Think you go faster with different sprockets ? Think again.

[SAFE-T]

From another forum, but good info you could apply to any motorcycle:

http://www.fz6r-forum.com/forum/f89/effects-changing-sprockets-23986/

[Dizzledan]

It's an interesting read, and makes sense when you think about the purpose of the final drive.

"Shorter gearing can improve acceleration in first gear to a certain point...Shorter gearing does NOT improve acceleration everywhere. After 1st gear, it just causes the peaks and valleys of the wheel force line to move around within the power corridor. In some areas you'll have more acceleration with shorter gearing, but in other areas you will have less acceleration."

Which I can agree with, because the engine has less of a load when the gearing is smaller, so you can only get so much acceleration out of a few less teeth.

Taller gearing will only give you more top speed if the original gearing had peak power in top gear occurring before top speed. Go too tall, and you'll start decreasing your top speed.

This I don't quite understand, because if there is more of a load, theoretically it will take longer to get there, but wouldn't the top speed be higher?  Or from what I understand on the graph, the amount of drag from the speed, will negate any effects of the gearing?


I think what it boils down to most, is the comfortability of riding within a certain set of RPMs. If you want the power in first gear, you gear lower to wheelie/stunt. If you do highway riding, you gear higher to stay lower in the RPMs.

[twocool]

There was a long nasty discussion on this group, on this topic earlier this year.  One member even worked out the perfect shift points for each gear on a cool graph...These graphs show that theonly possible difference in gearing is starting out in first, and top end in 6th......

There is a lot more to gearing than most people realize......

Remember that most of us never go fo max acceleration "jack rabbit from a dead standstill"...and most do not run the bike to top speed in top gear, and most do not run the rpm all the way out to the top of the HP range......

In racing, gearing can matter, and the gear ratios are selected to fit the track....basically to max out at the end of the longest straight.......

For us mere "mortals":

Stock gearing on the GS500 is well thought out by the designers/engineers.....




Cookie

[mister]

SV650 and DL650 essentially have the same engine. The SV has a 17 tooth front sprocket the DL has a 16 tooth. Obviously the engine is torquey enough to push a 17 so why the 16 on the DL? Only reasons I can think of are for better off road in stock configuration and the DL is 490lbs (220kg) vs the SV's 436lbs (198kg) and it needs a 16 tooth front to get off the line with more ease - specially when loaded panniers are added.

I have often heard DL650 riders Think there should be a 7th gear. I wonder if they went back to a 17th front if they would think that?

Michael

[burning1]

The thread you linked is awesome. The chart posted is the one I was hoping to make, but got too busy to deal with.

Here's the thread we had on gstwins about the topic:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=57849.0

[rayshon]

"faster" is subjective.

It depends on what exactly you mean by "faster". Do you mean going from idle in 1st to redline (or any other set rpm) faster with one sprocket setup that is different from stock?

Or do you mean better acceleration above 100MPH with an alternate sprocket setup?

what I'm trying to say is that faster can mean
-quicker "off the line" acceleration
or
-more "pulling" power at higher speeds

Like for instance, you can watch a street racing video or a drag strip 1/4 mile race, and sometimes you'll see vehicle A hit let's say 70MPH faster than vehicle B, but vehicle B pulls ahead and hits 150MPH faster than vehicle A

Man, I am horrible at explaning things when I am tired

[rayshon]

In racing, gearing can matter, and the gear ratios are selected to fit the track....basically to max out at the end of the longest straight.......

Agreed.

[mister]

HEY!, Let's talk about oil 

[Kijona]

SV650 and DL650 essentially have the same engine. The SV has a 17 tooth front sprocket the DL has a 16 tooth. Obviously the engine is torquey enough to push a 17 so why the 16 on the DL? Only reasons I can think of are for better off road in stock configuration and the DL is 490lbs (220kg) vs the SV's 436lbs (198kg) and it needs a 16 tooth front to get off the line with more ease - specially when loaded panniers are added.

I have often heard DL650 riders Think there should be a 7th gear. I wonder if they went back to a 17th front if they would think that?

Michael

It's a completely different story on the DL1000. Stock gearing is so ridiculously tall that at an indicated 80mph, you're only turning 4.5k RPM - which is not where the motor likes to run. On mine I dropped a tooth on the front and it made it a lot more functional. If you rode it normally, you wouldn't even shift into 6th until 90mph. 

[ohgood]

HEY!, Let's talk about oil 

lol, ok

i changed mine yesterday. filter too ! it was dark, and scary. some of it is still in the skid plate, some spilled on the floor. when i started the bike to check for leaks it smoked ! omg noz ! my exhaust is too close to the frame drain ! manufacturing defect ! if i switch to full purple/red awesome race race race three omega five african diesel-truck mountain goat synthentech will it fix my frame plug defect  ? should i buy a new stainless filter every time ? i didn't break in my newly ringed top end according to the guides i saw on the intarweb, or on a dyne, so i really don't know if they're making mazzzimummm horsepower at ninety thousand rpm..so should i tear down the motor and install a new flux capacitor ? where are my keys ? mooooooooommmmmmMMMMMM !

sorry, i was on a roll. 

