A few Tips around the LS650 Savage

1. You can replace the stock handlebars with any size and style of Harley Davidson type whether original or after market as both are 1" in diameter.
2. You can replace the handelbar grips with any Harley Davidson handle grip. You will only have to grind out a bit of the aluminum housing to allow the turning cylinder part to fit in and turn. Cost: Suzuki $53.00 CAD, Harley $9.00 CAD.
3. But the best yet - the muffler... take it off and thow it away, soon. Any Harley exhaust pipe will fit on with only a small shim of metal between the head pipe and the exhaust pipe itself. Cost: Suzuki $483.00 CAD, Harley $71.00 CAD if you ask for one that someone removed when they bought the bike new and replaced it with louder ones. All Harley dealers usually have a stock of these. If not call me and I can send you one obviously cheaper, even after freight.
   Before and after putting a stock Harley pipe on my '86 LS 650 (which is the best and cheapest upgrade or swap there is [usually $75.00 CAD]) I had a bad backfiring problem. This is due to the idle that the bike is running at at the time. As we are well aware with this unit it tends to idle a little faster when it is warm and then there is less backfiring. This is because at the slow idle the carb is running off the primary jet and allowing a larger amount of fuel that necessary to pool and thus cause a backfire. When the bike comes off the the primary circuit and on the main circuit, this problem stops. You have to find a balance of rpm at idle to solve this problem. Too slow - backfire. Too fast - annoying.
   The best solution is to replace the stock Mikuni 40 with a Mikuni flat slide. If your budget can stand it. Otherwise... grin and hear it.
4. Change the entire rear brake assembly cable and rod with stainless steel cable only from the brake pedal to the brake arm itself. It takes a bit of thinking... but works easier and is easier to maintain.
5. Change the front brake lines from rubber to stainless steel lines. Costly... but improves the otherwise minimul braking ability by a large amount.