better top end with 15 tooth...

[mahemmjr]

Asked earlier but was wondering since our bikes die around 10k with a 16 t is it safe to say a 15 t would keep the bike in the powerband and maybe increase top end?

[SAFE-T]

Ride around in one gear lower than you have been and never go any higher than 5th gear ~ if you think this gives you 'more top end' go ahead and change over to a 15t front sprocket

[Soloratov]

Gearing is a pretty simple idea if you just look at the sprockets. The closer the 2 are in size, the less reduction you have. If they were the same, your tires spin at the same speed as the motor....imagine that wheel dingin around at 8-9k rpm! The more they differ in size, the faster you can get up to speed (faster acceleration) but you will top out at a much lower speed.

[mister]

Short answer = No.

Long answer: Determine speed at 10k in 6th. Now determine speed at 10k in 5th. The speed in 5th at 10k will be slower right? Well, if you drop down a front tooth you are basically make your current 6th gear act as if it was 5th gear. You mistakenly Think you are making 6th more usable, but you are just changing the speeds at which the gears work at - making your 6th gear work like a stock 5th gear. There is No Hain

As I said elsewhere, the ONLY advantage is when you first start moving. After that, there is no advantage to a 15 tooth front sprocket. If you want to experience what it is like for a 15 tooth front, ride everywhere one gear lower and Never go into 6th.

We Proved this with a comparison chart.

Michael

[mahemmjr]

Ok wasn't sure. Have you compared top speeds with both?

[Soloratov]

Trying to figure out what the underlying point is to the question.....

I have a 16T, and I can ride along at 75mph pushing roughly 6K rpm assuming I don't hit a bump, if I shift to 5th which is almost dead on 1:1, it's 7K for the same speed.

According to the GSwiki calculator it is as follows for theoretical top speeds:

15T - ~131mph
16T - ~140mph

[Paulcet]

Without engine modifications and/or big aerodynamic changes, the Gs500 won't reach redline in 6th (or 5th) because there is too much drag and not enough power.

No, a 15t sprocket won't increase top speed. It won't decrease it either.

[mahemmjr]

So if it neither decreases or increases top speed, and I'm assuming gives you more torque off the line a fast 0-60 and 1/4 mile can be achieved?

[Soloratov]

In a 1/4 mile situation, absolutely. Dropping a tooth will certainly get you that 1/4 mile speed better than a 16T.

[SAFE-T]

It never gives you more torque or more top end, it just makes the engine turn at a higher rpm in every gear. For most bikes this means an rpm range where it is making more torque and hp, henceforth the idea that it magically makes the bike 'more powerful', although it doesn't really.

[mahemmjr]

So putting higher gears in a car is pointless? I would think a smaller sprocket would help get you through the rev range faster, thus being faster.  I know it made a significant change in my mustang...and with a theoretical top speed of 131( which I doubt ill ever do anyways.) I'm ok with losing a little up top to gain faster 1/4 mile since most races don't last much longer..lol call me selfish but I still wanna get around five flat on the 0-60. Any suggestions on rear sprockets to accompany? Bike bandit only has 39 tooth

[Soloratov]

It never gives you more torque or more top end, it just makes the engine turn at a higher rpm in every gear. For most bikes this means an rpm range where it is making more torque and hp, henceforth the idea that it magically makes the bike 'more powerful', although it doesn't really.

True. I guess that's the better way to look at it. Doesn't make the bike stronger, just puts it at a stronger torque point in the RPM range.

[jestercinti]

So putting higher gears in a car is pointless? I would think a smaller sprocket would help get you through the rev range faster, thus being faster.  I know it made a significant change in my mustang...and with a theoretical top speed of 131( which I doubt ill ever do anyways.) I'm ok with losing a little up top to gain faster 1/4 mile since most races don't last much longer..lol call me selfish but I still wanna get around five flat on the 0-60. Any suggestions on rear sprockets to accompany? Bike bandit only has 39 tooth

I wouldn't say pointless.  I think what Safe-T was trying to say is that the overall torque numbers won't change, just the RPM from the engine will alter at the same road velocity as stock.  So if you go 20MPH in first gear at 4000 RPM, it will be 5000 RPM at 20MPH in first gear after the sprocket swap (hypothetically speaking for illustration purposes).

People sometimes change sprockets to increase the off-the-line acceleration, and for stunts like wheelies, etc.  This is due to reaching the powerband in the GS sooner than a stock configuration.

Your results may vary of course.

[jestercinti]

[duplicate post #1 deleted.  My computer went haywire!]

[jestercinti]

[duplicate post #2 deleted.  My computer went haywire!]

[SAFE-T]

I had a 520 conversion kit on my VFR800 a few years ago with different gearing that essentially moved 6th gear to 5th. In the city it was good ~ the bike had better pick up in every gear because of the different ratios. But if I actually wanted to go a longer distance on the open road the sustained 7500 rpm required to keep with traffic got annoying.

On the GS500, 1st gear is already so low that I wouldn't have wanted to make it lower. Even stock I felt like I could barely get across an intersection from a stop without having to shift. We put an 18-tooth front sprocket on it (same gearing as the SV650) which brought down the rpm on the highway (much less buzzier, BTW) and also gave us a little better fuel mileage. My wife had to keep up with me on the VFR, and she never complained that the bike was 'less powerful' with this change.

[mister]

So putting higher gears in a car is pointless? I would think a smaller sprocket would help get you through the rev range faster, thus being faster.  I know it made a significant change in my mustang...and with a theoretical top speed of 131( which I doubt ill ever do anyways.) I'm ok with losing a little up top to gain faster 1/4 mile since most races don't last much longer..lol call me selfish but I still wanna get around five flat on the 0-60. Any suggestions on rear sprockets to accompany? Bike bandit only has 39 tooth

For the last time.... it will Only make you start moving quicker. After that, stock or one less, the bike will be in whatever rev range you put it in and for a given speed the 15 will be revving higher. That's for a given speed.

So.... 4th will give you 140kph at 9000 stock. With a 15 that same gear at the same speed will be possibly 10k, ok?

But the gears and rev ranges overlap. Eg. 140kph can be ridden in 4th at 9000, 5th at 8500 and 6th at 8000 - not sure on the exact rpm just giving example.

So while dropping to 15 will make the bike rev higher in 4th at That speed and 5th also, it doesn't mean the bike will be faster because you choose the speed at which to change gears.

First might get your 0-20 in stock. Dropping to a 15 might mean 0-15 instead. At which point you change into 2nd. That other bike will still be in 1st but will shortly change into 2nd. His 2nd will be able to achieve higher speed before needing to change. BUT, once you are out of first, whether it be stock or 15, you only change gears when you feel the revs are right to change gears. As the 15 will be revving higher for any given speed/gear than the stock, you'll be changing sooner with the 15 for any given speed than the stock that is all.

If a stock and 15 were dragging, what would happen is, the stock would pull away Initially (maybe a yard or two), then the bikes would level peg until the 15 ran out of legs, at which point the 16 would gain, get level then pull away.

Instead of asking questions Around your intention, you'd just be better off asking "I want to do faster 1/4 miles on my GS, what do I need to do to achieve that?"

Michael

[SAFE-T]

A smaller front or bigger rear sprocket will give you faster acceleration over a short distance. Just not 'more top end'.

[SAFE-T]

I disagree that the 15tooth will have a slower terminal speed. With stock gearing, the GS won't pull redline anyway. Someone needs to run their bike to redline in 5th gear and see what speed it will pull to

[SAFE-T]

Then do the same thing but in 6th gear