Hi guys! Im new,  but Ive been surfing threads looking for answers, and I can tell that this is a great community. Ya should be proud.
But I can't be a good part if I can't even ride my bike!

I have this exact same issue: https://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1228436105

I can see it's a rare one and I'm hoping it's not a big one. I posted a thread here expressing my concerns not too long ago, but work and life got in the way.

This time I'm getting to work on my bike and I'll try to keep everyone updated. If Im lucky and can find a fix, then maybe this will be the place online with the solution for people like me
OK here goes:

The Bike
2005 Black Suzuki Savage / LS650 / Boulevard S40

Mileage
1,350 mi

The Problem
The Bike starts and runs no problem. It revs with each pull of thd throttle. But it cannot move/accelerate at any gear. It acts as though it were neutral on any gear.

Details About the Problem
- The bike shifts from gear to gear fine.

-  It does not seem like there is any more or less freeplay on the clutch cable. The cable is fully connected

- The problem came on suddenly, not gradually.

- The problem did not come with the obvious terrible smell of a burnt clutch, or at least the smell did not last long enough for me to notice.

- No abundance of smoke noticed when problem occured. No black smoke.

- What immediately preceded the problem was a snap (like a small backfire)

- I hear NO unusual noises up to this day.
No clunking, no rattling, no pops/no snaps
- I smell NO unusual smells up to this day
- The bike does NOT seem to  operate differently.
No tight or loose clutch, throttle, brakes


Details about Bike
- I bought the bike in April 2024 for $1.5k
At the time it had only 900 miles. I was a little concerned about lack of use.

- I did the basic surface inspection and all seemed A-OK. No funny smells, noises, all was intact

- Had a new working Diehard Gold battery that is currently being charged/naintained. Was missing the chrome cover to the battery box though...

- Was able to ride it on a 150 mile trip back home! (Avoided highways)

-Purchased to make a daily 60 mi round-trip commute.
Worked for a week or so. I racked up about 500 miles... then the problem happened on the road

- I'm admittedly an inexperienced rider. Probably made excessive use of the clutch for comfort in the friction zone within the town i live in, but I honestly don't think I was going too crazy...
Stupidly thought I could coast down hills with clutch pulled all the way down. Got tired of the constant thumping on long rides I guess.


Questions
-  Biggest noticeable problem when I bought it was that the tail light was hanging by a wire  I rode back home in bad rain, did I damage the electical or any other parts??

It seems that the most likely culprits are clutch OR transmission, with the drive shaft in particular.
Is it likely for the drive shaft to be stripped in just 1350 miles of use?

Shouldn't a transmission issue of this effect come with tell-tale signs like unusual metal noises, smoke, smells?

Shouldn't a clutch issue change the way a bike feels, operates, switches gears?

When I look at the clutch today what should I look for to see if it's bad or good?


Updates 1
I've gotten to work on my bike since yesterday. I plan on doing full maintenance and basic checkup as I make my way to the clutch.
1. Removed Battery. Is currently being charged/maintained

2. Took off seat. Checked fuses. Both 20A  and 25A are fine

3. Drained gas/removed gas tank. I'm considering replacing the petcock/vacuum hose with a Yamaha Raptor 660 petcock and cap.

Today I plan on
1) replacing the spark plug,
2) removing the exhaust system so I can get to the clutch case, and
3) draining the oil.

I plan to update thread and show a picture whenever I get to see what my clutch looks like.

Long post. Sincerest thanks to anyone who chooses to get through it all and help.

I'd bet money on you having a broken cam lobe on the clutch actuating arm, you should be able to tell when you open it up.

If this is your first time removing the clutch cover get a cardboard box, drill 11-13 ( can't remember how many bolts) into it and put all the bots from the cover in sequence so you can remember which ones go where when you put it back together.

Get a replacement gasket just in case.

When you put the cover back on make sure the release arm is clearing the case. It needs to be pointing slightly upward or it can get jammed against the case.

Good luck

I think the crankshaft is broken just at the bearing and the clutch is no longer driven.

I find it annoying for the topic starter, so I'm not going to be triumphant about the correct answer, but you can congratulate me via PM on my genius  

Wow, you are really grasping at anything you can think of.
If the crank was broke the engine would NOT run. To drive the cam gear and the cam the crank must be turning, along with the primary gear.
You are going to have to pull the clutch cover (right side case) to see what the issue is. Not the answer you wanted, but the reality.
Don`t mix up the bolts, there are different sizes, and the bolts to take the pipe guard off are thru bolts, no studs. You will have to hold it on the other side, not a problem if you have 5 foot arms with 2 elbows each, otherwise you can jam the wrench.
Good Luck!