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18T front sprocket...


bartonmd

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OK, so I know Joe has done this and said it was OK, but I'm curious as to exactly what everyone thinks about it...

1. Mileage increase?

2. there are a Ton of variables to this, but chains last longer? (bigger radius, not as much wear)

3. Acceleration from a stop?

4. top gear roll-on power?

5. It makes the speedo about right doesn't it?

6. Anything else?

Edited to add: 7. Is stop and go traffic harder because of a higher "clutch out at idle" speed?

Thanks,

Mike

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Guest rockmeupto125
OK, so I know Joe has done this and said it was OK, but I'm curious as to exactly what everyone thinks about it...

1. Mileage increase?

2. there are a Ton of variables to this, but chains last longer? (bigger radius, not as much wear)

3. Acceleration from a stop?

4. top gear roll-on power?

5. It makes the speedo about right doesn't it?

6. Anything else?

Thanks,

Mike

1. No...you'll still go the same distance.

2. A Ton is way more than twice the weight of even a fully-laden XX, so I'd expect chain life to suffer.

3. Absolutely. Momentum is maintained, as well.

4. Yep. Got that, too.

5. Just about.

7. Pie

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OK, so I know Joe has done this and said it was OK, but I'm curious as to exactly what everyone thinks about it...

1. Mileage increase?

2. there are a Ton of variables to this, but chains last longer? (bigger radius, not as much wear)

3. Acceleration from a stop?

4. top gear roll-on power?

5. It makes the speedo about right doesn't it?

6. Anything else?

Thanks,

Mike

1. No...you'll still go the same distance.

2. A Ton is way more than twice the weight of even a fully-laden XX, so I'd expect chain life to suffer.

3. Absolutely. Momentum is maintained, as well.

4. Yep. Got that, too.

5. Just about.

7. Pie

WOW, thanks Joe! :rolleyes::lol:

Mike

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Guest rockmeupto125

Okay...you know I had to do that.

1. 10-12% better mileage.

2. I doubt it. I think the radius thing is highly over considered. In the real world...no.

3. I'm fine with it. I ran the dragstrip at NeXXT last year and did okay...and I'm not exactly a lightweight.

4. Noticable, especially down in the 55mph zone, or in the big hills like the Rockies. Downshift.

5. Perrrrfect.

6. The fun of knowing while everyone else is dropping a tooth, you're getting along fine by going the opposite direction, and getting the benefits of better fuel mileage, less engine wear, and a quieter ride. The throttle sensitivity at lower speeds is reduced. I don't know if I'd care to do some of those European switchback tricks, but I have no problem with luggage and a passenger under normal conditions.

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Okay...you know I had to do that.

1. 10-12% better mileage.

2. I doubt it. I think the radius thing is highly over considered. In the real world...no.

3. I'm fine with it. I ran the dragstrip at NeXXT last year and did okay...and I'm not exactly a lightweight.

4. Noticable, especially down in the 55mph zone, or in the big hills like the Rockies. Downshift.

5. Perrrrfect.

6. The fun of knowing while everyone else is dropping a tooth, you're getting along fine by going the opposite direction, and getting the benefits of better fuel mileage, less engine wear, and a quieter ride. The throttle sensitivity at lower speeds is reduced. I don't know if I'd care to do some of those European switchback tricks, but I have no problem with luggage and a passenger under normal conditions.

Yeah... I know you had to do that! :P

Very good information!

Just a couple more I thought of though...

8. same 110 link chain?

9. good brand and/or counterbalanced factory sprocket?

Thanks,

Mike

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no need to change a good chain.

Counterbalanced? WTF?

I use dumb old AFAM's. They work. Its a pointy piece of steel.

Sorry... not counterbalanced... rubber damped... WOW, that was bad...

I actually ask because I'm thinking of going to an 18t front when I change chains sometime in the not too distant future (when it gets right down to it, most of my miles are commuting highway, or riding to meets on the highway, and I've never pulled a stump out or anything, so I don't need any more power in first gear)... My chain's got almost 23k on it, and wasn't really well maintained (at all) the first 5k miles before I got it... It's still not kinking and rolls freely, but I'll probably change it before either OzarXX or definately SeXXt... I've gotten good life out of it even at this point considering all the sand and rain and shit I ride in around here...

Mike

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How many times are you going to adjust the new chain at SeXXt this year?

Someone got a spare axle?

:pokingfinger:

:P

Actually, if I ever get around to getting my old one re-tapped, I have a spare axle...

Also, I wouldn't have adjusted it at all except I had just put my new tire on the day before we left and didn't tighten down the adjusters after I tightened down the axle... oops :o so I had like 2-1/2" of chain slack when we got there... DOH!