[twocool]

"faster" is subjective.


Like for instance, you can watch a street racing video or a drag strip 1/4 mile race, and sometimes you'll see vehicle A hit let's say 70MPH faster than vehicle B, but vehicle B pulls ahead and hits 150MPH faster than vehicle A

I understand what you are talking about...but  the above phenonom may not be the result of gearing alone.....In drag racing the deal is power, and then power applied to the track......

Things like traction, down force, supercharger, turbo charger, nitrous etc..all come in to play and could result in one car being faster off the line while another being faster down range...

Cookie

[comradeiggy]

SV650 and DL650 essentially have the same engine. The SV has a 17 tooth front sprocket the DL has a 16 tooth. Obviously the engine is torquey enough to push a 17 so why the 16 on the DL? Only reasons I can think of are for better off road in stock configuration and the DL is 490lbs (220kg) vs the SV's 436lbs (198kg) and it needs a 16 tooth front to get off the line with more ease - specially when loaded panniers are added.

I have often heard DL650 riders Think there should be a 7th gear. I wonder if they went back to a 17th front if they would think that?

Michael

Also you have to consider tire sizes. A bigger diameter tire will spin faster at a given RPM but will deliver less torque to the road than a smaller diameter tire.

[mister]

SV650 and DL650 essentially have the same engine. The SV has a 17 tooth front sprocket the DL has a 16 tooth. Obviously the engine is torquey enough to push a 17 so why the 16 on the DL? Only reasons I can think of are for better off road in stock configuration and the DL is 490lbs (220kg) vs the SV's 436lbs (198kg) and it needs a 16 tooth front to get off the line with more ease - specially when loaded panniers are added.

I have often heard DL650 riders Think there should be a 7th gear. I wonder if they went back to a 17th front if they would think that?

Michael

Also you have to consider tire sizes. A bigger diameter tire will spin faster at a given RPM but will deliver less torque to the road than a smaller diameter tire.

The SV650 and  DL650 both have 17 inch rear wheels. The SV has a 150/60 (90mm high) while the DL has a 150/70 (105mm high). Both have a load rating of around 720 pounds (330kg roughly). I suppose it is possible Suzuki went down one tooth on the DL to compensate for the increased effort to push the larger rear.

@Kijona, the DL1000 comes stock with a 17 tooth front and the same tire sizes as the 650. So it would seem Suzuki think the extra torque of the thou can push the bike easier.

The only real complaints of heard from people about the Vstroms is... small sized throttle (seems thin in the hand). And while not a complaint, it is noted as having tremendous engine braking.

Michael

[Kijona]

SV650 and DL650 essentially have the same engine. The SV has a 17 tooth front sprocket the DL has a 16 tooth. Obviously the engine is torquey enough to push a 17 so why the 16 on the DL? Only reasons I can think of are for better off road in stock configuration and the DL is 490lbs (220kg) vs the SV's 436lbs (198kg) and it needs a 16 tooth front to get off the line with more ease - specially when loaded panniers are added.

I have often heard DL650 riders Think there should be a 7th gear. I wonder if they went back to a 17th front if they would think that?

Michael

Also you have to consider tire sizes. A bigger diameter tire will spin faster at a given RPM but will deliver less torque to the road than a smaller diameter tire.

The SV650 and  DL650 both have 17 inch rear wheels. The SV has a 150/60 (90mm high) while the DL has a 150/70 (105mm high). Both have a load rating of around 720 pounds (330kg roughly). I suppose it is possible Suzuki went down one tooth on the DL to compensate for the increased effort to push the larger rear.

@Kijona, the DL1000 comes stock with a 17 tooth front and the same tire sizes as the 650. So it would seem Suzuki think the extra torque of the thou can push the bike easier.

The only real complaints of heard from people about the Vstroms is... small sized throttle (seems thin in the hand). And while not a complaint, it is noted as having tremendous engine braking.

Michael

Engine breaking strong enough to throw you forward if you're not careful. It's about the same as when a trucker suddenly engages the JakeBrake. VERY pronounced and can be frightening if you're not gentle with the throttle. I'm still trying to get over trying to brace myself if I have to chop the throttle coming to a stop on the GS. GS has very little, if any...

[Janx101]

From another forum, but good info you could apply to any motorcycle:

http://www.fz6r-forum.com/forum/f89/effects-changing-sprockets-23986/

oh no .. Search first .. Dont get them started on this again .. Search FIRST! ... Soon we be hip deep in 'im more righter than the other guy' .... I can hear the croakin and flappin already