official scan?  you mean with a birth mark or something?

here's the data outta the SSM circa 1986

primary reduction 1.888 (68/36)
final reduction 2.956 (68/23)
Low 2.214 (31/14)
2nd 1.500 (27/18)
3rd 1.095 (23/21)
top 0.875 (21/24)

I read somewhere that Suzuki dealers complained they were having a hard time selling a bike that was only a 4 speed when so many others were 5-6speeds. The 5thh gear was added to make the bike more "marketable".
Having owned both 4 & 5 speeds, I would prefer a 4 speed any day. The ratio spacing feels so much better than the 4-5 speed split.
A 4 speed with the starter mods would be my choice.

Routy wrote on 06/07/13 at 17:34:21:


I don't believe it is all that uncommon for bikes/cars not to be able to pull the top gear to the maximum speed.  On racting vehicles they try to have the gearing so that the top gear will reach top speed at the maxium rpms......as that is the fastest approach.  On most street driven vehicles they provide a top gear that is too high of a ratio for maximum speed - but slows the engine speed down for easy cruising.  If the 5 speed model had a 5th gear ratio a bit higher you could cruise a little more peacefully and hopefullly more comfortable and not be turning as many rpms.  You would have to keep the rpms up enough that you were not lugging the engine and creating more engine wear that way......but just a bit more gearing in 5th seems like i would work well.

The jump from 1st to 2nd seems a bit much.