high winds and coasting issue

[imperial-4776@webtv.net]

Hello Everyone Right now, I have the stock front sprocket on my KLR. What way do I go, up or down a tooth, to make my bike perform better in tight and steep terrain ?, so far I have been slipping the clutch and using the throttle to give me that bit more power, when in a tricky situation, but I know this isn't the best thing to keep on doing. Also, can the original chain be used with a different sprocket, or will I have to either add or remove a link ? What do the people that have changed their sprockets think of the difference, Good v Bad ? To be honest I only intend to use a different f/s for event riding if the improvement is worth it. TIA Dave Salem OR 2000 KLR650 Green SpitFire

[Mark St.Hilaire, Sr]

> Right now, I have the stock front sprocket on my KLR. What way do I go, > up or down a tooth, to make my bike perform better in tight and steep > terrain ?, so far I have been slipping the clutch and using the throttle > to give me that bit more power, when in a tricky situation, but I know > this isn't the best thing to keep on doing.

I just changed my sprocket from stock to a 16 tooth for better highway performance, so I think I'd be safe in saying that DOWN is the way you'd go for improved torque and low end power. I found I had to move my rear wheel more toward the front of the bike with the larger 16T sprocket, but not much. If you don't go TOO far down, you may still be OK with the stock chain... Wise men still seek Him... Mark St.Hilaire, Sr A15 HomePage: http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html KLR650 Pages: http://klr6500.tripod.com/ Valve Check & Adjustment Guide: http://klr6500.tripod.com/valves.html

[Zachariah Mully]

> sprocket, but > not much. If you don't go TOO far down, you may still be OK > with the stock > chain...

Both a 14T and 13T don't require a new chain, though you must, of course, adjust your chain after changing the FS. For stupid low gearing, try a 13T, it is fabu in the rough stuff. Z

[guymanbro]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., imperial-4776@w... wrote:

> Hello Everyone > > Right now, I have the stock front sprocket on my KLR. What way do I

go, up or down a tooth, to make my bike perform better in tight and steep terrain ?, > Down in front or up in the rear. You can use the stock chain if you only go down one tooth on the front, and that's probably gonna be enough. dat brooklyn bum

[texklr]

Greetings - I just changed my front sprocket to a 16 tooth and was surprised at how little effect it had. (ex.) With stock sprocket 4,000 rpm = 59 mph. Now 4,000 rpm = 61 mph. Is this what you others have experienced with the change? Thanks for the feedback. Jim 01 KLR650 97 PC800

[Mark St.Hilaire, Sr]

> Greetings - I just changed my front sprocket to a 16 tooth and was > surprised at how little effect it had. (ex.) With stock sprocket > 4,000 rpm = 59 mph. Now 4,000 rpm = 61 mph. Is this what you others > have experienced with the change? Thanks for the feedback.

Same thing here. Having just done this same thing myself, I was keeping the results "under my hat" because I was sure I had read on this list that the 60mph @ 4000rpm with the stock sprocket would become 70mph @ 4000rpm with the 16 tooth, and I've been thinking about the reasons why I didn't get the "posted" results. I would imagine that coming DOWN in size with the REAR sprocket would actually DO something, but the front sprocket seemed so much easier and cheaper to deal with. Clearly, whether the speedo & tach are off is academic, because it would still indicate a change. So, unless we're missing something here, are you 70 @ 4000 guys living in a fantasy world, or what? Wise men still seek Him... Mark St.Hilaire, Sr A15 HomePage: http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html KLR650 Pages: http://klr6500.tripod.com/ Valve Check & Adjustment Guide: http://klr6500.tripod.com/valves.html

[Mark St.Hilaire, Sr]

> How much of a difference did that make on the highway? > Matthew > A15

I just posted a reply on this - it didn't make much, if any difference. I thought I was nuts, according to the 10mph gain that I know I read about on this list. It makes more sense, to me at least, that going DOWN on the REAR sprocket would be the way to get better road performance, not UP on the FRONT sprocket. I didn't want to argue with experience, but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have just stuck with logic. Clearly, after a good test drive, I've gained almost nothing - (except a new sprocket.) Wise men still seek Him... Mark St.Hilaire, Sr A15 HomePage: http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html KLR650 Pages: http://klr6500.tripod.com/ Valve Check & Adjustment Guide: http://klr6500.tripod.com/valves.html

[Tengai650]

At 11:39 PM -0500 12/10/01, Mark St.Hilaire, Sr wrote:

> > Greetings - I just changed my front sprocket to a 16 tooth and was > > surprised at how little effect it had. (ex.) With stock sprocket > > 4,000 rpm = 59 mph. Now 4,000 rpm = 61 mph. Is this what you others > > have experienced with the change? Thanks for the feedback. > >Same thing here. Having just done this same thing myself, I was keeping >the results "under my hat" because I was sure I had read on this list that >the 60mph @ 4000rpm with the stock sprocket would become 70mph @ 4000rpm >with the 16 tooth, and I've been thinking about the reasons why I didn't >get the "posted" results. I would imagine that coming DOWN in size with >the REAR sprocket would actually DO something, but the front sprocket >seemed so much easier and cheaper to deal with. Clearly, whether the >speedo & tach are off is academic, because it would still indicate a >change. > >So, unless we're missing something here, are you 70 @ 4000 guys living in >a fantasy world, or what?

Perhaps you guys are experiencing some minor clutch slippage (either worn or cable is too tight)? I'm getting ~64 mph at 4000rpm with the 16T. Mark B2 A2 A3

[Tom Roper]

> Perhaps you guys are experiencing some minor clutch slippage (either > worn or cable is too tight)? I'm getting ~64 mph at 4000rpm with the > 16T. > Mark

Me too. Tom Roper '98 Concours '02 KLR 650 Mo.

[Ryan Newman]

> on this list. It makes more sense, to me at least, that going DOWN on the > REAR sprocket would be the way to get better road performance, not UP on > the FRONT sprocket.

Using a larger front sprocket or a smaller rear one, does the exact same thing. But to get the same effect, you have to change a few teeth on the rear, to equal one on the front. They will both get you a higher top speed (lower rpm's at speed). Ryan