I wanted to know after how many miles I should check/change my sprockets??  I'm primarily asking in regards to the front sprocket,
because I don't want to just open it up and waste my time for no reason.

I just want a general idea.  I realize different conditions will have different affects. 

Also, since I'm asking, what are good replacement sprockets, front and rear??  There are other threads on this but they vary so much.  I just want a general setup.

stock is as close to general as you can get and i would think 10k miles if your maintaning your chain as you should.

Quote from: myfirstluv on January 18, 2010, 02:42:08 PM
I wanted to know after how many miles I should check/change my sprockets??  I'm primarily asking in regards to the front sprocket,
because I don't want to just open it up and waste my time for no reason.

I just want a general idea.  I realize different conditions will have different affects. 

Also, since I'm asking, what are good replacement sprockets, front and rear??  There are other threads on this but they vary so much.  I just want a general setup.

JT 15t (stock is 16) front and 39t(stock) rear. the 15 tooth front sprocket is sooo much better than the stock 16 tooth in my opinion. better acceleration, higher top speed, and gas milage stayes the same. best all around setup.

if you do mostely or all freeway driving then id use 17t front sprocket with stock rear, less buzzy.

If you rarely or never get on the freeway Id use 14t front sprocket and stock rear, much better acceleration.

The stock 16t front sprocket is , too me anyway, useless.

how does a 15 front get higher top speed?

I put a 15t on yesterday and I must say it is THE best mod I've done. It changes the initial starting feeling of the bike 100 fold.

DO IT! You will not regret it!

And if you do, it takes all of 5 minutes to change it back.

Quote from: joshr08 on January 18, 2010, 03:41:36 PM
stock is as close to general as you can get and i would think 10k miles if your maintaning your chain as you should.

10k miles? really? is that every 10k, or just after the first 10k?  they really wear that quickly? what about the rear? how often should that be changed?

I changed the front sprocket on my 97 GS for the first time at 37k miles and went to a 15T sprocket at that time.  I thought the 97 needed a 15T sprocket and was happy with the 15T fronts for the remainder of the 80k miles I put on that bike.  I did 400-500 mile freeway days with the 15T as well as many days of running in the mountains with bigger engine bikes.  Good all around sprocket choice for a 89-00 GS500E I think.

I changed the front sprocket on my current 02 GS at 22.5k miles and didn't see any need for a change from the 16T oem size sprocket.  I still don't and am still happy with a 16T front with 77k miles on the 02 GS now.  A sprocket should be changed when it shows wear and needs changed, it only takes a few minutes to pull it and inspect it.  I generally check the sprocket when I need a chain and order with the chain if required.

I've put over 320k miles on 5 chain drive Hondas and Suzukis in the past 26 years and never changed a rear sprocket on any of them.  That includes 80k miles on a CB750K, 100k miles on a CM400A, and 80k miles on the 97 GS.  Also put about 50k miles on a CB650SC shafty, no chain fuss required.     Here's my GS chain/sprocket log with my brake pad/rotor change log:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500_brakes_chains.jpg

Thanks for everyone's help.  This is the exact information I was looking for.

I was also hoping to make this thread the place to go for sprocket information, since all the info on the other threads is so spread out.

BTW: I have a 06 with ~15k mi on it.

I was thinking of looking at the sprocket when the chain needed to be replaced, so I'm glad someone reiterated that point.

Thanks  for the advice

i was talking you should check it every 10k not change them.  there is no set mileage that a sprocket will last or wearout.  rear is easy to look at.  if you have no flat spot on top of the teeth on the rear sprocket its time for a swap. 

Quote from: myfirstluv on January 19, 2010, 03:27:46 PM
Thanks for everyone's help.  This is the exact information I was looking for.

I was also hoping to make this thread the place to go for sprocket information, since all the info on the other threads is so spread out.

BTW: I have a 06 with ~15k mi on it.

I was thinking of looking at the sprocket when the chain needed to be replaced, so I'm glad someone reiterated that point.

Thanks  for the advice

You should replace the chain and sprockets as a set. An old chain will wear out new sprockets in short order. The reverse is also true, although not as strong an effect.

Quote from: RichDesmond on January 19, 2010, 07:53:21 PM
You should replace the chain and sprockets as a set. An old chain will wear out new sprockets in short order. The reverse is also true, although not as strong an effect.

+1
I had a brand new afam rear sprocket chewed up in under 2000 miles by a stretched chain

You dont pull the sprocket to check. Just take off shift lever l and pull the cover and bend over and look at the exposed teeth towards rear. Its about 10 minutes including washing up afterwards.

You should be using chain lube, the o-rings keep lube inside the chain but don't lubricate where chains touches sprockets. If it were all enclosed and running in oil it might last a million miles.

I changed my front sprocket a few weeks ago. It had 37,000km on it and still looked like it could have easily done another 3,000