I'm a beginning rider and just brought home a 2001 Savage with 11,000 miles that was a friend of my cousins who had the bike as a starter bike. It had been sitting for about a year so the first thing I did was have the oil, filter, spark plug, and front brake pads replaced.

Before that I hadn't ridden the bike much. Now that I actually own it and am licensed to ride I'm concerned about a few things. My biggest concern is the backfiring. It's bad, at least I think so.

From what I read here before buying the 'Zuk I knew it would backfire but I had no idea it would be on every stop and almost every shift. Is this constant backfiring normal? Should I be concerned?

Other than that the bike seems to run great, idle is awesome, bike warms up quickly without much choke, no lurching.

I've read about the spring mod, idle screw adjusting, Dynojet kit and an all around re-jet, and how they might help. Is it worth any of these mods or others? I basically have no mechanical skills, so if any mods are needed how easily can they be done by someone with no knowledge of how a carburetor works?

With no mechanical skills... there is a decision to be made here...
Do you want to get some?...  
This requires buying some basic tools, getting greasy, sweating, and some serious cussing...
...if that sounds fun... you're halfway home...

If it don't,...
Concentrate on riding skills...  
You say the bike is performing and running pretty well...
You can, with experience, and some analytical thought, learn to reduce and control much of the pops and backfires by learning to work the throttle and clutch...
Ride a while, and play around with these, and you may get a feeling for it...
Don't chop the throttle off,... use more front brake to slow, with less downshift...etc...

...and,.. first mechanical tip...  check the two bolts that attach the exhaust pipe to the head... they tend to loosen, and if they allow air to leak... backfires will abound...
Don't be a brute, and strip them (using a ratchet,...they should take a little more than just finger strength to tighten... wrist, but no elbow).... but, make sure they are tight...

Welcome to Savage world... ...

Take any mods to the carb slow and methodical...don't want to move anything too far and make things worse by missing that SWEET SPOT  

And update your profile to include your location, just might have another member nearby that would be willing to lend a hand  

Darn!... I made that fix, too easy...
I should have sent him around checkin' some this n' that's first......

Quote:


Might want to take a quick look at your blinker fluid while your at it!

Kyle -

Don't feel bad about any lack of mechanical skills.  While I have a good idea of how stuff works, and why, I have absolutely no desire to do my own maint.  I have little patience, less tolerance, and no desire.

$100 at a competent shop is a small price for me to pay to allow me to enjoy my S40 by riding it; not working on it.

Ridge -

I do have enough mechanical knowledge to have a really good BS meter.

I certainly don't have your knowledge or credentials.  The point of my post was simply that one doesn't have to apologize for little knowledge or desire to do his own maint.  I've been a pilot for 45 years, and I'm not an aircraft mechanic, as most pilots aren't.

But that lack doesn't disqualify me from flying airplanes.  Neither should a similar lack of motorcycle maint. skills disqualify one from riding.

That was all I was saying.

And on the subject of doing my the maintenance yourself, and speaking only of my personal experience, I like to do at least general maintenance myself for several reasons.  Here are a few that come to mind...

• It saves money (provided I don't bung something up too badly).
• I trust my motivation more than mechanics I don't know.  I trust my (continuously evolving) skills more than the new kid at the shop who gets the "starter" bikes and basic stuff.
• I like to think that I'm better equipped to handle it when gremlins strike.
• I like learning.
• I feel that, the more I understand about how she's put together and maintained, the better I am at judging how my bike is functioning.
• I enjoy it so, for me, wrenching is a Zen thing until I bust my knuckles at which point it becomes a colorful euphemism thing.