Change your GEARING!

[China Greg]

I went from a 14-tooth front sprocket (stock, right?) to a 16.

Awesome! The bike feels like it has a Sixth gear on the highway, I save on gas, and it STILL does nice, roll-on wheelies!

[Dragbike]

I change my spockets in drag racing all the time, years ago when all my friends bought 5 speed rubber mount EVO harleys
and I had my old 4 speed Super Glide. They all wanted to run 80mph down the Highway and my teeth would vibrate out of my mouth, so I droped 10teeth on the rear. Now sometimes when we ride I take the Bandit and I am already sat down and ready to eat when they get there to eat
here is a conversion table to help, to make it simple take the rear divided by the front IE. 42 divided by 16 is 2.63 ratio
you can have a 14 by 37 and have a 2.64 ratio

Sprocket Ratio Calculator
Rear
Sprocket        Front Sprocket
            12        13        14        15        16       17       18
32       2.67     2.46     2.28     2.13     2.00     1.88     1.78
33       2.75     2.54     2.36     2.20     2.06     1.94     1.83
34       2.83     2.62     2.43     2.27     2.13     2.00     1.89
35       2.92     2.69     2.50     2.33     2.19     2.06     1.95
36       3.00     2.77     2.57     2.40     2.25     2.12     2.00
37       3.08     2.85     2.64     2.47     2.31     2.18     2.06
38       3.17     2.92     2.71     2.53     2.38     2.24     2.11
39       3.25     3.00     2.79     2.60     2.44     2.29     2.17
40       3.33     3.08     2.86     2.67     2.50     2.35     2.22
41       3.42     3.15     2.93     2.73     2.56     2.41     2.28
42       3.50     3.23     3.00     2.80     2.63     2.47     2.34
43       3.58     3.31     3.07     2.87     2.69     2.53     2.39
44       3.67     3.38     3.14     2.93     2.75     2.59     2.44
45       3.75     3.46     3.21     3.00     2.81     2.65     2.50
46       3.83     3.54     3.29     3.07     2.88     2.71     2.56
47       3.92     3.62     3.36     3.13     2.94     2.76     2.61
48       4.00     3.69     3.43     3.20     3.00     2.82     2.67
49       4.08     3.77     3.50     3.27     3.06     2.88     2.72
50       4.17     3.85     3.57     3.33     3.13     2.94     2.77
51       4.25     3.92     3.64     3.40     3.19     3.00     2.83
52       4.33     4.00     3.71     3.47     3.25     3.06     2.89
See Ya
Brent

[China Greg]

Thanks for the table Brent...

But can you explain the ratio thing a little more?
I mean, of course, if you go larger in the front (or smaller in the rear) you'll increase your top speed and reduce your off-the-line Crank. Smaller in front or larger in the back will net the opposite.

But I'm learning that changing two teeth on the front ISN'T directly the same  effect as two teeth on the rear. Right?

Any help here?
[Duhhh..]

[Have Blue]

I've been running 16/44 on my 03 B12 for a long time.  My reason was the speedometer error with the stock 15/45 sprockets.  The speedo runs off a sensor on the countershaft sprocket and indicates higher than actual speed by about 8-9%.  Changing from a stock 3:1 overall to my 2.75:1 overall gives an 8% increase in actual speed for any given indicated speed.  Consequently, my stock speedometer is now accurate.  One would think it would also lower your rpm, but it does not because  previously, you would have been traveling at 3000 rpm and indicating 60 mph while having an actual speed of 55 mph.  With the corrected gearing, you will still show 3000 rpm with 60 mph on the speedo, but you will actually be going 60 mph.

Earl

[Red01]

I went from a 14-tooth front sprocket (stock, right?) to a 16.

Stock gearing on a B12 is 15/45.

[pmackie]

Hey Gyro

But can you explain the ratio thing a little more?
I mean, of course, if you go larger in the front (or smaller in the rear) you'll increase your top speed and reduce your off-the-line Crank. Smaller in front or larger in the back will net the opposite.

