Doing the math again based on my tach: 6500 rpms = 92.8 mph (and the speedo probably reads on the high side)

1986-1988 - 4 speed ratios:
1st- 2.214
2nd-1.500
3rd- 1.095
4th- .875

1995-2005 - 5 speed ratios;
1st- 2.333
2nd-1.578
3rd-1.142
4th-.956
5th-.884

Primary reduction ratio:

'86 -'88 - 1.88 with the gears 68 and 36.  

After that - 1.81 with the gears 67 and 37.

Greg and LANCER, first off thank you for all the figures. I am either being paranoid about the r's in the first 4 gears going buy sound only(no tach), or something. But in top gear with the throttle as far as it will go, I have 80mph and no more left. It just sets at 80mph. I have even checked to see if the brakes were dragging.That's why the 90mph in 4th just about floored me when I read it!!! Like I said it's a rocket, for a 1/4 mile. A reasonable "sounding" rpm for me in 5th is 65mph. At that speed you get run over in the slow lane by semi's in Michigan. If even bigger jets(155,157.5) or changing the timeing doesn't work, I'm back to chain and playing with sprockets. Can't think of anything else to do.
I did notice one thing from LANCERS figures. First they fall right in line with what the factory says. When verslagen1 said at 77mph he was doing 5000rpm it was darn close to the LANCER figures. Greg seems to be about 400rpm's too high. for his speed.(speedo/tach error maybe) at 50mph.  I don't care about having a 100 top end, but if that is the only way I can run 75-80 at the same rpm I have now at 65mph, that is what I have to do. In most of my drag cars I had a quick change rear end so I could drag at the strip or change it out for the street. One more reason I like chain and sprockets, I can do the same thing. Something is definately going on with the s-40's though, and it doesn't smell good.

Hutch wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:02:

I hate to think that my tach is off that much, but I noticed the difference too.  I'll be checking more closely next time...

LANCER, I have done most everything that you said to my bike. I plan on getting larger yet jets to see if that helps. If not then it is chain and sprockets. That is where I have to disagree with your statement about horse power. As I said I have a 05 Royal Enfield 500cc Bullet. The only change I made was going from a 115main jet to a 120, Pulled off the stock Muffler, pulled the cat converter out of the head pipe and replaced it with a Thunder Monster power cone, slipped on a shortened upswept fish tail straight pipe with a 8" baffle I made out of two 4" baffles and tweeked the timing. This bike is rated at 22hp. Itwill cruise on the interstate at 75mph all day with out over revving. It is not fast acceleration wise, but it cruises at about 4500rpm at 75mph. Maxed at 5400rpm is close to 80mph. The RE weighs in at 370lbs, 20 lbs more than the Savage, and about 10hp less. I feel safer on the interstate with the RE than my S-40. At least it doesn't sound like it's gonna blow. I hope the jets work on the S-40, cause I do like the bike, just not happy anything over 65mph. The thing is even if I get it to do over 80, it still doesn't change the rpm problem, only a chain and sprockets will do that on mine. I will find out when I get a tach and see if it is running 6500rpm at 80mph in 5th.  

I knew I forgot something, My 500 RE has 12" apehangers and I set bolt upright at 70-75mph.Not to mention that other than a 5 speed instead of a four,  the motor is the same internally as the 1955 model it is styled after. Not bad for 52 year old technology.The 06-07 has electronic ignition. My 05 still has points, and a kick or electric start. 70 mpg is also very cool. If I want to turn it into a 535cc with about 44hp I can buy the parts from the dealer for about $1500, and still get 55-60 mpg. I would like to get MY S-40 to run on the interstate like my 22hp RE. Also, any time you change the gear ratio in a car rearend or the gear ratio by sprockets /pulleys on a bike you WILL change the top speed unless we're talking a 5-10hp vehicle that can't handle it on the low end take off. That is why a taller tire gives you more top end. You basicaly changed the gear ratio.

Hutch,

I am quite familiar with the RE Bullet, I am a big singles from way back and having owned several, including a '78 Yamaha SR 500 and a '56 BSA Goldstar DBD 500 flat-track racer.  The SR being very similar to the Savage in power and speed, and the Goldstar being in a totally different catagory ... it was a wild animal in comparison ... in the 50+ hp range.  When the throttle was turned wide open it was hard to hang on during acceleration ... literally.  It was a wild freaking ride.

My point about the gear ratio change is simply that if a bike does not have enough power to max out its rpm in top gear now, then it will be even less able to come anywhere near maxing out its rpm with a taller gear ratio.
It is not unusual for cruiser or standard type bikes with an "overdrive" type of top gear, to be able to achieve a higher top speed in 4th gear than in 5th gear.  So adding more gear will not enable a higher top speed.
The bottom line is that to get more speed you need more power.

Your Savage, when running at 80 mph on the highway, is not turning 6500.  Check my chart, at 80 a stock bike will be turning about 5000 rpm.

Mine was doing 80 @ 4880 rpm with the  140/90-15 tire and stock gearing.  It was one of the Kenda brand tires.    There is enough variation in tire diameter/circumference  between brands and sizes to make several mph difference on the road.
When I had the stock tire on it my Savage did 80 @ 5200.  
50 mph was @ 3250 rpm.  Equating to 100 @ 6500 rpm.

Hutch wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:02:

Piggie Backed the bearings?  Damm.  Seems like it would busted the journals doing that...

Why do we call 100 mph a "ton"?  Shouldn't that refer to 200mph since a ton is 2000 lbs?