Hi All,
Background... over the winter I bought a nice 2004 Savage!! Excited to get it on the road, but it does have a few little issues that I hope this community can help me out with.
First off, it is a 2004 w/5500 miles.  One of the previous owners apparently has tried to fix the backfire issues because the brass cover on the idle adjustment is already pulled out.  
The bike will not stay running unless the choke is more than 1/2 out, even after running for a bit to get warm.  
And it backfires a bunch.

I'm not sure where I should start...
Do I get a carb kit and get things back to original?
Do I pull the carb apart and maybe buy an ultrasonic cleaner and give it a good bath?
Suggestions/comments/ideas?

Other than the choke and backfire issues and some new tires, it (and me) is ready to hit the road!

Thanks for your help!
Patrick

I believe it is all stock, don't see any changes in the muffler.  Still need to take a closer look at the intake filters and check for exhaust leaks.

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 04/22/19 at 17:19:41:


Oh, wow! Good to know.  I wasn't aware of that, is there an aftermarket center stand for the Savage? or should I look into getting a jack/bike stand?

If it has sat for any length of time, the fuel has likely gone bad and plugged up the pilot jet.  The hole in the jet is smaller than a pin....it takes very little crud to block the flow.

Clean the carb.....in most cases you won't need any new parts - just clean the existing parts.