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Old 01-07-2019, 04:57 PM   #25 (permalink)
woodsrat
Beginner Ecomodder
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Indianapolis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Moore View Post
If you look in chain catalogs you'll find that most manufacturers would like 17T to be about the smallest sprocket used. Overly-small sprockets do not make for happy chains...

Not that anyone here would use one but I had a 10t. sprocket on my Honda Reflex trials bike and I think I have a 9t. sprocket in the garage I bought for a trials-ish Honda C-100 build. These are really hard on the chain and obviously don't last long.

Custom rear sprockets are expensive but I use them all the time on my projects. I get mine from Rebel Gears in Tennessee and their products have been excellent. If you run out of room on the front start dropping three teeth on the rear which will give you the same result as increasing one tooth on the front.

While some motors get better mileage at lower RPM's some bikes actually get better mileage pulling more revs. Some of this may have to do with having to run more throttle to pull the "taller" (lower numerically) gearing.

Gearing is the one factor that's greatly overlooked in the motorcycle world and a relatively inexpensive way to change the way your bike runs. There's a reason serious racers have a bunch of different sprockets in their trailer.
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