17T Front Sprocket

[Old Mechanic]

Since I never carry a passenger I will try a 17 tooth front sprocket when I replace the drive chain. Having ridden much smaller displacement bikes down to 125 CC, I see no problem with 5.88% lower revs. Went from a 4.11 to a 3.08 on a 59 Vette I owned decades ago and I loved the difference. I ride easy and that small percentage lower revs is not much. Most bikes are geared for two up. I can see how a rider that weighs more than my 200# would not want the change, but for me it will be at least worth a try. I had the front sprocket changed on my 2013 Ninja 300, but later sold the bike and got my first GS500E. 2000 miles on the GS since June. The gearing is nice stock, but as I posted I ride alone.
First gear launch with 5.88% 17/16th taller gearing won't be much difference, a trade off between slightly more acceleration and slightly higher gear change points.
I to don't see the big deal, I like the stock gearing, but I also like to fiddle with things to make them more suitable to my riding style.
If you can max your speed in top gear then you are good for drag racing. To me a road bike should top out in 5th gear. My 76 Z car would do 30-60-90-120-150 in it's 5 gears. No way it would got 150, but at reeasonable speeds it would average 28 MPG. It was geared even taller when I first put in the 5 speed with the 3.54 rear axle. I replaced it with a 3.90 (10% difference) which worked better with the .75 overdrive 5th. No 5 speed was offered from the factory until 1977 models so my 76 was a 4 speed. 5 speeds and 4 speeds had the same ratios for the first 4 gears.

regards
Mech

[gsJack]

GS should hit over 100 mph in 4th gear too since it hits redline at over 100 mph in 4th, both 6th and 5th are overdrive ratios.  Wouldn't redline in 6th until 140 mph if it had HP to pull it.  Very big gap between HP peak and redline leaving a lot of room for the modifiers to play with.  I like them stock myself.

[Soloratov]

I generally find the wind starts to really make things rough right around 90-95. Without at least a small windshield you get knocked around quite a bit...even at 75-80 on a sustained highway ride to work, it gets hairy around big trucks being so light. All part of the fun.

[gsJack]

..........................I don't think the bike is unstable so much as having a seating position that is less than ideal for those speeds. You are perched upright on the thing acting like a big sail and very prone to helmet buffeting. Tucking under the fairing helps a lot.

Not with a big sail like Plexi 2 shield on it, no tucking, no buffeting, and not too practical either.   

http://www.gs500.net/gallery/data/500/02GS500wPlexi2.jpg

[gsJack]

I put a smaller Spitfire shield on later that same month for the trip to the Smoky Mtns and have been switching them summer and winter ever since.  Hard to beat that big Plexi 2 here in NE OH in January!

[Mauricio]

..........................I don't think the bike is unstable so much as having a seating position that is less than ideal for those speeds. You are perched upright on the thing acting like a big sail and very prone to helmet buffeting. Tucking under the fairing helps a lot.

Not with a big sail like Plexi 2 shield on it, no tucking, no buffeting, and not too practical either.   

http://www.gs500.net/gallery/data/500/02GS500wPlexi2.jpg

Nice!

Last year of the good ones too (the bike).

[ron freeman]

All I was trying to do with my original post was to say, Hey I put on 17T front sprocket and really like it. It wasn't an experiment or a scientific test, it was simply a personal review. You can tear it down and cross examine every line of my post if you like. But I like it. The 17T front sprocket makes the bike vibrate less, I can actually use my rear view mirrors at highway speeds and if I get better gas milage, great. I bought a product, had a positive experience, that's it. Thank you for the support and the cross examination. All is welcome, especially any ideas you have to make the GS a better bike.

[Janx101]

did appreciate the original message Ron .. and FWIW .. when i do a sprocket and chain soon... im aiming for a 17/37 most likely....

i expect i'll still be able to ride .. i use all of the gearbox and rpms at different times ... in different ways ... im adaptable like that!! 

[ron freeman]

I do have a question Janx. What do think would happen if I added a 41T rear sprocket. Could the engine pull it or would it kill the motor and make "getting out of the way" impossible? Just a thought and set in stone?.

[twocool]

What gear ratios do you have?


Cookie

Do you somehow get offended by anyone who makes a change to their bike and likes it? I can't find any fault in someone posting about a change they made so that others can have another opinion for reference. Just because you may not like the change, doesn't make their opinion of it invalid. When I posted about my 18T change, I provided a relatively objective riding view, AND hard data numbers based on digital speed tests, and you still tried to tear it down. What exactly are you looking for? A lot of things are subjective, and can't be expressed in some perfect lab experiment way...sometimes, just sometimes, someone changes something and likes it purely because it suits them.

[ron freeman]

The transmission is all stock. 17t front gear and currently running stock 39T.

[Big Rich]

You get your gear ratio by dividing the tooth sizes.

39 rear / 17 front = about 2.29 gear ratio.

The higher the ratio, the more rpm's you'll be running at any given speed. With Janx's 17/37 combo, his highway / cruising rpm will be even lower than yours.

[twocool]

"high Gears" mean less RPM...not more........

such as "first gear is lower than second gear"

Using this convention you would then figure ratio by using formula front/rear

Yeah its all the same thing...but using simple convention makes simple math...
Cookie

You get your gear ratio by dividing the tooth sizes.

39 rear / 17 front = about 2.29 gear ratio.

The higher the ratio, the more rpm's you'll be running at any given speed. With Janx's 17/37 combo, his highway / cruising rpm will be even lower than yours.

[twocool]

So...what exactly does you bike offer, that mine (stock) does not?

Cookie

The transmission is all stock. 17t front gear and currently running stock 39T.

[twocool]

Things like gearing CAN be easily expressed in lab type, engineering objective terms....I mean gearing is pure physics......

Things like seat shape, handlebar type and position, and favorite color for you bike are subjective...

Cookie

Do you somehow get offended by anyone who makes a change to their bike and likes it? I can't find any fault in someone posting about a change they made so that others can have another opinion for reference. Just because you may not like the change, doesn't make their opinion of it invalid. When I posted about my 18T change, I provided a relatively objective riding view, AND hard data numbers based on digital speed tests, and you still tried to tear it down. What exactly are you looking for? A lot of things are subjective, and can't be expressed in some perfect lab experiment way...sometimes, just sometimes, someone changes something and likes it purely because it suits them.

[SAFE-T]

Objectively there is very little difference. Subjectively 500rpm can mean the difference between a bike that's comfortable or a buzz bomb.

[Suzuki Stevo]

Apparently we are going to have to conduct a "Double Blind Test" on this one 

[Janx101]

So...what exactly does you bike offer, that mine (stock) does not?

Cookie

The transmission is all stock. 17t front gear and currently running stock 39T.

Ooh ooh I know this one! .. His bike offers him the chance to modify it to suit himself!! ... Just as every other person has the option to mod or leave stock !! .... Bikes are good like that!...

And Ron ... I know above the 41t rear sorta got covered already ... But if you do the conversions/math for stock 39/16 you get 2.43 ... And then the 41/17 you get 2.41 .. So slightly lower rpms .. 39/17 which you have currently gives 2.29 .... The 37/17 is 2.17 .... So both these 2 are lower again ...

Mostly people list the front first and rear second ... And I usually do too ... But for this it also shows the math process .. Rear divided by front ... And .... I faced my bike the other way this morning! 

[ron freeman]

I just calculated my 1st tank of fuel with a 17 tooth front sprocket. 62mpg. Fan-freakin-tastic.

[SAFE-T]

17/37 would be close to the 18/39 on our '07, and that thing was like unrideable lol