Wilsons Sandbox

KLRers, I'm trying to decide what to do about sprockets on my 03 KLR. Stock sprockets are 15 frt and 43 rear. I have been toying with the idea of putting a 45 tooth rear sprocket on the bike so I could run a 16 front on the highway and drop to a 14 front for dirt/lower speed work. Last night I think I may have located a source for a 46 tooth rear sprocket. Figuring out ratios, that looks very appealing. By my calculations, which could be wrong, the 16/46 combination should slow my bike about 0.3% from a stock 15/43 set up. But changing to a 14/46 should drop it a whopping 14.6% for a significant increase in torque. Changing from a 15/43 (stock set up) to a 14/43 only changes the ratio about 7.2%. Do any of you folks have experience with a 46 tooth rear sprocket on a KLR 650? Anybody know if I'll need to add a link to the chain? How about sharing any downsides you perceive to using a 46 tooth rear sprocket. Here's what I came up with on ratios for different sprocket combinations. combo ratio % from stock 16/43 2.687 +6.661 16/44 2.750 +4.218 16/45 2.813 +1.920 15/43 2.866 Stock 16/46 2.875 -0.314 15/44 2.933 -2.337 15/45 3.000 -4.675 15/46 3.066 -6.978 14/43 3.071 -7.152 14/44 3.143 -9.630 14/45 3.214 -12.142 14/46 3.285 -14.619 Thanks, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

> Figuring out ratios, that looks very appealing. By my calculations, > which could be wrong, the 16/46 combination should slow my bike about > 0.3% from a stock 15/43 set up. But changing to a 14/46 should drop it a > whopping 14.6% for a significant increase in torque. Changing from a > 15/43 (stock set up) to a 14/43 only changes the ratio about 7.2%.

I don't have any input except to remind everybody of Pat's (Iron Jungle) "Calc" software, which includes GearCalc and ShimCalc. Clearly, Jeff doesn't need this software, but I know *I* would have had to use it... Mark My KLR650 Motorcycle Website: http://klr6500.tripod.com/ Our HomePage: http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html Check out Geocaching: http://www.geocaching.com

Well to me you are way over thinking this whole thing. I currently have a 15/45 on my bike, the 45 rear made it usable offroad to me, but still geared just a tad high, but its a happy mix for riding the roads too, since I do not travel on my bike 55~70 Mph is all the faster I need to go at anytime unless I have a wild hair growing out my backside that needs to have some wind blow it off. With the 15/45 I can redline at about 100 Mph indicated, which is scary enough for me on a top heavy knobby tired bike, I also used the stock chain which was long enough to fit. I have a 14t front that I plan on putting on someday to make 2nd gear even more user friendly offroad, right now its fine for trails, but not the really tight stuff, I figure 14/45 will be just about right for me, and will find out this spring. I would say seat of the pants that 16/46 would feel almost like the stock 15/43, just a little slower and a bit more torque maybe. But as many have said the rear OEM 43 tooth wears like real iron, and can go many a miles, to each there own, a rear sprocket is not very expensive nor is a cheaper chain. You high milage guys will pipe in here and give advise, but for me being a extremely low milage rider I would rather the bike to pull like a tractor offroad than be a apex burner on the highway, besides most of the fun curves on these highways/county roads are often covered with gravel/livestock droppings and muck from the tractor tires as the farmers move from field to field to be out cooking corners for me. My thoughts for you would be to get a 14t and a 16t front from Fred or whomever tickles your fancy and try all three for what maybe $40 total or something close. 14 for trails, 15 for around town and a 16 for travel. Get a good nut from Jake so changin time is reduced and can be done with smaller tools at the trail head if needed, Jake also sells self locking adjuster nuts so that task is easier also. Might as well get some of his axle pins so its a snap and go thing, or he might even sell the fancy nuts for the axles too so no pins are needed. Now if somebody made axle nuts that are prevailing torque with the same nut size with a different axle thread that would be cool too, and one wrench can turn both, mught be hard to make a prevailing torque nut with a larger outside dia however, but I am not a machinst so maybe Jake could enlighten me/us. Dooden A15 Green Ape Headed out to fire up the other Thumper now... Snow Blower.. ack