But I'm learning that changing two teeth on the front ISN'T directly the same  effect as two teeth on the rear. Right?

So...of course, with stock being 15 teeth and rear being 45 teeth, then you have a 1/3 ratio. Then...changing up or down 1 tooth on the front is effectively similar to changing up or down 3 teeth of the rear. The math makes it a little different, but we'd be picking nits then.

[China Greg]

Yes, Paul, that explains it better (a little more, anyway!).

I previously tried a one-tooth smaller change in the back... which had less results than a subsequent one-tooth increase in the front .

PS... somehow I've started two different threads that are slowly oozing together...
If anyone is interested in chains/sprockets, the cheapest supply I've yet found online for a DID ZVM2 chain... with sprockets, is at a site called SPROCKETCENTER.com.  $154 for the chain; $220 includes AFAM sprockets, ($204 for unnamed-brand sprockets). Have not dealt with them as yet.
That DID chain ranges in price up to about $220 at Amazon.com. (CHAINS at AMAZON?)

[gearjammer]

I'm up for a chain/sprocket change too and have been running my B12 on 15/45 which is stock. Has anybody tried a 15/46 or 14/45.  Im purchasing a DID 530VM instead of the 530ZVM2 (recession) which I have on my bike right now, excellent chain that ZVM2.

I looked at the DID specs, and the overall tensile strengths between the chains is less than 1kN. I know these things are designed with a factor of safety of atleast 1.5 so technically no diff b/n the chains in terms of the 100hp from the bandit.

[China Greg]

I'm on a 16 front and 45 rear  these days.
I've found it gives me that SIXTH GEAR feeling on the highway, improves my gas mileage, and I can still roll-on fine wheelies.

The only problem is that the sprocket-cover has one mounting boss (the rear-ward one, I think) that needs to have it's side filed down slightly to make the necessary clearance. I've done that, and there doesn't seem to be any loss of function anywhere.
Love the 16/45 combo!

[solman]

I couldn't imagine going with a higher gearing.  I added two teeth to the rear and find it perfect.  Better acceleration and only added about 200 rpms to cruising.  I like to ride aggressively and I had stock gearing back on for a while.  I abosolutely hated it.  It didn't have the pull and I never felt that I had the right gear.

[China Greg]

I couldn't imagine going with a higher gearing. 

For me, it's perfect, because I do a lot of fast, distance riding, as well as daily around-town stuff.
I just came off the bike a few minutes ago after a full-day's ride; with the higher gearing it PUUULLLLS longer up the speedo, and shifts the meat of the torque curve into a slightly higher MPH range.

Now there's something THERE when you reach for that Sixth gear!

[gearjammer]

I think I will go with the 15/47 combo. Noticed that the 3:1 doesnt help out on tight tracks like grattan. Maybe Ill now be able to loft the wheel powering out of corners!

Anybody see these sprockets, they look badass but cost a bit.

http://www.supersproxusa.com/index.php

[gearjammer]

I ordered the 530vm with AFAM front 15t and rear 47t. Lets see how that turns out. Always had 15/45 on mine so Im curious to see how she runs. I ordered the 120links. There was no mention of it coming with the connecting link and I cant remember if my previous ZVM2 came with one 3 years ago.

[solman]

Stock length for the Bandit is 110 links.  If you add two teeth to the rear, you will have to add two links.  If you try stock length with a new chain, it will not work with a 47 tooth sprocket.  As a side note, I look at the sight and I am interested, but no 47 tooth sprocket.  I really like the 47, but they go from 45 to 48. 

[mademiriam]

I went -1 , +2 in the back this year, and love it as well. But now my speedo is out...but it does accelerate faster, I rather like it and it will pull to redline easily rather than getting a bit sluggish in 4 and 5. Mind you it's no R1 or anything but it accelerates nicely.