I will look into the S40. I'm like "steveh", basically keeping my Rebel, but want something similar on 'steroids', but not looking toward a GXR or V-Twin; since, I've already had these bikes before.

Jim_R, I also saw the camshaft seizures and 2 feet of oil plumbing in wikipedia to my surprise before joining this forum and it also had me curious. It seems that the S40 has enough problems from the get go with the 'back firing' issue, the 'oil plug' issue and even oil leaking issue, which seems common  .  Something I have to address and fix upon taking ownership of an S40. The S40 I test drove did back fire. Some of the other issues on the board regarding 'cam chain' and other parts that can wear out in time with normal use.

firsts40 -it looks like the performance and top speed of the S40 is very similar to the Rebel except the S40 accelerates quicker to get to speed. I felt this immediately during my test drive on the S40 even though I didn't have a chance to get it on the freeway and test it at highway speeds.

Much like the early Harleys where you expected problems before even buying a Harley. By the time I picked up my Road King Classic the bugs were worked out... no oil leaks, smooth at highway speeds with the rubber mounts, 110mph indicated top speed. The minor problems had been worked out. More servicing for the Harley with oil change and service every 2500mi intervals Hoping that most of the bugs are worked out of the S40 so I can ride and enjoy without constant tinkering I had to do on some of the other bikes I've owned

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I am aware of this and Wikipedia can also be modified by anyone so the information is only as accurate as the person's input or modifications to the information. It was just strange to see why someone would mention this 'camshaft' issue and ignore the 'backfire' and 'oil plug' issue which is more prevalent.

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This is my second Rebel and I have no problems maintaining a cruising speed of 75+mph. It is not GPS certified, but I also had my speedometer pegged past 85+mph on the Honda Rebel 250.

One thing I have to agree is that while going 70+mph, I don't trust the Rebel in trying to past cars by out accelerating them. I've done it before, I just don't trust the Rebel much when I am passing a car going 70+mph.

On something like a 650 Savage and above. Personal weight doesn't have much to do with how fast you can go. If you see many of the riders on a Harley, you can understand why they are called HOGs... some of them have to be tipping the scales at 280-300+lbs.

When I weighed 170lbs on my first Rebel, 85 mph was like 'seeing my life pass before my eyes' while riding my Busa, RC51, Valkyrie, Goldwing, BMW, Harley, etc. made no difference. I put myself on a diet loss 40lbs and dropped to 130lbs. at 5'6" made a big difference in riding the Rebel 250 . Granted a man standing at 6'5" and 280-300lbs would barely fit on a Rebel 250 let alone be able to ride one comfortably.

Losing weight in my gut area of 40lbs made cruising the Rebel at 70-80mph no problem. I just like the "lazy" torque acceleration power of the S40 from a standing start while I have to rev the Rebel harder to get up to speed. If I drop below 130lbs, I'll be more anorexic than thin.. more dangerous than being slightly overweight and not worth the risk to my health just to get the Rebel 250 to pull less weight

It is good to hear that the S40 can cruise at a decent 70+mph. Doing a Google search often leads to articles on both the S40 and Rebel 250 saying that 60-65mph is as fast as they go . Owners like yourself who ride the S40 on a day to day basis know better than the magazine writer who borrows a bike for the weekend then claims to be an expert on the bike  The Rebel is my daily commuter while my Silverwing is now basically my backup bike

Yes, it is truth. There are more seized LS cams, than all the rest of the bikes together.Why ?
1. Savages have needle conn. rod bearings, so they don't damage the crank. The rest of the bikes start knocking and the engine gets replaced.
2.650cc and only 2qt oil, so You have to watch more.
3.Cheap beginner's bike. Most of the owners are not capable to maintain even a bicycle. The same applies to the Rebel, the only thing is that the Savage is a real bike and it is more tempting to keep high speeds.
In my opinion all the real problems are caused by the owner's stupidity and negligence.
Just for the record- in this moment i have a seized 4000 mile Rebel engine, just because the former owner was riding it on the highway  between Phx and Cassa Grande for less than a month and did not bother to check the oil.
Like a summary- Savage is as reliable as the Rebel, cost just about the same, weights just about the same, has a better sitting position /yes, it is truth/, doesn't have the air filter box and the battery box digging in the tighs of shorter riders, the gas consumption is a little higher /50 compared with 60 mpg/. So far they are the same, but like a fun factor I'd give Savage 5 stars and I'd give Rebel 2 stars.
The decidion is Yours.

Slavy, I understand your point of view fo how the S40 camshafts can seize on an S40 as you made a comparison with the seized Rebel engine. Low to No engine oil = engine problems.

What is your recommendation(s)? Make sure you have enough engine oil in the S40?.. or because of the needle bearings the S40 is more prone than other motorcycles to have problems? ???

Answer about the kind of connecting rod bearings:
 The most of the bikes have plain crank shaft bearings that are more sensitive to lack of oil /like an example  - extended wheelies/. The Savage doesn't have this problem, so instead of havving a bad crank shaft, first You end up with damaged cam shaft journals, lobes,  and damaged rocker arms if You don't have enough lubrication. Usually the nasty knock is enough to stop You before You hurt the rest of the engine.

Whether the Honda will outlast the Zooki or not, I dunno. I can say this, tho, I am ahving an absolutely oBSCENE amount of fun with the Zooki. The people here have taught me things & given me the courage to"go for it" on things I just would not have done without them & their experience & expertise. My bike is a totally different ride now than 3 months ago. Not that much $$$ & tons O fun. Yea, the Honda will deliver all kinds of MPG. I gave some MPG Up, but, dang, I don't worry about pulling out in front of someone & NOT having the stuff to get outta the way.

Funny about the post above. I am tinkering with the idea of a Ninja 250. They scoot on & handle really well I hear. Not gonna have the acceleration but will fly around a corner. I kinda think a Zooki & Ninja might be a good pair of bikes to own, depending on how a fellow felt on any given day, one of those oughts do the trick. Wouldn't ya think?

As far as the infamous LS650 head plug leak goes, it is unlikely that you'll experience that problem with an S40 as Suzuki replaced the original subject-to-leaks plug with a better designed one, on the LS650 after the 2001 model year