Hello! First post + Q's. Need to replace sprockets + chain!

[mattress]

Hey guys.  New member here.   I'm Matt, I live in South Carolina, and recently bought a black/yellow 99 GS500E.

This is my first bike ever, and my first time riding.  So far, it's been a blast.  I've been riding for about 2 months and feel like a very confident rider now!

Next month, a group of us are going on a 200+ mile ride, and I need to get some maintenance out of the way.

After a little inspection, it looks like my bike wasn't properly maintained before.  The chain is almost black, and I can see some weird wear on the rear sprocket.

So, now I'd like to purchase a new chain, and replace both sprockets.  I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction!  I've heard of people "dropping a tooth" -- or getting a sprocket that has 1 less tooth than the original.  What does this do?  Where is a good place to buy the sprockets and chain online, and what do I look for?  Length? size? teeth? etc.


I also need to make sure my rear wheel is perfectly aligned, I'm not quite sure if it is or not.  Is there a way to tell?

Thanks so much for your help guys!
-Matt

[RVertigo]

The Board FAQ has lots of good write-ups:  http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?board=7.0
The GS500 Wiki has tons of info:  http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500
On the left side of the main page, there's more info:  http://www.gstwin.com
And Pablo's site has lots of great info:  http://pantablo500.tripod.com

Then, you can use search to find even more info and specific threads about all kids of different subjects.....


As far as the 15T sprocket...

The point of doing it is to get some more power to the wheel, at the expensive of higher RPMs...  So, if you think about the ratio of the sprockets, putting a smaller sprocket on the front means that the engine will spin a little faster to obtain the same speed, but at the same time it will be easier for the engine to spin the wheel...  So...  More power.

If you're worried about actual top speed of the GS: First, you shouldn't be riding that fast    and Second, the top speed isn't actually at the top of the RPMs...  So, top speed isn't really affected on the GS by dropping a tooth on the front sprocket.

I have a 15T...  I like it.   

[ducati_nolan]

Hello and welcome

Changing the chain and sprockets is pretty straightforward and you should be able to figure it out on your own but a manual is a good idea to have for other things anyways so you may as well get one. It'll save you money in the long run.

As far as where to get the parts, dealers are generally a last resort since they will charge you the most. I look on ebay (that's where I got my chain) whenever possible. I've heard that www.sudco.com and www.motodepot.com have better prices however I haven't ordered from them. I wouldn't bother getting a really expensive chain though since these bikes don't have much power. Just get the cheapest O ring chain you can find.

As far as going to a smaller front sprocket (or larger rear sprockett) RVertigo explained it somewhat but It won't actually give your bike more power. It will change your gearing (just like changing the gear ratio in the rear end of a car) so that you will accelerate more quickly but when you're on the highway in 6th gear, your RPM will be higher for a given speed. It's a little bit of a tradeoff but generally if you spend most of your time in town or at 60mph or less, go for it. If you spend most of your time on the highway it's probally best to keep the stock size. Just my oppinion.

Alligning the rear wheel can be done roughly by looking at the tick marks on the swingarm above the axle and making sure both sides are adjusted the same. To make it perfectly aligned, hold a long straight edge (a board will work) on both sides of your rear tire and adjust it so that your front wheel is centered between them.

Good luck 

[coll0412]

I ordered from part411.com and got DID chain, rivet link, 17T, 39T and a set of HH pads for 12X.XX, if you skip the pads its under a hundred dollars

[ducati_nolan]

I think the 99 has a 15 or 16 tooth sprockett stock  not sure about that but I thought the F models had a larger sprocket than the E

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

No. Every year gs500 since '89 has had a 16/39 ratio.