Top Speed

[Tfrank59]

 Everything on my 800 is stock except the exhaust and main jet, and it'll do 70 without any strain. In my opinion if you want to go faster than that you should get a larger bike. my main bike is a 1500 shaft-drive Valkyrie and it's happy to go as fast as you want to go (goes a lot faster than I'll ever try to go), but an 800cc light cruiser (chain drive) is not really built for those speeds – again just my opinion.

[Troll]

I don't own an 800, but my W-650 will run all day at 100, as long as I don't get caught....

[Zoar]

My 800 strains to get up to 70mph.  Feels like it's maxed out at that speed.  Am I just a big pussycat?

Yea, I just checked again this weekend, just to make sure of course, one could consider it R&D or field testing to help you provide investigative data for your issue:

A few times I was up over 90 and had more throttle left. At 70 to 75 NO sense of strain at all.

Something is not right with your bike.

I do appreciate the opportunity to run more R&D field testing.

[CDNRatMan]

  First thing I would try the seafoam see if the engine just needs a good cleaning. Then get it serviced and then for the cost do the swap of sprockets from stock 17/40 to 18/38 and see what does and the cost is really not bad.
That is how I would start out with dealing with the issue.

[Zoar]

My 800 strains to get up to 70mph.  Feels like it's maxed out at that speed.  Am I just a big pussycat?

I bought my 800 used. It had the belt kit installed and I do not know which belt kit or what pulleys were used. All I know is at 70 to 75 miles per hour my 800 hums along nicely with NO sense of strain at all. It has plenty of throttle to go over 90.

Thus I have to think either make the belt conversion OR take it in for servicing with the issue being it is under-performing at 70. Or both.

[outlaw]

I had my 800 once showing 99 +mph as if you go over 100 mph you will have a ban if you are caught by the cops  and the bike gets taken off you:(, for 6-12 months), so no one says that they go any faster, unless it was a private road , even guys on sport bikes only say  99+ mph, on the main road. as some of the bike sites do get checked in the uk.

[allstateguy]

had my 800 up to 90mph for a few miles the last time I had it out and it had more left. But it does love 70 more, very relaxed after grampsizing and 18/39 sprocket change.

[greenbarn]

Absolutely one of the top 3 mods to the 800...

[CDNRatMan]

  Ok take OR_Seedmans advice here about the sprocket swap. I did it and love it.
Now as for speed on the 800, I have the sprocket swap as stated, and I will do it in Km because it is easier for me, I can run at about 68 mph (100 km) all day long and feel nothing and still have power to pass.
This summer through MT and ND I was running along at 75 mph (120 km) and once again it did not feel like the bike was working hard, you knew it was running hard but not over hard, it was with confidence. I ran at that speed for a couple of days and had no ill effects from it. It does depend on your weight and load, some times on a long steep hill I'll have to gear down but I have never had any issues keeping up with traffic and such at the legal speed limit, and a bit over.......

Try a couple of glugs of seafoam in your tank, and in the oil crank, then do your oil change and see if that makes a difference

[OR Seedman]

change the sprockets to 18/38....lowers the rpm at 70 by quite a bit.....makes for a more comfortable ride....several posts on this forum on how to do it....

[Driftwood]

My 800 strains to get up to 70mph.  Feels like it's maxed out at that speed.  Am I just a big pussycat?