Hello,

My husband and I bought 2 new 2017 S40s, last spring. We are very new to motorcycling (just got our licenses in April) and I had never even driven a stick shift car before.

Since the day we received our bikes, my bike hasn't been behaving the same way as my husband's bike.  At first, we both thought it was because I am a crappier rider than he is and that it would get better with time, as I got better.  We have now switched bikes frequently enough that both of us know that my bike is just not running the same way.  Riding his is SO much easier :/  These were supposed to be 2 of the exact same bike but they feel like completely different ones.  How can we make my bike run more like his?

1) Mine dies right after start up -so now I turn the throttle like a milli-second after the start, and hold it there for 5-10 seconds to get it to get past that point where it wants to die on me, but sometimes it still dies anyway.  My garage owner, who is a sportbike enthusiast thinks my idle is set too low (not even sure what that means, how to fix it, and if that would solve this problem) and says it's an easy fix, I could do.  Is there a picture by picture tutorial of this somewhere?

2) While it gets a little better/less frequent after the bike has warmed up, the bike is REALLY lurchy in first gear.  At first, we both thought it was because I suck as a rider.  We called the dealer about it and he wants us to bring the bike back to check it but he's so far away that we are planning to wait to our 500 mile service to bring them both back, at the same time.  Is there an easy fix for something like this, that I could do?  Or should we just tow it to the dealer, now?  I have ridden enough on it by now, that I don't feel the same pants wetting panic that I did the first few rides but it's still not a great feeling when I'm on it and we spend half our time in 1st gear (city riding).

3) We have to shift between 1 and 2nd gears at different speeds.  My first gear is about 0-18/20 mph before I feel like the bike is asking to switch to second.  His bike does about 0-15mph and asks for second gear faster/earlier than mine.  The few times that I've manged to switch to 2nd gear and it "felt/sounded right" at 15 is when I'm twisting the throttle really hard/accelerating fast.

4) My clutch engages WAY later than my husband's bike, so my friction zone is much smaller in comparison to his bike.  Can we fix this or is this better to ask the dealer, too?  

5) Backfires for almost every time I pull the clutch for braking.  I have realized that PART of the backfire problem is something I am doing wrong when I ride because when I ride my husband's bike, I make it backfire more frequently than when he rides his bike.  He also backfires my bike, less than I do BUT my bike still backfires more than his bike, no matter who is riding it.  Assuming that the backfiring can be adjusted by a change to my riding style, what am I doing wrong to make it backfire more than someone else?  

6) Squeally brakes (though I see from the forum, it's a common problem- so I guess I'll just be glad they work.)

TL;DR: We bought 2 of the same 2017 S40s.  1 handles way different from the other.  Are these reasonably fixable issues for complete newbies to fix or is one just a lemon?

 I'm no expert but I'd say your issues are related to "tuning" and making general adjustments, so I'd say its not a lemon.  

 To me a lemon would be a bike assembled incorrectly, versus one that needs the idle increased (literally you just turn a screw) or other such mild adjustments.  

 Dealers don't seem to know much about these bikes so you are in the right place.  Read the Tech section, the Things every new Savage owner must know etc.  

 It gets easier fast.

Also, have a look at 'Bike Builds" in RSD to see how much fun you can have once the warranty runs out.
These are really fun bikes that require a little work on your part.  Try and match the idle speed to the good bike, ride until the warranty period is over, then the fun starts!
The backfiring issue is related to the factory 'lean' setttings on the carb and are easily fixed!
Use the key to shut off the bike, not the emergency stop button.

Wrong fuel/air mix = backfire
Exhaust leak = bAckfire

Easy check, gently snug the header to jug bolts. Only on a cold engine and be gentle. A1/4" drive ratchet and just thumb on its head and fingers closing to turn it. A wimpy fifth grader can twist it off.

Adjust idle up
Left side of carburetor
Knurled headed screw with the spring
Twist CW a coupla turns and see what happens.
Season to taste.
The bikes vary widely in their manners from the factory. Thankfully you got one that's good to compare the other to.
It's a rare dealership that has mechanics who really know these bikes.
We've seen engines destroyed by oil changes at dealerships. They put the oil filter in backwards.

If the backfire issue isn't affected by snugging the bolts at the head, check around the muffler to header.
Don't leave it idling leaning on the sidestand, but use a candle or read up on how to detect a n air leak.

If neither of those affect the issue, I would be looking at the idle air mixture.
Cover that later.

You're probably closing the gas to change gears.
Just ease off the gas a bit
Squeeze the clutch
Click the shifter
Relax the fingers
As you come back on the gas
Work with that till you don't let it rev up and or slip the clutch.
The quicker you do it, the easier it is.

How much can you move the clutch lever before you feel the resistance of the clutch?
You should be able to walk up, lay a finger on it, and slip a nickel in the joint between the lever and it's mount.

lilttlefoot wrote on 08/23/17 at 10:34:42:

On the left side of the carb there's a knurled screw that controls the idle speed.  if you can't find it, look in the tech section index (link below) for carb 101 then scroll down till you find the right pic.  As a beginner, you'll like the idle speed a little high.
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could be idle speed, could be clutch adjustment.
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could be idle speed, could be clutch adjustment.
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if you can't adjust this out using the knob on the clutch lever then you'll need to take it to the dealer.
Adjust the clutch play until you have at least 1/8" gap between the lever and the perch.
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could be loose header bolts or muffler clamp, torque the header bolts to 20 ftlbs.
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yes a general problem caused by moisture or dirt, both are easy to fix.  wash with soap and water.  dry as you normally would.  final dry takes a few braking sessions just like when they taught you how to emergency brake in the safety class.  You want to heat up the brake to drive off any moisture.  Since you are new, I would progressively brake harder to get the feel for the brakes any way.  This works for both front and back, and you need to learn how to get the max out of them any way.  Find a straight lonely road and take her up to 20-30 mph then practice.  After a dozen times the brakes should be hot and completely dry.

Yes, the experts on these bikes are here.
The dealership mechanics don't work on such antiquated designs often.
They don't even know what oil to use in them.
Rotella T 15/40..

Definitely check/compare the idle speeds of the bikes when they are warm.  If the one running poor has a lower idle speed, raise it up to match.  A low idle speed is not good for the primitive oiling mechanism for the cam at the top of the motor.  Raising the idle speed can actually decrease a little of the backfire at shift points too.  Be sure you don't idle either bike for a long period on the sidestand.  Again, the primitive oiling of the cam won't do a good job at lower RPM's at that lean angle.

Also wondering (please chime in here experts) if the bike not running well could actually be suffering from either an improperly installed carb diaphragm at the factory or a tear in it.  Or even a prematurely failing vacuum petcock.

Some other thoughts, the rear brake on these bikes is prone to lock up in a harsh braking situation, so be careful. When you got your licenses, did you do the American MSF course? If you didn't, it's probably worth the money. The standard IRC tyres, aren't gods gift to tyres, there's some debate here about this, but I never liked the rear from day one and it never liked tar snakes or wet roads. Don't panic over this, wear it out, but be extra careful in the wet. The front one is reasonable. If you are in an area which precludes winter riding, perhaps learn to remove the battery during this period, so it can be kept charged and ready for spring/summer riding. Try and get as much mileage up as you can before winter sets in. Your maximum comfortable fuel range, including reserve, will be about 120 miles, after that start praying and at 130 miles pray very hard.