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Jeff Saline wrote: > KLRers, > > I'm trying to decide what to do about sprockets on my 03 KLR. Stock > sprockets are 15 frt and 43 rear. I have been toying with the idea of > putting a 45 tooth rear sprocket on the bike so I could run a 16 front on > the highway and drop to a 14 front for dirt/lower speed work. Last night > I think I may have located a source for a 46 tooth rear sprocket. > Figuring out ratios, that looks very appealing. By my calculations, > which could be wrong, the 16/46 combination should slow my bike about > 0.3% from a stock 15/43 set up. But changing to a 14/46 should drop it a > whopping 14.6% for a significant increase in torque. Changing from a > 15/43 (stock set up) to a 14/43 only changes the ratio about 7.2%. > > Do any of you folks have experience with a 46 tooth rear sprocket on a > KLR 650? > > Anybody know if I'll need to add a link to the chain? > > How about sharing any downsides you perceive to using a 46 tooth rear > sprocket. > > Here's what I came up with on ratios for different sprocket combinations. > > combo ratio % from stock > 16/43 2.687 +6.661 > 16/44 2.750 +4.218 > 16/45 2.813 +1.920 > 15/43 2.866 Stock > 16/46 2.875 -0.314 > 15/44 2.933 -2.337 > 15/45 3.000 -4.675 > 15/46 3.066 -6.978 > 14/43 3.071 -7.152 > 14/44 3.143 -9.630 > 14/45 3.214 -12.142 > 14/46 3.285 -14.619 > > Thanks, > > Jeff Saline > ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal > Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org > The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota > 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

> -----Original Message----- > From: Jeff Saline [mailto:salinej1@...] > Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 7:11 AM > To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [DSN_klr650] Sprocket Questions > > KLRers, > > I'm trying to decide what to do about sprockets on my 03 KLR. Stock > sprockets are 15 frt and 43 rear. I have been toying with the idea of > putting a 45 tooth rear sprocket on the bike so I could run a 16 front on > the highway and drop to a 14 front for dirt/lower speed work. Last night > I think I may have located a source for a 46 tooth rear sprocket. > Figuring out ratios, that looks very appealing. By my calculations, > which could be wrong, the 16/46 combination should slow my bike about > 0.3% from a stock 15/43 set up. But changing to a 14/46 should drop it a > whopping 14.6% for a significant increase in torque. Changing from a > 15/43 (stock set up) to a 14/43 only changes the ratio about 7.2%. > > Do any of you folks have experience with a 46 tooth rear sprocket on a > KLR 650? > > Anybody know if I'll need to add a link to the chain? > > How about sharing any downsides you perceive to using a 46 tooth rear > sprocket. > > Here's what I came up with on ratios for different sprocket combinations. > > combo ratio % from stock > 16/43 2.687 +6.661 > 16/44 2.750 +4.218 > 16/45 2.813 +1.920 > 15/43 2.866 Stock > 16/46 2.875 -0.314 > 15/44 2.933 -2.337 > 15/45 3.000 -4.675 > 15/46 3.066 -6.978 > 14/43 3.071 -7.152 > 14/44 3.143 -9.630 > 14/45 3.214 -12.142 > 14/46 3.285 -14.619 > > Thanks, > > Jeff Saline > ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal > Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org > The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota > 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT >

---------------------- Or, you could get a 13T front and get the same relative benefit using the stock rear sprocket. Just a thought - I use 14, 15 and 16t fronts w/ my stock rear. The 14t has been good enough for technical areas, so far, and still allow me to get home on the street without buzzing the motor to death. Oh, and I still have the same 106 link chain sizing. Mike Torst Las Vegas

On Tue, 2004-02-03 at 16:04, Mike Torst wrote:

> Or, you could get a 13T front and get the same relative benefit using the > stock rear sprocket. > > Just a thought - I use 14, 15 and 16t fronts w/ my stock rear. The 14t has > been good enough for technical areas, so far, and still allow me to get home > on the street without buzzing the motor to death. Oh, and I still have the > same 106 link chain sizing.

The 13/43 combo is fine for the rides to/from the dirt as well. I didn't notice much difference in gas mileage, nor does the RPM change bother me that much. It does limit your top speed, but my driving record could use the rest. Watch out with that combo and a 106L chain, you'll eat you inner fender unless it's been completely trimmed off. Oh and 13/43 rocks offroad. Z DC A5X A12X

"Dooden" wrote: Well to me you are way over thinking this whole thing. I currently have a 15/45 on my bike, the 45 rear made it usable offroad to me, but still geared just a tad high, but its a happy mix for riding the roads too... >>>SNIP >>>SNIP