Decided to complete the set
(https://iili.io/nRdm52R.jpg)
Sunstar 15T, Stock 16T, Vortex 17T.
Swapping front sprockets is such a simple job on the GS that I decided to get a 17T since I'm riding on the highway 90% of the time.
Today's findings:
-Not as bad "off-the-line" as I expected and you can easily clear the intersection in first gear.
-No real surprises in the mid-range, you can always seem to find a good rpm range. Throttle response is a bit "numb"
-The combination of gears 5 and 6 cover all the bases on the highway: 5th for acceleration and 6th as an overdrive. 130-140 kph or 75-80 mph sit at 6-6.25k rpm in 6th. You can roll-on in 6th and hit 160kph at 7171rpm, but it is easier to rev to 8k in 5th.
I used a GPS app and ran 0-100kph (0-60mph)in 6.4 seconds in 3rd gear. (Lol that's real GPS speed too--my GPS shows that the Suzuki speedo is about 7-10 kph optimistic)
Anyhow, while I'm not yet sold on this as a main set-up; it definitely has its place. I'm sure most of you have experienced feeling like you have to wind the bike up just to stay with the relentless flow of an interstate or super-highway and if you tried to go the limit you would run serious risk of being run over. The 17T solves this pretty well and the bike feels more sorted and stable at the lower rpm.
I'll leave it on for the rest of the season to check gas milage and get a better feel for the mid-range gears.
What sprockets have you tried? Has anyone else tried the 17?
Check out Gearing Commander here:
https://www.gearingcommander.com/ (https://www.gearingcommander.com/)