FishWisher wrote on 06/03/12 at 09:30:25:


As long as the owner makes it right - this could be good advertising for them.  Mistakes happen at any business.....it is up to them to make it right if they want to get a good reputation and stay in business long term.

If you get it, check the oil before you leave.....

I'd jump on the '07 (er, so to speak).   You get a nearly new bike, mileage wise, and wipe out all the motor issues in the process.   Make sure the break-in service was done, or do it right away.  The first one is the most important.

Dont like the color? Swap the painted bits./

I wouldnt be afraid to go back, but,paying someone to do an oil change? Naaah,, they dont own it & they arent studying it, making sure everything is Just So.  Doing basic maintenance is when we spot the little things that need done, spot O rust here or there, detail stuff that a paid mechanic isnt gonna be looking for, they want to do the oil change & go,, & thats how they put beans on the table, so theyre trying to go quickly. You mite take the time to dab that last bit of oil out of the filter pocket, he wont,
That thing is a good lookin machine, you cam out smellin like a rose,
you can sell your old one & not lose a dime, or keep it, find an engine, & sell it & come out way ahead. Or, make a rat or bobber out of it.
You pretty much scored,,

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 06/09/12 at 08:35:00:


Well, it was an (incomplete) oil change that led to the seizure, but I didn't take the bike to the shop for an oil change. I took it in because it was running so badly, and the infamous oil change was a part of that repair.

That whole story, which began over a year ago, is here if you're interested:
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1299112753/0#0

After all is said and done, I love a happy ending!  

One thing that comes to mind about this whole thing is...   any of us who are Savage versed would have looked at the oil level in the window after changing it, and before sending the bike out.  Not just as a safety check, but the standard procedure of topping oil off is based on the window level, at least it is for me.   I say that because I just completed my 7500 mile service, and was careful to check the level after running the motor up a few minutes to fill the filter cavity.   The person doing the maintenance on FishWisher's ride seemed not to have a clue about how to check oil level on this particular bike.   In fact, I would venture to say that he didn't know there was such a window.

I'm glad this ended well and to FishWisher's satisfaction - that's great, but I am also aware of many other situations don't end well, and that comes from both personal experience as well as other riders I've known.   This was a simple job that resulted in a ruined motor.   Imagine a partial engine tear down, or a rebuild, where the motor seizes a year later???    I'm not vilifying the shop; sh!t happens as we all know, but if I were manager, I'd recognize that procedures need to altered to catch such problems.