Suzuki LS 650 P Savage 1997{single cylinder }

this is part of a post from a friend...
this bike is her daily driver and is in desprit need of help finding parts/ repairing it... just laid off from her job... funds are short and i was just hopeing out there knows a good dealer that has fair prices on parts for this bike...

looking for repair manual as well...

Suzuki LS 650 P Savage 1997{single cylinder }
PROBLEMS:
1. It bleeds oil down the kickstand side. I understand that it needs replacement of head gaskets, top and bottom {the motor has to be removed from the frame in order to remove the head}, & it will also need the rings bored out. There's also a special plug listed in parts list {#12 circled on the left hand side of the schematic} that should be replaced {The dealership said it can also cause an oil leak}. I understand this job for an experienced mechanic with all the right tools would take only a day.
2. Occasionally when I’m driving it will suddenly turn off for no reason. I’ve tried raising the idle but am not sure that was the actual problem.
3. There’s a new symptom when I go to turn it on in the morning or after work where it won’t start. The lights are on but there’s no reaction to the ignition. If I bend the handle bars back and forth to the extreme, then it will suddenly kick it. Perhaps an electrical issue?

In January 2011 a friend helped me get it running by taking it to a shop. I think the basics they did in the shop in january were: carb cleaned, air filter replaced, Timing / Valve Adjustment, new spark plug.
The timing is definitely off still since it backfires when I’m down shifting or when I turn it off.

Other things I hope to get to are new brakes

 

Find a good deal on a Honda VT600 or 750. Sell the Savage.

 

The oil leak is common on ALL YEAR Savages -- nothing serious, however. There's a plug on the bottom of the valve cover, which is there for access to a bolt which holds the head down. Poor design in my opinion.

It's fairly easy to replace the plug. There are others with newer year Savages (2005+) that have had to replace it. There's a good chance that's the only cause of your leak.

I would not expect the head gasket to be leaking on a 1997 model.

Problems #2 and #3 could be tied together. Check all the electrical connectors on the handlebars for shorts. When it's being ridden, does it die all the sudden, or kind of sputter out?

When these single cylinder bikes don't have the correct exhaust and backpressure, sometimes they don't come back to idle correctly when you're in motion and pull the clutch. They want to dip below idle and then come back up -- sometimes dying. Just a thought.

When my Savage had "modified" exhaust from the P.O., it would backfire while downshifting and when I turned it off. They pretty much manhandled the inside of the muffler, so I bought a whole exhaust system on eBay from a 1998 and slapped it on there. Just having the correct exhaust made a huge difference in performance and rideability.

Other than the oil leak on the Savage in my sig, there have been no other problems with it. It's a fun bike!