front sprocket con-frickin-fusion

[rakkid]

hello all!

I got a '95 gs500 about a month ago, and have been read-read-reading all over this forum before and after the purchase.  : D  What a great place!  However, it has also led my head to explode in confusion..

So I'm looking to get a 17-tooth front sprocket, and there's a number of posts about it, buttttt, I don't get the whole "front-sprocket" terminology / differences of parts..

Here, a number of different people have recommended a lot of different front sprockets, some of them being listed as GS500 parts, others totally not being GS500 parts..

What exactly is the difference between different front sprockets?  I get the 520 and 530 type numbers, being the chain-size.  But is there really anything else?  There are 520 sprockets, 530 to 520 conversion sprockets, sprockets with "shoulders/collars/extra-thickness", etc etc..  Is a GS500 front sprocket the same thing as a 530 to 520 conversion?  That conversion just means that it has a shoulder thickness of some amount, right?  A number of different companies (AFAM, Sprocket Specialists, Sunstar, JT) all have the GS500 with it's very own part number..  No other bikes share the same part number, but a lot of those other bikes share part numbers..  However, I haven't the slightest idea why that is..  But a lot of people here have bought non-GS500 specific front sprockets, which seem to work just fine..  For example, this one:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=25312.0

That JT51217 is a 530-520 conversion sprocket, according to the mawonline.com which is where that poster linked to..

FITS MODEL: YZF600R/RC 94-06; STOCK GEARING: 15-47; STOCK CHAIN: 530-108; SIZE: 17 - 530 to 520 Conversion Sprockets

They list JT51616 as being the stock-size GS500 sprocket..

FITS MODEL: GS500/E/F 94-07; STOCK GEARING: 16-39; STOCK CHAIN: 520-110; SIZE: 16


My bike currently has a sunstar 333 model (sunstar's actual GS500 listing) front sprocket, with 16 teeth..  From their website, I can buy a 17 tooth, actually..

http://www.sunstar-mc.com/searchresults.aspx?All=True&DD0=STREET&DD1=SUZUKI&DD2=GS500E&DD3=1989-00

However, that page lists their part as being a-okay for 89-00 models, but I read that the 89-93 don't actually use the collared sprocket, so that's incorrect,  buttTT, my bike *has* a 33316 sprocket already, which IS collared, and looks a whole lot like the spec pic for the JTF 512 sprocket in the post I linked above (a reaally wide diameter collar)..

I *have* found the AFAM 17 tooth for the GS500 at bikebandit..  And I reeally like the AFAM one as it is drilled out, and also has a much smaller diameter collar (shoulder?  don't know what it's called..), also lowering the mass of that sprocket (from the pic here..)..

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=21803.0  ..  delicious!

If that 16-tooth one is the OEM sprocket, then it also has a very small diameter collar, unlike the sunstar I pulled off my bike..

Anyway, the AFAM at bikebandit is here..

http://www.bikebandit.com/product/17869?mg=3612&t=1&td=1

and that one is also listed as a 530 to 520 conversion..  Buttt, it's freaking 42$, and it's listed as having an OEM gearing of 15, so clearly it's not really the GS500 they're talking about..  So beats meeee!  (An AFAM catalog I found also didn't even list an official 17 tooth sprocket for the GS500).  I also found AFAM sprockets at www.drivesystemsusa.com and www.sprocketcenter.com (they have a pretty similar site...?  might be the same thing..) which are way cheaper, but I can't find the "530 to 520" conversion sprocket there.  just either 530 sprocket (under yamaha yzf600R, thanks to the JT 512 model sprocket above), or a 520 sprocket (under suzuku drz 400, which, I read somewhere, someone recommended buying a sprocket listed for that model, since it's the same, but I can't find that post anymore..)

Anyway, sorry for the super long run-on question-question-link-link post!  I really just want to know the differences between types of front sprockets, haha..  Then maybe I can figure out if it really matters which one I buy..

Thanks!

[bill14224]

Don't make it more confusing than it has to be.  If you want a 17-tooth sprocket just go to bikebandit or your favorite shop and order one for a '95 model.  If your existing sprocket has a shoulder, you need one with a shoulder.  If not, you don't.  I don't know if your engine is original so I can't say for sure.  The sure way is to look at the sprocket you have now.  My '94 has a small shoulder on it, probably 1/16" thick.

[ineedanap]

bill's right. 

If you have a sunstar 333-16 and it's the right sprocket (collar) why don't you save the headache and buy the 333-17?

[08GSSteve]

+1 to bill

Don't make hard work of sprockets champ.

Go to your fav bike shop and order a replacement for a GS in whatever tooth size you want.  Just make sure that you do not go over 1 tooth +/- on front and back or you MAY have to change chain to suit.

People have listed other sprockets as some sprockets from other bikes will fit the GS as well.

The question you want to ask if you want to move away from stock is
1.  do I want more pickup and dump top end or
2.  do I want more top end and dump a little pickup.

These are the 2 main reasons why people change sprockets.  Oh the other reason is that people will change rear wheels to odd sizes that may require different sprockets to stock.

[rakkid]

haha, yeaaa, I'm pretty good at complicating things..  Thanks for the reassuring "make-it-simple" replies.  : D

Yea, I'll probably get the 333-17 from sunstar, since it's what I already have.  And yup!  I'm looking to trade in a bit of pick-up for some lower rpm cruising.  : D

Ohh... I didn't think to measure the thickness of the shoulder!  I'll see how thick it is..  It looks about 1/8, or a bit less.