lower gearing anyone?

[sunny]

Anyone gone down a tooth on the front sprocket on a 955? How much top end did you loose? ie i get to 110 easy now but what after the mod can i expect? Is the extra chain slack noticeble enough to necessitate removing a link?  :P

[abell]

I have to say I wouldn't do this with the Tiger, I wouldn't want to increase the RPMs at 80/90.



But based on my experience with the Daytona I'd say going up a couple of teeth on the back is worth a go, you might like it. The difference is not as dramatic as all that but it's definitely tangible.

[BykBoy]

Anyone gone down a tooth on the front sprocket on a 955? How much top end did you loose? ie i get to 110 easy now but what after the mod can i expect? Is the extra chain slack noticeble enough to necessitate removing a link?  :P

I went up one tooth, down one and down two on my 955i cat. No need to remove or add any links to the chain at any size. Takes only 10-15 min to change front sprockets so i think that's the way to go.



I used to commute on the cat to NY once a week so I got the 19 tooth front sprocket. Coursing was nice and comfortable with low RPMs at highway speeds, fuel consumption was great, and I still had to lean forward when I grabbed a handful of throttle.



I went down to a 17 tooth sprocket for some extra oomph. Everything you would expect, just not as dramatic as you think÷ Maybe 500 RPM higher at same speed, a little quicker off the blocks, 20-30 miles less range. You know, stuff like that÷



I currently use the 16 tooth sprocket since I only ride around town and I prefer the pickup and acceleration. I donÌt mind revving the engine, although I would if I was riding on the highway every day. Fuel consumption sucks (especially since I keep popping wheelies everywhere). But I donÌt really mind since my daily commute is only 3 miles.



When I move farther away from work, IÌll probably stick with the 18 tooth to make my commute more relaxing and discourage me from riding like a hooligan.



CanÌt really tell what top end is, although I can say IÌve been up to 110 on all sprockets. Obviously, higher tooth count  = more comfort, longer range; lower tooth count = more acceleration, more shifting, oh, and more wheelies.

[Mudhen]

Where did you buy the sprockets?

[BP_LONDON]

I can't wheelie my Tiger, but would love to learn... :oops:  :shock:  :twisted:

[BykBoy]

Where did you buy the sprockets?

http://www.sprocketspecialists.com/html ... main.shtml (http://www.sprocketspecialists.com/html/sprocketmain.shtml)



Call them and tell them what you're looking for.

[BykBoy]

I can't wheelie my Tiger, but would love to learn... :oops:  :shock:  :twisted:

Get the 16 tooth and you will be able to wheelie even with a full tank and a tank bag on top!

[robbo]

I went down to a 17 tooth front sprocket last summer. At first I thought it was great, I didn??t notice much difference in the top speed or fuel consumption and the bike felt much more lively. I changed back eventually because I just got a bit sick of it. If you think the gearing on the Tiger is to close together now wait till you feel it with a smaller front sprocket.

[sunny]

Thanks for the replies chaps. Think i'll give it a go for the sake of a tenner but ive put down as a low priority job :)

[knarf]

I think the tiger is fine as is, maybe I'm just getting old ..cough..

[BP_LONDON]

I think the tiger is fine as is, maybe I'm just getting old ..cough..

Agreed

[Slim Dave]

... Takes only 10-15 min to change front sprockets so i think that's the way to go....

Really? Hmmm, sounds like the sort of thing that could be handy then for swapping between a weekday commute configuration and a weekend dirt track exploration. Does it seem like the sort of job that might cause wearing problems if you did it too frequently?

[abell]

Yes it could introduce wear issues.

[BykBoy]

Does it seem like the sort of job that might cause wearing problems if you did it too frequently?

The bolt that holds the sprocket in place has a metal fastener that has to be unbent when opening the bolt and bent back on when closing the bolt. I guess itÌs there to make sure the bolt does not get undone÷ I donÌt know if that metal brace has a limit to how many times it can be bent and re-bent÷ That is the only issue I can see with doing this on a weekly basis. Other then that, itÌs just a matter of loosening and tightening up 9 bolts (6 for the sprocket cover, 2 for the rear chain fastener thingy, and the big ass sprocket bolt). I f you have a center stand, itÌs really easy.

[Slim Dave]

Thanks guys.