometimes burns our brains out to accept/comprehend this degree of ignorance, these people just don't have a clue as to the nature of these machines and how to work them. I have to remember the first time I was introduced to a MT car. It was that old VW Rabbit Convertible 5 speed. I remember my Dad having me put it in reverse, and I think I killed the motor with the brake, not understanding how the engine and drivetrain become one. I was, I think 12 or so years old.

People who have no driving experience, much less MT experience, may blindly assume that MT's work like AT's, that gas simply means "go" and brake "stop" or something. Even AT's don't entirely work like that. MT's are perhaps more complicated, but it becomes intuitive, so that anyone that drives stick can more quickly learn to drive a motorcycle (maybe). It's just that the controls are different. The principle is approximately the same. Anyone who drives stick already knows intuitively--instinctively about the friction zone, whether he or she has ever named or tried to conceptualize it. It's just a matter of foot vs hand.

On the other hand, I seem to remember reaching for the clutch or something during the MSF course (foot vs hand conflicts), so driving a car can also get you confused as well. I even thought there was some advantage to it. I don't remember it clearly, so it's hard to say what happened. Even when driving AT, it happens. One time I remember giving Mom a jolt in her AT Outback, reaching for the clutch and, instead, hitting the brake . Have you ever reached for the gear shift knob only to remember that you're driving automatic?

When I turn onto the road, I don't like to give a lot of throttle until I straighten, so it's not as simple as, "Give the Savage as much throttle as you want and it will work no matter what." I don't want to end up laying on the ground wondering what happened.

Actually, one could think of it this way. If the bike was low geared and torquey, he might not have even had to give it gas in the first place. Just ease on the clutch and putt-putt away. If the engine was tame like a tractor engine, it would have been even better. How many here have been introduced in their youth to driving tractors? With their low gearing, high torque, and low rate of revving, not to mention set-and-forget hand throttle, they make a great teaching tool. Of course, they are heavy equipment and can be dangerous IF they do get out of control. Just about the first thing MT I drove was an old gas Farmall, but it was awhile before he let me drive the IH diesel. Probably the second thing was the VW I mentioned, if I'm not getting the two mixed up . Time flies and memories fade.