Hi all, below is a thorough description of some of the problems I've been having with my new Savage. I would love this bike if I could actually ride it.
Any help or suggestions on how to fix the problems would be
greatly appreciated! I plan on taking it to a mechanic as soon as I can afford for somebody to take it, but I would like to know what may or may not be the problem before throwing down a bunch of cash on it, or even if it's worth it.
PREVIOUS PROBLEMS:
So, I bought a 2001 Suzuki Savage on Craigslist...
As soon as I bought it, I filled it up and headed home. After about 25 miles of 70 mph interstate riding, it started sputtering and backfiring so I pulled over. It never shut off completetly, and I began again. Upon reaching ~70 mph again, it did the same thing and completely stopped combusting as I pulled over. I then decided to keep the speed below 65 just to get home, and it ran fine the rest of the way.
As soon as I could, I brought it to a mechanic to get a 4000 mi tune-up and a diagnosis of the problem. They completed the tune-up, and said the problem was probably just dirty and/or stale fuel. They recommended I use some fuel cleaner.
I continued to drive it to work (15 mi one way) for little over a week, with a few occurences of the same problem. I take it to a friends who has mechanical experience and is willing to take a look at it. We drained the fuel, which seemed clean and proceeded to drain the carburetor bowl. Ah hah! There was a separate bubble of liquid sitting at the bottom of the cup about a centimeter in diameter and about 2-3 mm thick. I attempt to ride it around for a few minutes reaching 80 mph and never having a problem. I eventually leave to return home.
CURRENT PROBLEMS:
I attempt to stay going 75 mph on the interstate for about 40 min, which is most of the way home. No problems. The first time I have to slow down and speed back up was to merge onto a different interstate. As soon as I roll back onto the throttle, it lugs and backfires but then jerks back to normal speed. It does it again when accelerating out of another turn. I eventually make it home and shut it down.
The next morning, I go out, put the key in an attempt to start it up. Absolutely nothing happened. No clicking noises, nothing.
The next day, I buy a cheap metric socket set so I can get to the battery. The battery's electrolyte level is fine, so I attempt to push start it. It starts on the second try. I let it idle for a bit, and it sounded fine. I rolled on the throttle in neutral a few times, and it felt and sounded fine. I attempt to ride it down the road some, and every time I roll on the throttle more than about 10 degrees within half a second, it lugs, backfires quietly, and eventually jerks to that particular throttle level after about 1-2 seconds. It does the same in second gear. If I accelerated extremely slowly, it would act normal. For about 35 min, I switch between trying to ride it and letting it idle so as to charge the battery. I eventually shut it off, and immediately hit the start button. Nothing.
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