Didn't I say at the beginning of this thread that you won't gain much, but you wouldn't lose it either?
If you're speedometer was accurate with stock gearing (some are not from what I read), then, if you're able to reach and maintain 95 under reasonable conditions (not downhill or tailwind), then you might be able to gain a
little more top end with
modestly taller gearing. Why??? It's simple. At 95, you're close to redline and you're not making as much horsepower as you would a little lower down in rpm. Now, if, by chance, the power curve behaves differently
on the road as compared to
on the dyno, then the situation may be different. If you're getting a top end boost somehow with all that wind, the situation would be different.
Doing 6k rpm with a 3.5 inch stroke is kinda hard on the engine, is it not?
If the speedometer were 5 mph optimistic with the stock tire, the situation would be different as well. However, doing even 90 mph with stock setup is past the engine's prime.
One may not lose top speed with modest gear increases in some cases, and may even stand to gain,
but, I will go with you on this one.If you're having a hard time pulling 80 mph actual with the big tire, and all that gear, you've lost a little top-end. Therefore, tall gearing may not be right for your situation.I ride a naked bike. I will probably put leather bags on it for practical reasons.
This is starting to make sense now. Suzuki probably designed the bike to be able to top out in fifth under any typical condition that would likely be thrown at it, including big windshields. They didn't gear it to push it's limits with someone hunkered down in the seat. They didn't want to risk it bogging. And... they probably wanted quick acceleration and easy city driving too.
Hmmm... Perhaps Suzuki engineers kept 5th gear stupidly low (4th-5th gap small) because they knew the EPA would downjet the carb. Ahh... I've got it! They were accommodating to the anemic California model even more, right?
The bike was designed for basic commuting and beginners. Despite their modest gesture of a highway gear, top end and highway rpms weren't high on the priority list compared to performance at lower speeds.
And perhaps Hutch's success had to do with things like lack of windshield and other wind catchers (assumedly), low body weight, and tuning/power mods.
Maybe this gearing stuff is a very individual thing.
Am I getting warm?