Suzuki S40 opinions
 

I am thinking of buying a new S40...I really like the GZ but just want a little more speed. Was thinking that the s40 is essentially the GZ big brother which can do 70 - 75 MPH with ease (or so I've read) although it is not a power house either. Any thoughts? I like the simplicity of an air cooled single cylinder but wonder if the additional performance of the S40 is worth it? :??: Thanks!

Re: Suzuki S40 opinions
 

The S40 is basically the same thing (single cylinder,air cooled) just a little bigger.A simple design & easy to do maintenance on.As you said not big on power.If you want something with a little more power you may want to consider the Kawasaki Vulcan 500.A lot more power & top end,but a little more maintenance because of "twin cylinder" & water cooled.
:) :2tup:

Re: Suzuki S40 opinions
 

The S-40 is a pretty nice thumper. The 650 cc's will have a lot more torque to keep you moving along with extra horsepower to play with. Still not a rocket sled but definitely a big plus in headwinds and hilly roads. The bike only weighs in about 60 lbs more than a GZ so the power to weight ratio is much better. No experince with one but I would think the bigger engine might vibrate a tad more but that is just a guess on my part. The 650 only has one factory wart and Suzuki is aware of it but has never fixed it. The cam chain adjustment slipper wears out sooner than later but an aftermarket replacement solves the problem with a much better unit. That's about it for the bad news so don't let that put you off. The bike has a good size following and is nearly bullet-proof.
One good and bad feature is the belt drive. Quiet and clean with rarely an adjustment after the initial break-in. Bad part is the cost if you want to regear the bike. I'm sure the special belt pulleys/sprockets are available but likely are not cheap. Do a little snooping on a S-40 forum to confirm the sprocket availability and who sells them.
The bike has changed little over the years so aftermarket stuff will be easy to find if it was ever made to begin with.