Posted by Michel Bechler on July 12, 2001 at 22:32:03:
I got my 97 Savage with 3750 miles on it about a
month ago. Since it was due for a tuneup, I decided
to let the local Suzuki/Honda dealer do it. I'm
a shade tree mechanic; I stick to routine adjustments
like belts, air cleaners, and bolt-ons. Besides, I
don't have a proper shop -- I literally do my work
in the shade of a tree in my front yard. I did all that
stuff on the day after I got the bike, including
adjusting the belt with the little bronze adjusting
tool that made it WAY too tight.
It was a little pricey, at $270, but they did a good
job. They didn't overtighten the belt. The back
wheel came back with the alignment marks misaligned by
a full increment, but I've heard that they are not
exact anyway. Without a stand, I have no way to check.
It drives smoothly and the belt is quiet.
I also had them check the petcock because I smelled
gasoline when I stopped with it in the normal position
(it seemed to go away when I put it in the reserve
position). Their diagnosis -- because the bike hadn't
been used, a rubber piece somewhere must have gotten
brittle, but they couldn't find any problem, and with
use, it will probably get better on its own. Cost --
$37.50. I don't smell the gas anymore. The entire thing
plus a cargo net cost me $308. The valves were "a
thousandth off", which probably means they would have
worked fine if left alone (any tech opinions about
that out there?).
I figure I'm good for one tuneup a season, and if I
put more than 4000 miles on it this season, I'll
change the oil and the spark plug myself. The belt
makes me nervous because I don't have a reliable way
to check the wheel alignment. I'd like to rig up
some kind of stand with some boards and a jack --
any ideas? I don't have a proper place to put a
hoist.
It runs a bit better but not much. The only difference
I noticed was when I switched from 89 octane to 92
octane -- it gets 10% better mileage and the backfires
are almost unnoticable (40 to 45 mpg). That's mixed
town and freeway driving; I haven't done a straight
cruise yet to check the mileage. I'm mostly driving
it to and from work, about 5 miles each way. The
commute lane is handy when the traffic slows, and in
August, they say they're moving my job 15 miles
South -- the commute lane will be necessary then,
as it is traffic all the way in that direction.
There was one other Savage at the shop when I had
mine done. I have yet to see one on the road.
It's a fun bike -- it's perfect for surface roads
and back roads. It's a bit underqualified for
extended freeway driving, but a taller 5th gear
would fix that. Around here, you don't
even qualify for the fast lane until you get to
75. Also, shifting from 4th to 5th is clunky, and
it misses the shift occasionally.
Mike