Can anyone tell me the top speed of an S-40, when on a flat surface, with no wind resistance (other that what is there generated by the speed of the bike.)?

A fellow who knows quite a bit about these machines, in a mechanical capacity, told me that they top out at about 70 mph.  This sounds suspiciously like the top speed of a Honda Rebel or a machine its equivalent size.  It would seem that a 650 engine, with street gearing should be able to do somewhat above the 70 mph mark.  (PS.  I am a putt-putt rider, I have no intentions of experimenting with the maximums on my machine.)

Mine hit 88 or so( indicated) stock. 70 is eaaasssyy! That guy doesnt know what hes talkin about.

I think I saw somewhere that the stated speed by Suzuki (?) is 87mph.  When I first logged on to this site there was a chart in one of the posts listing all the speeds on the bikes available. Ours was about 5th from slowest.
Steve

Hit 85  for I backed her down.

I've run mine with my 180 lbs. and about another 100 lbs. of gear on the back seat and in bags at 85 for a few several miles once when I had to keep up with a pick-up driver on the interstate down south last year. I still had throttle left in medium hills in N. Carolina. I don't advise it as a habit, but it was really stable and there was quite a bit of gusting crosswinds. The only changes I've done in that department was:

1. I took the washer completely out of the carb when I first go it.
2. I did a by ear carb adjustment right after that 2 1/2 years ago.
3. I put a Sportster muffler on.

I know a lot of you say to re-jet and all that other stuff. My theory is that if it's running well, isn't backfiring near as much as when I got it and just keeps running up and down the road I'm going to leave it alone. Oh yeah, and I run synthetic oil when I do all these long trips down south in the summer. I suffer from the heat but the bike doesn't seem to.

Jack

I never ceases to amaze me just how many people run the Savage down with no real knowledge of what the bike is really like.

Your mechanic friend is talking out his ehaust port.  I'll bet if you push him a little further, he'd tell you that a Savage can't make it up a steep hill without you getting off and pushing!

The stock Savage pumps out close to 33hp.  That's more than enough to get a solo rider to the speedlimit and beyond.

Like other riders have said, my '04 has no problem hitting or maintaining 70mph.  There is alot of throttle left if I need it too..

Don't let other people (who really know nothing) make up your mind for you.  If you doubt it, ask for a test ride.  When you're done, you'll likely have the same smile on your face that we do on ours..

Mine isn't stock anymore but........This weekend I was with two neighbors (big HD's ), and they decided to pass a car on the expressway,  62 to 82 in a flash into the wind.  I didn't realize I was at that speed until I look down.    Actually felt like the bike had more to go, but I'm not too anxious to see how high it will go.  It will do the speed limit.......(+10).....   When it was stock, it did 75 with no problems.

And remind your "fellow" that HD 883's are approx. 37 hp stock and weight a bunch more.  

Also, my last bike was a '82 Honda CM250C which is the original version of the Rebel 250 / Nighthawk 250.  There is a world of difference between the Honda "Twinstar 250" engine (their name, I didn't make it up) and the Suzuki 650 thumper.  The Honda, you really really really had to know what gear you were in and with me (200 lbs) and my son (110 lbs) on it, it slowed down on hills.  Not the LS650.....

My Savage was bone stock and under the conditions you describe (flat being horizontal - not going up a grade or down) with no wind. Mine would do a little over 80 with me sitting upright. Put a little headwind or even a slight grade and the speed will start dropping. There was one time trying to pass a semi trailer at 70 mph at WOT that it topped out in the wash from the truck.

Tailwind, downgrade, or leaning forward would coax out a few more mph. No problem with the MC at top speed (except I felt like I was really flogging the engine with WOT). Tracked straight and true, and just ran out of "go."

So as you can see with the other posts, ymmv.