I have an 89 GS and want some more bottom end power. i have been thinking that a 16 tooth front 42 tooth rear sprocket combo would work well. What do you guys think about the combination? What brand chain/sprockets should I buy? And who makes the LED tails for the GS on this board and how do i get me a set?

Leave the stock rear sprocket, and get the classic 15T for the front.

Cheap and easy.

Welcome to GStwin!

42 tooth. Sure! As soon as I wear out the stock sprocket I have, I was going to go to a 40, but the more I think about it I may go to a 41. Do buy steel, though, they last longer. Spocket Specialists and Sunstar are the only manufacturers I can think of at the moment.

Do a search for more info.

sorry, i meant 15t front 42 t rear. Who makes good chains? and who can i pm for the led tails?

For the LED taillight, contact JeffD.

There are several good chain makers out there.  You will probably want to get an O-ring or X-ring chain.

* D.I.D. is probably the most popular(?) and is the maker of the OEM chain for the GS500.
* RK
* Tsubaki
* Regina
* EK[/list:u]The only other sprocket maker I've found (for street applications) is

Parts Unlimited.  In the Dennis Kirk catalog they list 12-16 teeth for the front sprocket , but only 39-teeth for the rear.

In the same catalog, the Sunstar options are 13-16 teeth for the front and only 39 for the rear.

The Sprocket Specialists table in my Chaparral catalog lists 11-17 teeth for the front and 32-74(!!) teeth for the rear.  Unless you have a pre-1994 GS I would be careful about using their shoulder-less front sprockets.

Finally are you SURE you want to do both?  Go down in the front and up in the back?  We're talking about some frequent gear changes here!  Also, be aware that adding teeth in the back bumps the number of links you'll need to buy when you order the chain.

Ive had the bike up to 170 km/h at the top end of 5th gear. It will hit 200km/h in 6th i was told by the guy i bought it from. I only want to go 160km/h at around 7-8k in 6th. What would you recommend if not the 42t rear? Does anyone here have a 15 - 42 combo i could pm?

it will hit 200 in 6th BUT only on the speedo, not actual speed...the gs speedo is about 10 % off and showing more km/h then you are moving at

Quote from: HarbouroneIve had the bike up to 170 km/h at the top end of 5th gear.

That's what - about 105 mph?  Not bad!

Quote from: HarbouroneIt will hit 200km/h in 6th i was told by the guy i bought it from.

That's about 125mph.  Hmmmm....  That's 5 mph (indicated) faster than I've EVER been on my bike with stock gearing.  And that was downhill!  I hope you're not expecting too much "magic" from a change of sprockets.  The extra top speed comes at the cost of a tighter gear pattern and higher RPMs throughout.

Quote from: HarbouroneI only want to go 160km/h at around 7-8k in 6th.

That's 100mph - about what my stock bike will do.  I have to really push it (and be patient) to get up to that speed, but 8,000 RPM is about right with the stock sprockets and tire sizes.  If you want to get there more convincingly (faster) then the sprocket switch should do the trick.

Quote from: HarbouroneWhat would you recommend if not the 42t rear? Does anyone here have a 15 - 42 combo i could pm?

Like someone else said, I would start with the 15-tooth front sprocket.  It's cheap, it doesn't require a longer chain, and it will give you some idea of what a 3-tooth change in the rear would be like.  If it doesn't give you enough "oomph", you can always add the rear sprocket (and chain) swap later....

Im sorry if im missing something guys, but i meant that the old sprockets are chipped and the chain is strectched to the max. That is why i wanted to know about regearing for the next season, because both sprockets and the chain have to go. I have always changed them at the same time on my dirtbikes but i have never regeared them, so ill stick with changing them all at the same time. That way, a new chain doesnt get recked by bad sprockets or vice versa.

I have a 14T on the front and a stock rear
and yes my chain is tired....i might even replace it this year
it will pull out of a corner nicely  
but others usually complain that the chain has a difficult time going around a tight radius.

if you can afford an extra 20 get a stock rear(steel) and two different fronts and play around.

Quote from: HarbouroneIm sorry if im missing something guys, but i meant that the old sprockets are chipped and the chain is strectched to the max. That is why i wanted to know about regearing for the next season, because both sprockets and the chain have to go.

Oh.     In that case....  

harbourone, you have spurred me on to start something that I wanted to do a long time ago.  Judging from the way you spell "harbour" this may not do you any good (you might be in the UK, etc.) but here goes anyway:

Parts and Prices list for GS500 Chains and Sprockets

I agree with werase643.  A stock (39-tooth) steel rear sprocket and a pair of front sprockets (15-tooth and 16-tooth) should serve you well.  If you have to choose ONE front sprocket, go with a 15-tooth unit.

EDIT: Changed link from sisna.com to bbburma.net

Thanks alot kerry. I think ill order a new 15 front and 39 rear. If i get ambitious ill order a 42t later. Will i have to remove links from the chain or will it work out fine?

if you go with a bigger rear...you will have to ADD links  ....more than one master link is bad

if you get smaller fronts...you can usually just pull the rear wheel back further.

if you are un happy with stock gearing definately get a 15T and consider a 14T
fronts cost 20
rears are 40-50

But if i keep moving the rear wheel back, how will i tighten the chain when it starts to stretch?

If your current chain is stretched (worn) significantly, you'll probably recover a lot of adjustment room with a new 110-link chain.

If the "geometry lobe" of my brain is working today, each tooth that you drop in the front will move the rear wheel back about 1/2 the length of a chain link.

You should still have plenty of adjustment room until it's time to replace the chain again.

Ok, thanks Kerry. So i need to buy a 15 t a 39 t and a 110 link chain. This is an expensive project! A cobra slip on, LED tails a paintjob and a new rear tire too. Im breaking the bank here!

520 rear sprockets for SV650s fit the GS too...

Quote from: JamesG520 rear sprockets for SV650s fit the GS too...

The stock SV650/S use a 525 chain and sprockets though.

yeah, the 15t front does put some hair on the ol' gs's nads, i know frankenbike (mine) likes it, higher rpms yes, butin my opinion works great, but just putting it on, you'll have to move rear wheel back a little,
front sprocket cover comes off in like 2 minutes, remove c clip, remove gear, put on new gear, (if shouldered, to inside), replace c-clip, replace cover, adjust chain, and RIDE!!!! :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

The gearing merely changes where in the power curve you are for a given speed.  This is why lower gearing makes it feel stronger- you are more likely to be on the steeper part of the curve so a small increase in revs produces a large increase in power.  Pizzleboy is correct, though.  You will also increase fuel usage for a given trip.  If you can live with that, OK.  If you are really after better performance you also need to consider opening up the inlet (eg K&N filters), providing optimal fuel delivery (ie rejetting) and freeing up the outlet (ie a better pipe).  You might also consider the ignition advancer mod (if you're lucky you might find a V&H one, otherwise there are those here who will modify yours for you) as this also increases bottom end performance.  There is a theoretical slight loss of top end with this but I've never noticed it in real road terms.  With all these mods I am getting the same fuel consumption as stock but with more power (I think- feels like it) and am able to run a 17T front.