Low gearing/sprocket sizes: more torque for the inner city commute

[Joaoduarte]

2 hours ago, FZ not MT said:

Funny you mention the MT-09, as I've been checking out the new 2021 version of the 09, and it's pretty kickass. It has a new motor with more horsepower, better suspension, and only 11 pounds heavier than the MT-07. It's suppose to run great.

Although it is not as good looking for me as the old one the specs of it are amazing

[FZ not MT]

6 hours ago, Joaoduarte said:

Although it is not as good looking for me as the old one the specs of it are amazing

A friend of mine just had a demo ride on it at Daytona. This guy is a great rider, and he said the MT-09 was a really good ride, and he had ridden the original FZ-09 too. Side note of this story, he also test rode the 2021 MT-10 this week. I asked him if he had to pick, which one between the 2021 MT-09 and the 2021 MT-10 would he prefer. He said hands down, the MT-10.

[FZ not MT]

On 3/8/2021 at 9:43 PM, seven said:

I am trying to decide if I want to do 16/44 or 16/45.

So I went out for a 125 mile ride today. It was a mix of Interstate and mostly backroads. I got thinking about my previous response to this thread, and for the fun of it, I started noting rpm and gears. The one that got my attention was that at 70mph in 6th gear, I was doing exactly 5000 rpm. Twice today, I went at least 20 miles non-stop at that pace. While this was OK, I knew I wouldn't want to go above that rpm for any real amount of time. My problem is that I never checked that before I changed gearing from 16/43 to 16/44, so I have no idea what the difference in rpm is. BTW, when I was checking, it was on flat ground.

If any of you have the stock gearing (16/43), it would be interesting to know what rpm you are turning at 70mph in 6th gear. Also, if you have 16/45, that would be great to know too.

[Triple Jim]

You don't have to go out and run the gearing to know the rpm.  If your engine was running 5,000 rpm at 70 mph with 16/44 sprockets, then 16/43 sprockets would produce

5,000 x (43/44) rpm = 4,886 rpm

for 16/45, it would be 5,000 x (45/44) = 5,114 rpm

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Triple Jim

[Joaoduarte]

32 minutes ago, FZ not MT said:

So I went out for a 125 mile ride today. It was a mix of Interstate and mostly backroads. I got thinking about my previous response to this thread, and for the fun of it, I started noting rpm and gears. The one that got my attention was that at 70mph in 6th gear, I was doing exactly 5000 rpm. Twice today, I went at least 20 miles non-stop at that pace. While this was OK, I knew I wouldn't want to go above that rpm for any real amount of time. My problem is that I never checked that before I changed gearing from 16/43 to 16/44, so I have no idea what the difference in rpm is. BTW, when I was checking, it was on flat ground.

If any of you have the stock gearing (16/43), it would be interesting to know what rpm you are turning at 70mph in 6th gear. Also, if you have 16/45, that would be great to know too.

Iam running 16/45 and the difference on acceleration is just amazing compared to 16/43, also the response from any throttle position of all gears is really good. What i think i miss a bit is on the highway, tried it today and felt that at 6th gear, at 120kmh, the rpm is a bit high, not that much but higher than normal, difference is at that speed at 6th gear you crack the throttle and the answer is instantaneous acceleration. Iam curious about 16/44, been thinking 16/45 a bit too much agressive for all situations. 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Joaoduarte

[Triple Jim]

You guys do know that if you want more acceleration at any speed you can just downshift, or ride in one gear lower, right?  The only time that doesn't work is when you're in first gear, and in that gear keeping the front wheel down is the limit anyway.

[Pursuvant]

2 hours ago, FZ not MT said:

 it would be interesting to know what rpm you are turning at 70mph in 6th

This came my attention from @mossrider

 

Sprocket Calculator - The easy motorcycle sprocket and chain calculator

It can do sprocket ratio comparison

[seven]

3 hours ago, Triple Jim said:

You guys do know that if you want more acceleration at any speed you can just downshift, or ride in one gear lower, right?  The only time that doesn't work is when you're in first gear, and in that gear keeping the front wheel down is the limit anyway.

I wanted to say that I love "rowing through the gears" but I guess that isn't the right phrase for riding a motorcycle ..."clicking through the gears" maybe? Anyway, one of the reasons I really like this bike is that it is a pretty basic manual...no slipper clutch to smooth it out, no quickshifter to just do it all. I mean all those things are great too and if I was tracking the bike I would probably really want the up/down quickshifter but for me right now I really like that this bike is kinda basic.

</thread_jack>

[klx678]

Today I spent too many times looking for "seventh gear".  First lasts ten feet.  Any experience here going with a 17T counter shaft sprocket?   I'm sure it will have plenty of power for me in the first couple gears and if I need quicker acceleration in passing I can always downshift, so I'm thinking the 17 might be the hot ticket to cruise maybe 70 at 4 grand.  

Comments?   

[Triple Jim]

23 minutes ago, klx678 said:

Today I spent too many times looking for "seventh gear".  First lasts ten feet.  Any experience here going with a 17T counter shaft sprocket?   I'm sure it will have plenty of power for me in the first couple gears and if I need quicker acceleration in passing I can always downshift, so I'm thinking the 17 might be the hot ticket to cruise maybe 70 at 4 grand.  

Comments?   

I may end up doing something similar, or maybe +1 in the front and -3 at the rear, but I want to ride it stock for a few thousand miles to see if I still feel that way.

For many years I searched for a 6th gear on my '72 H2, and eventually did the +1 -3 change, which put the the new 4th where stock 5th was.  It's much nicer to ride now, and still wheelies just fine in 1st and sometimes 2nd.

[klx678]

I did a larger sprocket on the Zephyr 550 and was happy with it.   I just figured some feed back might be good before jumping.

I forgot to ask what I really wanted to know - does the OEM chain have enough adjustment to fit the 17T sprocket?   Anyone have the answer?

[Triple Jim]

12 hours ago, klx678 said:

- does the OEM chain have enough adjustment to fit the 17T sprocket? 

Probably.  My nearly new 2020 has close to 1/2" of adjustment forward, and according to this online calculator, 0.15" should be enough to gain one 5/8" pitch tooth.  Just see if you have that much axle movement available.

Sprocket Center Distance and Chain length Calculators

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Triple Jim

[klx678]

Thanks, I appreciate your help.  I just see that I don't need first geared as low as it is and would like to be a few mph higher when cruising at 4000 - 4500 rpm.  Don't know if it will affect mpg, nice if it added, but I'm doing around 55 mpg now, so no complaints.

[Triple Jim]

18 minutes ago, klx678 said:

but I'm doing around 55 mpg now, so no complaints.

Have you checked actual miles and gallons?  Mine says I get 57-62 mpg, but when I actually calculate it I get about 3 more, so 60-65.  For 65 I have to cruise pretty steadily around 50-55 mph for the whole tank.  I get 60 without trying.

[klx678]

Nah, never got that picky.  I just ride.  Probably could do better if I made the effort.   But it's just too much fun to have the front wheel skip away from a stop and just kind of work it out.  

I can just believe gearing up would work better for me.  First would go a bit more, fourth would be good in town, and top gear would cover keeping off bumpers on the freeway when I can't avoid them.

[FZWes]

On 9/20/2018 at 5:04 AM, stickshift said:

The standard gearing is so low first gear is nearly useless.

 

Save your buck$ - shift down a gear.