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Lets talk chain/sprocket upgrades...


pgeldz

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I personally feel that the stock 1st gear is pretty well chosen, however, power distribution is much more manageable with the 17t front sprocket, as stock it has a lot of torque from the bat in 1st gear.
 
I guess I still prefer less torquey engines with more gradual build up of power, and peak torque more focused at higher RPMs, but the FZ isn't too bad...
 
 
However I still feel like the bike is geared too short/tight; so much that I usually skip 3rd and 5th gear in the acceleration process.
 
 
With the 17t front sprocket, occasionally I have to downshift to 5th in town (when speed gets below 37MPH).
 
Otherwise at speeds of 40+MPH, it happily buzzes along in 6th gear.

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  • 5 months later...

Any updates on those running different gearing ratios? Thoughts now those who have posted in this thread have been riding for a while with the changes?

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Any updates on those running different gearing ratios? Thoughts now those who have posted in this thread have been riding for a while with the changes?
 
For me the 17 tooth is perfect and all I need. Chain will last longer,doesnt have to loop around as tight, and chain is farther away from the swingarm chain guide.

Got new red 2015 FZ-07 on 7/22/16!
Black 2006 Honda ST1300 53K miles.

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For me the 17 tooth is perfect and all I need. Chain will last longer,doesnt have to loop around as tight, and chain is farther away from the swingarm chain guide.
How many on the rear are you running? 
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For me the 17 tooth is perfect and all I need. Chain will last longer,doesnt have to loop around as tight, and chain is farther away from the swingarm chain guide.
How many on the rear are you running?
Stock, OEM. 43 I believe.

Got new red 2015 FZ-07 on 7/22/16!
Black 2006 Honda ST1300 53K miles.

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I've heard changing sprockets can rack up your mileage. what does the odometer read off of?
Yes it does. Re read previous posts on the thread. It will explain how and why it's affected.
can't find the so called previous post.read a few times but no explanation on how this affect odometer. changing my front sprocket to 17th it still over read by 2mph.@ 30mph it is 28mph that I dont mind.
surely this would not affect the odometer? if it does please explain.
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Speedo sensor reads off of the countershaft on most bikes now. Change the gearing or use a larger or smaller rear tire and it will change that reading. Odometer uses the same sensor.

Got new red 2015 FZ-07 on 7/22/16!
Black 2006 Honda ST1300 53K miles.

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Any updates on those running different gearing ratios? Thoughts now those who have posted in this thread have been riding for a while with the changes?
17/44 t. is a bit taller and makes first gear pull further through intersections (nice) but can't tell any difference acceleration wise, didn't hurt anything, a little lower rpm at cruise so maybe a wee bit better fuel mpg. Gregjet says 17/42 should render speedo most accurate, I need to  mount GPS to see what's really going on speedo/odo wise. I'm 150# so even the 17/42 t. wouldn't hurt my acceleration and something I'll have to try, after I get a new master link...both clip type for testing and rivet type in case I find a combo I plan to stick with. 
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I believe if you have the abs bike, the wheel speed is used for the speedometer, so you can change gearing without affecting your display/odo.

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I believe if you have the abs bike, the wheel speed is used for the speedometer, so you can change gearing without affecting your display/odo.
Any source on that?
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  • 5 months later...
heartofperformance

My apology for asking, not been able to read through 10 pages of this thread.

Can the stock chain be reduced by one link(to reduce the sprocket/chain wear when going to even integer sprocket size)?


I am planning to make it 16-42 as to reduce my freeway cruising RPM a bit without losing too much acceleration.
image.png.164f7265f038f307548ff25bb2f3fbfa.png

image.png.756c13b158be895569afddce2b76b310.png

 

 

Cheers!

Edited by heartofperformance
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16 hours ago, heartofperformance said:

My apology for asking, not been able to read through 10 pages of this thread.

Can the stock chain be reduced by one link(to reduce the sprocket/chain wear when going to even integer sprocket size)?


I am planning to make it 16-42 as to reduce my freeway cruising RPM a bit without losing too much acceleration.
image.png.164f7265f038f307548ff25bb2f3fbfa.png

image.png.756c13b158be895569afddce2b76b310.png

 

 

Cheers!

I would think that if you are just going for 1 tooth less on the rear sprocket, the axle can just be slid backwards a tiny amount to take up the slack, you would not need to shorten the chain.. Equally you cant shorten a chain by 1 link, it has to be 2 links (an inner link and an outer link) :)  Just fit the smaller rear sprocket, use the chain adjusters to slide the wheel back a few millimeters and you will be good to go.

 

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The only you can reduce one link is to use a half link. Aweful things.

Remember that reducing a sprocket ( either end) one tooth increases the sprocket to axle length by HALF a link.

If you are happy with the wheel position ( I am not. I would like it furthur back), the easiest way to maintain the distance is +1/-1.  ie. 17/43 would be 16/44 or 18/42. Chain stays the same length.

Reducing the rear sprocket will make such a tiny difference (1 tooth) you would be hard pressed to notice anywhere except a track. Only worth doing is you are changing sprockets anyway.

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Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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heartofperformance
8 hours ago, Thrasherg said:

I would think that if you are just going for 1 tooth less on the rear sprocket, the axle can just be slid backwards a tiny amount to take up the slack, you would not need to shorten the chain.. Equally you cant shorten a chain by 1 link, it has to be 2 links (an inner link and an outer link) :)  Just fit the smaller rear sprocket, use the chain adjusters to slide the wheel back a few millimeters and you will be good to go.