Mike

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Guest rockmeupto125

Change your chain when you change the sprocket. Get it done and out of the way before summer, have the best fit to your new front sprocket, and decrease the concern you should have for an aging, well-used chain taking an expensive exit path from your service......

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Change your chain when you change the sprocket. Get it done and out of the way before summer, have the best fit to your new front sprocket, and decrease the concern you should have for an aging, well-used chain taking an expensive exit path from your service......

Yep, that's the plan... I'm going to wait until the sand and salt it mostly off the roads (another month and a half maybe), but this chain is in SUPRISINGLY good shape... No rust starting to come from the links, no kinks, I'm not in the "new" part, but I'm on the "new" side of the green, it hasn't needed any adjustment in the last couple thousand miles since I put my new rear PR on, and it didn't even need adjusted then, but I went ahead and did it anyway by way of changing the rear tire... I haven't actually "adjusted" the chain since probably August... and I'm probably just commuting until mid-march anyway, so it shouldn't be a big deal... maybe another 1500 miles on the chain...

BTW, I always try and keep my tension "right" and lube the shit out of it with the Honda stuff every 200-300 miles, or whenever the film is getting thin/worn off the rollers...

I hate to throw away a chain that seems perfectly fine, but I'd rather trash maybe $25 worth of good chain life than lunch a set of engine cases...

Mike

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  • 1 month later...

Nope, haven't done it yet... soon though...

Haven't tried power wheelieing in first (I assume you mean chopping the throttle and gassing it?), but it'll hang the front tire ~3-5" off the ground through the top end of first with me crunched down... That's a "barely, depends on the weather" thing though...

I will post up and let yous guys know what it's like in a few weeks though... I will need to borrow a chain tool from somebody in the mean time... time to PM Rich I think...

Mike

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Can you still power wheelie in 1st gear? That's a must. :icon_clap:

I can't imagine that the 18T would hold back the XX from poewr wheelies in first gear. I want the 16T so I can do that in Second gear!

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Haven't tried power wheelieing in first (I assume you mean chopping the throttle and gassing it?)

Mike

No chopping necessary. Just roll on to the stop at 2k rpm and at 7k rpm it's clawing for the sky.

When there's more weight on top of something, it wants to tip backwards... I weigh 180lbs, and any time I'm on it, I'm laying on the tank, so I don't know...

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I finally got around to doing it!

I actually like it better than stock!

-Low speed on/off transitions are smoother

-I can downshift to first for really slow corners where I'd just chug second out before

-It'll still "skip" the front tire with me leaning forward WFO in first (off the ground enough that the bars go loose, then they'll straighten up again, then loose again, etc)

-I always thought that, for the corners around here anyway, that 4th was a little low of a ratio (low rpm at speed) and third was a little high ratio, but now third is about right for getting on it out of corners at a "good" pace.

-Power seems to be nearly uneffected other than the top gear roll-on is a little bit less, and MAYBE there is a LITTLE bit more clutch action from a stop, but even with a passenger, the thing's still got enough power that it's not a problem at all!

Overall, I like it!

Mike

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As an asside, my 1/4 mile times are consistantly between 1 and 3mph faster and up to .05 seconds shorter this season with the 18T than last season with the 17T!

As a disclaimer, I am not launching different or anything, but I am running 5W40 oil instead of 10W40 that I was last season, and the chain's new, but the old one probably rolled easier... Everything else is the same other than this tire has more tread on it (is heavier) than the one I was on last season...

Mike

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I'm glad to hear you like your 18t. I got an 18t about 2 months ago and haven't put it on yet. Many of my favorite local roads are not real tight and first gear is really wound tight and second gear is not wound as tight as I like it so, I thought perhaps a taller first gear would make my local roads just about right!! I had a 16 tooth and found low gear useless in the twisties. Good for wheelstands but even the 17t would pull the front wheel off with ease. Maybe the 18 will still pull it off enough to keep me happy? If not, the 954 certainly will.

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The only reason I DID'NT go to an 18 tooth is yes the speedo reads slow but the odometer is dead nuts.

Even if the odo. was also slow, you won't notice the MPG increase because that will be changed by reading less miles.

I've got a new DID ZVM2 gold chain (BLING) and 17T AFAM sprocket on the way from White Buffalo.

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The only reason I DID'NT go to an 18 tooth is yes the speedo reads slow but the odometer is dead nuts.

Even if the odo. was also slow, you won't notice the MPG increase because that will be changed by reading less miles.

I've got a new DID ZVM2 gold chain (BLING) and 17T AFAM sprocket on the way from White Buffalo.

Pete,

Yes, this is true, but I didn't do it for the speedo... I did it for the gas mileage and engine wear (I do spend literally, 90% of my time on the highway, where the 17T is somewhat over-geared), along with it putting the ratios where I like them for running corners... I keep a good maintanence log, so I know exactly when to start figuring the mileage up by 8%...

Mike

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