2000 Suzuki Savage "build"

[Blmpkn]

My latest motorized acquisition Is a 2000 Suzuki Savage. 15k miles on it, all stock besides the muffler being replaced with that looks like an exhaust tip for a civic from advance. It's rather choked up 650cc single cylinder makes 31hp and gets about 50mpg.

Got it intending for it to be a quick flip.. but between the sheer amount of noise this thing makes and the cost of gas I've decided I might as well ride it the rest of the season and sell it next spring.

It's not perfect.. leaks a bit of oil, its wearing the tires it left the factory with, definitely not jetted correctly, shiny bits could use a polish.. but its workable.

The best thing about bikes is it doesn't take much time nor money to completely change change look of one. Stock savages look kinda goofy.. so I'm ditching the stock bars for some 8.5" mini apes, putting a solo seat on it, minimalist rear fender, ridiculous upswept pipe, and a dope ass flake paint job. 350$ tops.

Got the paint I'll be using today actually, gold flake base, brown candy over the top, and a 2k clear to protect from gas dribbles on the tank.

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I never knew fancy paint (flake, candies, pearls, etc) was available in rattle cans until now so I totally geeked out. Need to get a fender ASAP cause I'm super excited to get this thing painted lol.

 

[Blmpkn]

Put the new Bars on today, along with the bar end mirrors that came with the bike. The mirrors are clearly chinesium.. but they didn't fall out on the test run with the new bars so whatever, good enough!

Ooh yeah.. took the front fender off too. Don't need it? Delete it.

The bars are 8.5" rise, definitely the tallest that will fit without needing longer cables and front brake line. Had to do a quick fiddle on the throttle cable so the bike didn't slightly rev up when the bars were locked to the right.

While not super tall ("full size" apes are generally 10-16" rise) the controls are still about shoulder height, definitely gonna take some getting used to. Definitely don't know how guys can ride a bike with the controls face level or above..

 

[Blmpkn]

Been kinda pokey with this, but have made some progress.

Fiance wants to go on rides, so I'm keeping the stock fender/seat arrangement but adding a much larger old school style sissy bar.

The tank off and I've started stripping the paint with kwik-strip, works pretty good. I needed to strip the thing completely down because the decals on the tank were stuck on it before it got clear coated. I'm relatively sure the gold flake would of hidden any outline if I wouldn't of stripped it and left the decals on.. but I didn't want to take any chances.

I've aquired a bit of pipe and a cocktail shaker muffler to make this thing a real exhaust.. just gotta get a bottle of gas for the welder.

I tried to change the oil, but the drain plug is wound in there so tight I rounded the head right off. I'm hoping that dremel-ing a slot into it and a whack with an impact screwdriver gets it free. Already aquired a new drain bolt and a crush washer.


Hopefully this weekend I can find the time to finish stripping the tank, drill holes in the fender for the new sissy bar, and fill the holes the previous sissy bar utilized. I bought some sort of JB weld 2 part epoxy that should work easy-peasy for filling the old holes, fingers crossed.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

If you cant get the drain plug out then I would go with a helicoil.

 

[Blmpkn]

If you cant get the drain plug out then I would go with a helicoil.

I'll get er out one way or another. If the impact screwdriver trick doesn't work I'm gonna go right for welding a nut onto it. Seems to be a common thing for these bikes to end up with a drain plug thats infinitely too tight, for whatever reason.

 

[Uncle Gump]

The oil pressure relief screws use to seize in a VW engine case all the time. I would just smack them with a hammer before trying to remove them. They would just screw right out. The metal on aluminum mag would oxidize... that quick shock with the hammer would loosen them right up.

 

[Blmpkn]

The oil pressure relief screws use to seize in a VW engine case all the time. I would just smack them with a hammer before trying to remove them. They would just screw right out. The metal on aluminum mag would oxidize... that quick shock with the hammer would loosen them right up.

Tried a hammer, not good enough unfortunately.


I have a feeling the kid I bought the bike from sold it because he wasn't gonna be able to remove that plug honestly lol.. it was already half rounded off before I even put a wrench on it.

 

[Ranger850]

I bought some sort of JB weld 2 part epoxy that should work easy-peasy for filling the old holes,

cant you just plug them with the welder?

 

[Blmpkn]

cant you just plug them with the welder?

I could, I'm just kinda being impatient and lazy

I'm not gonna have a tank for the welder for a couple more weeks, and want to make progress now lol. That, and I don't wanna have to mess with grinding the welds nice and flat. Easier to sand down some epoxy.

 

[Blmpkn]

Got the topside of the tank down to 98% bare metal.

That kwick-strip really works awesome. You can more or less spray it on, wait half an hour, and then go wipe it pretty much spotless clean.

Did NOT work on the 'savage' sticker, at all. The white "scallop" decals that were on both sides of the tank instantly bubbled up and could be peeled off... not the stickers though I'll wire wheel them off tomorrow. Hoping the humidity is low enough over the next few days where I can start laying down at least some primer. Gotta remember to stop and get myself a can of self etching for the tank.. not taking the fender down to bare metal.

 

[Blmpkn]

I will add that kwick-strip definitely smells like a well used outhouse sitting in the sun when it's 100 degrees out, and the smell WILL permeate through a set of gloves onto your fingers. Not too bad.. but definitely noticeable lol.

 

[dvdswan]

 

[Blmpkn]

Don't make me put on my moon boots and come deposit one up your keister there mister lol.

Totally un-ironically.. got my sissy bar mocked up and new holes drilled for it.

 

[Blmpkn]

Not as much progress as I'd hoped to make today... but im still happy I suppose.

Instead of leaving the side of the tank that hugs the frame green, I sprayed it with a random old can of black krylon I had laying around. I'm sure the cans old enough to be 'expired' but whatever.. Good enough for the application.

Also got the fender wiped, scuffed, and unnecessary holes filled with epoxy.

I have one or two days left where the weather is going to be good enough to paint.. then it's going to be 95 degrees with 80% humidity for a bit.

REALLY hoping I have enough time & energy after work tomorrow to sand that epoxy down and get this crap in some primer. I'm really beyond silly excited to make this thing obnoxiously sparkly.

 

[dvdswan]

Any progress is still forward progress.