A few years ago I was looking to upgrade my chainsaw, and I was looking to get a Stihl MS260.  I got on the internet forums and watched eBay, and it sure looked like that saw had a lot of problems.  What I later learned is that saw is the "go to saw" for a lot of tree service companies, firewood cutters, landscapers, etc. - and there are hundreds of them in operation for every one that is having problems.  If you properly maintain the saw it will run for years - and most owners are out cutting wood rather than getting on internet forums to yak about their saws.

The Savage is a similar beast, and it has a few issues that should be tended to - and once they are resolved it becomes reliable.

PETCOCK - The stock vacuum petcock is not reliable in areas that used E10 fuel.  The diaphragms don't like alcohol, and they eventually cause problems.  For $30 you can install a manual petcock and never worry about this issue again.

CAM AND ROCKER ISSUES - You need to use a motor oil with a high ZDDP level.  We don't know what the exact lower limit it - but we know the 600 ppm in the modern car oils are not enough.  Oils with 1,200 ppm are recommended and are easy to find - Shell Rotella is available almost anywhere.  You do need to keep the idle speed set at 1,100 rpm or higher - and it is a set it and forget it kind of thing.  (The folks who have problems with this are the ones who set the idle at really low speeds so they sound "bad ass".

JETTING/BACKFIRING - The stock jetting is pretty lean on all modern motorcycles.  If you live at a higher elevation the jetting may work well - for those of us down around sea level the jetting needs to be richer for the bike to run well.  If you have a bike that stumbles or surges, you will need to address the jetting.  The backfire issues are not much of a problem with the stock muffler - but the more open and louder the muffler you install.....the more issues you could have with popping and belching out the muffler as you decelerate.  You can eliminate a lot of this by learning to hold the throttle open a tiny bit as you slow down - this is a bike that appreciates a "good rider".

CAM CHAIN TENSIONER - This is the one issue that I don't believe has been fully refined.  The cam chain can stretch and need corrective action as early as 10,000 miles - some folks have gone nearly 30,000 miles.  Short local trips result in the cam chain stretching faster than on bike that are ridden long distances.  Verslagen can modify the tensioner to double the life - but you will have to monitor the stretch a time or two to establish how your riding habits affect the cam chain.  I do expect we will have this issue resolved in the coming year.....so chances are by the time you need to worry about it we will have a fixed available.  I have 11,000 mile on my bike and I will be looking at the cam chain this winter.....what else am I going to do when it is 10 degrees and snowy outside?

If you go look at the other bike forums....you likely will find that those bikes also have some issues that pop up regularly.  The good news is that the problems on the Savage are really pretty simple (most of the time).  We currently have one fellow on the forum with a loud clanking sound that is going to take some major surgery to diagnose and repair.....they can do fail if you don't keep them filled with good oil and ride them regularly.

My current S40 was my first bike 5 years ago. Never owned one or worked on one before, although I am mechanically competent in most cases and like to work on stuff. Love it, and of any bike swapping I will ever do, this one will never be sold.

That said, I got a very solid used S40 that had never been worked on and it was up to me to work out all of these bugs, and I did so very effectively and very inexpensively with the help of the great folks here on this forum.

If you want to learn while troubleshooting, we will help you and can help you do more than you really think you can do as long as you're willing to put some skin in the game and try.  It's probably one of the best bikes to cut your teeth on.

If you want the problems to just disappear at the hand of someone else, this isn't the bike for you. You WILL spend countless dollars and trips to the dealer getting the bike worked on by mechanics that probably know way less about these bikes than most of us here do.  The shops rarely see these bikes enough to get familiar with them and they don't troubleshoot...they just do what the repair manual says and than take your $500 and send you home.

We've seen Perfeshunal Mukaniks destroy engines by putting the oil filter in backwards. The average h guy at a shop has no experience with this engine.
You'd probably be ahead to find a lawnmower mechanic if you don't want to do the work. Just have them log in here.

I would imagine there are some "old school" Suzuki dealers that do take care of the Savage well - and there are a lot of folks that likely buy a new bike and get it serviced at their "good" dealer.....and we never hear about it.

This forum is mostly occupied by folks that buy used (and possibly abused) Savage motorcycles - sometimes pretty cheaply.  This forum is often the Rescue Shelter for unloved motorcycles - so it may appear to the casual observer that the Savage is high maintenance.

I got remarried 3 years ago, don't know why but I got a wild hair and sold all my bikes. Honda, Sportster, Bonneville and S40.....I could not stand it though. The funny thing is the only one I really wanted back was my S40, so I got another. For me it is the simplicity. Sure there are a couple, Very Well Know Issues that are minor and very easy to fix but once again it is a very basic machine. When your computerized new Honda or Harley give you problems what do you do?

I'll add my 2 cents worth. I've only been riding for almost a year, and have no mechanical background. I initially bought a Ninja 250R sportsbike. It was a beautiful bike but not for me. While looking around I found the S40 at a dealership. I just liked it ... not sure why. However when I test rode a used one, I was really shocked by how it felt. It rumbled, and backfired, it wasn't as responsive, the torque was amazing.

Remember, it's the same bike Suzuki were making 30 years ago. It feels completely different to modern bikes. But something about it hooked me. I researched a lot and found this forum. I read a ton of threads and discovered that most of the things I thought were odd, were actually part of the character of the bike.

Since getting it, I have been modifying it in small ways, but that is mostly for personal pleasure. I have really come to love the way the bike feels. I've ridden a couple of other bikes, and ridden with friends on other bikes ... every one of those experiences has confirmed for me how much I enjoy this bike.

My advice would be the same as the others. Take care of the basic, known issues: petcock and tuning, and the bike will be great fun ... as long as it is, at heart, your kind of thing

I love my S40, because I can work on it and can fix mostly anything on it.

I also love my new Scout because it never needs any attention.

Thus is the duality of human nature.

-RH