 

Very much appreciated :D

 

 

6 hours ago, gregjet said:

The only you can reduce one link is to use a half link. Aweful things.

Remember that reducing a sprocket ( either end) one tooth increases the sprocket to axle length by HALF a link.

If you are happy with the wheel position ( I am not. I would like it furthur back), the easiest way to maintain the distance is +1/-1.  ie. 17/43 would be 16/44 or 18/42. Chain stays the same length.

Reducing the rear sprocket will make such a tiny difference (1 tooth) you would be hard pressed to notice anywhere except a track. Only worth doing is you are changing sprockets anyway.

 

You like the wheel position further back, meaning by reducing the rear sprocket by one or two, the wheel position will be a little back right, by half or one link length respectively, effectively increasing the wheel base?(stock chain length)

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" You like the wheel position further back, meaning by reducing the rear sprocket by one or two, the wheel position will be a little back right, by half or one link length respectively, effectively increasing the wheel base?(stock chain length)"

Yes if I put a +1/-1 the chain stays the same. But I would like to move the axle back a bit to try and get a bit more weight on the front to improve front end feel. Yamaha did it with a longer swingarm ( even furthur) on the tracer7 and apparently it has improved it substantially. My steep front end would have to be slackened though I suspect to increase the trail.

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Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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  • 3 months later...
phanomenal07

hey so can someone math for me real quick and tell me how much my speedo will be off if i go up one in the front and down 1 in the rear. currently my speedometer read dead on with the stock setup. 

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r1limited
42 minutes ago, phanomenal07 said:

hey so can someone math for me real quick and tell me how much my speedo will be off if i go up one in the front and down 1 in the rear. currently my speedometer read dead on with the stock setup. 

https://www.gearingcommander.com/

 

That link wont fill in the FZ info unable to find anyting but this on Droid

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=roncoa.calcola_rapporti&hl=en_US

Does not have MT or FZ 07

Edited by r1limited

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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  • 1 month later...

Been thinking about changing to the 520 chain, but thought before doing so I would check out a 525 15T  front setup first. Since it’s a cheap mod only $20 for sprocket, works with existing chain and extends the wheelbase. Went for a twisty Redwood Rd ride today and liked it. While not for the commuter or highway rider, but I do neither ride mostly twisty or trackdays.1590116988_15t_sprocket_20180630_1443011.thumb.jpg.7b7e2800126a4d8665b144be898d88a9.jpg

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On 9/11/2014 at 6:59 PM, YZEtc said:

With 16/43 sprockets, the stock ratio is 2.68 to 1 (43 divided by 16).
So, one tooth on the front equals 2.68 on the rear.
 
I thought about the possibility of me lowering the gearing, but I'm not certain whether or not I will.
If I do, I'll try 1 tooth less on the front.
 
I feel that 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear are just fine for the sport riding I do - well-spaced with no big gaps from gear-to-gear.
Then, there's a gap from 3rd to 4th that I wish wasn't there (wish 4th was a bit lower and closer to 3rd).
It's not bad, but noticeable.
 
To me, 6th gear is already quite tall, and I couldn't imagine anybody wanting to gear the bike taller, still.
 
Don't forget that unless you don't mind a messed-up speedometer/odometer, you'll need to buy a speedometer correction device if you change the sprockets.
I'd also buy a new front sprocket nut because the nut is locked in position by staking a rib on the nut into a cutout on the sprocket shaft, and once you unstake it to get the nut off, you're supposed to throw it away and replace it.

Yeah, short shifting on 3rd to 4th usually causes me to have really bad lag on highway pulls. 1st to 3rd has good gearing but 4 is way tall from 3rd. It gets really bad when I down shift from 4th to 3rd. I get a bit scared when it lurches because I didn't put enough throttle on it. Lol

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If interested, and do your own wrenching its is minimal cost to test it out.

JT Sprockets JTF1591.15 15-Tooth Steel Front $17.92 amazon.

I also like the fact that its also increases the wheel base. Since I also raised the forks 5mm in triple clamp and extended my penske shock 5mm, and have woodcraft 1.5" bars in down position. My objective since I ride at the Sonoma and Thunderhill raceways is to transfer more load to front end, and tighten up a little between 2nd & 3rd and differently between 3rd and 4th gearing.

 

 

1208490786_rearaxlelocationwith15Tfront.thumb.jpg.1d232449f4fdfa0140993968fd5d2329.jpg

 

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Liquidmetal

Seriously considering going to a 17 tooth up front.  Lower the cruise rpm a bit for those 85 mph commutes to work.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

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  • 5 months later...

@Liquidmetal,

@catfish,

@thomascrown,

@peteinpa,

@level41, all of you gentlemen went to or spoke about going to a 17t front sprocket.  I just got a new '18 and think I want the same.  I wanted to get your feelings about it now a year or more on.  Have you stuck with this change?  See any down sides to it?  Do you find any lack of acceleration at higher highway speeds 

(75-85 mph)?  Have you noticed any increase in chain/gear noise from the loose of the dampeners on the sprocket?  Any other aspects of this change that you can think of would be greatly appreciated.

On a different note, can anyone give me the torque setting for the countershaft sprocket nut?  

Thank you all in advance.

Edited by scotto
Added question

Please Mister Fantasy play us a tune, something to make us all happy.    Stevie Winwood / Traffic, 1967

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  • Premium Member
21 minutes ago, scotto said:

 

On a different note, can anyone give me the torque setting for the countershaft sprocket nut?   

Thank you all in advance. 

Per the Yamaha shop manual:

Drive sprocket nut Torque setting is 95Nm/69ft-lbf

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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