Gearing Tall

[ari211]

Hello Yall.

Im a newbie, and glad to join!

I just posted my question but I think I may have done it in the wrong area.
Has anyone geared up their bikes for extended highway riding. I want to haul ass back to Cape Cod Ma from San Diego and I feel bad holding my bike at 7000 all day.

Another question: anyone out there with a 600 wheelying the thing, or is that strictly for the big boys?

[flip]

I'm running a 16 tooth front sprocket on my 96 b6. That lowered the rpm's by about 300 at 60mph. I'm going to put a 46 tooth sprocket on the back when I replace my chain. That will knock off about 200 rpm's at 60 mph. My front wheel does come up when accelerating but not very high.

[SHREDDER]

That's perfectly normal for a B6 to rev high at those speeds.  A few years back I rode my B6 from San Francisco to NJ in 4 days with the stock sprockets and it did just fine.  Putting in a taller gearing may force you to sacrifice things like off the line acceleration and top end roll on.  I noticed your from Truro, I head up there once or twice a year for striper fishing what a great place!

[chupacabra]

My 6 wheelies nice and I don't even have to clutch it!
I have a 50 on the back...lol.

[tacoman]

Do you have a jet kit/ignition advancer in?  After I did the stage one mod on my B6 first gear was worthless.  I could cruise around town in 6th.  I went up one tooth on the front and dropped two in the rear.  I think its a lot better.  It doesn't have the jump taking off from a standstill but once underway its fine.

[ari211]

Cool guys, thanks for the replies.
As of yet I haven't modified a damn thing, I was too busy riding it. But after reading about all the suspension upgrades available at moderate prices (and realizing how crappy my stock stuff is anyway) im going to start in on that.

[ari211]

With stock gearing I cruise an indicated 80 mph at about 6,500 rpm. If I wanted to go 80 and only be turning 5,800-6,000, what size sprockets front and rear would I need?

[Bob Holland]

This is stock gearing for the Bandit 1200
INPUTS      1998 GSF1200S Bandit Gearing Calculator        
Front Sprocket (Teeth) 15          
Rear Sprocket (Teeth)  45          
Final Ratio   3.00          
Primary Ratio 1.565          
Rear Tire Diameter (inches)  24.79          
Tire Circumference (Inches)  77.88          
GEAR 1  2  3  4  5
Internal Gear Ratio   2.384 1.631 1.250 1.045 0.913
Overall Gear Ratio   11.193   7.658 5.869 4.906 4.287
 RPM  MPH   MPH   MPH   MPH   MPH
 1,500  9.9   14.4  18.8  22.5  25.8
 2,000    13.2  19.3  25.1  30.1  34.4
 2,500    16.5  24.1  31.4  37.6  43.0
 3,000    19.8  28.9  37.7  45.1  51.6
 3,500    23.1  33.7  44.0  52.6  60.2
 4,000    26.4  38.5  50.3  60.1  68.8
 4,500    29.7  43.3  56.5  67.6  77.4
 5,000    32.9  48.2  62.8  75.2  86.0
 5,500    36.2  53.0  69.1  82.7  94.6
 6,000    39.5  57.8  75.4  90.2  103.2
 6,500   42.8  62.6  81.7  97.7  111.8
 7,000   46.1  67.4  88.0  105.2 120.4
 7,100   46.8  68.4  89.2  106.7 122.2
 7,200   47.4  69.3  90.5  108.2 123.9
 7,300   48.1  70.3  91.7  109.7 125.6
 7,400   48.8  71.3  93.0  111.2 127.3
 7,500   49.4  72.2  94.2  112.7 129.0
 7,600   50.1  73.2  95.5  114.2 130.8
 7,700   50.7  74.2  96.8  115.7 132.5
 7,800   51.4  75.1  98.0  117.2 134.2
 7,900   52.1  76.1  99.3  118.8 135.9
 8,000   52.7  77.0  100.5 120.3 137.6
 8,100   53.4  78.0  101.8 121.8 139.4
 8,200   54.0  79.0  103.0 123.3 141.1
 8,300   54.7  79.9  104.3 124.8 142.8
 8,400   55.3  80.9  105.6 126.3 144.5
 8,500   56.0  81.9  106.8 127.8 146.2
 8,600   56.7  82.8  108.1 129.3 148.0
 8,700   57.3  83.8  109.3 130.8 149.7
 8,800   58.0  84.8  110.6 132.3 151.4
 8,900   58.6  85.7  111.8 133.8 153.1
 9,000   59.3  86.7  113.1 135.3 154.8
 9,100   60.0  87.6  114.4 136.8 156.6
 9,200   60.6  88.6  115.6 138.3 158.3
 9,300   61.3  89.6  116.9 139.8 160.0
 9,400   61.9  90.5  118.1 141.3 161.7
 9,500   62.6  91.5  119.4 142.8 163.4
 9,600   63.3  92.5  120.6 144.3 165.2
 9,700   63.9  93.4  121.9 145.8 166.9
 9,800   64.6  94.4  123.2 147.3 168.6
 9,900   65.2  95.3  124.4 148.8 170.3
 10,000  65.9  96.3  125.7 150.3 172.1
 10,100  66.5  97.3  126.9 151.8 173.8
 10,200  67.2  98.2  128.2 153.3 175.5
 10,300  67.9  99.2  129.4 154.8 177.2
 10,400  68.5  100.2 130.7 156.3 178.9
 10,500  69.2  101.1 131.9 157.8 180.7

[Bob Holland]

This is for the 600, tire size will make a difference

INPUTS    GSF600 Bandit Gearing Calculator          
Front Sprocket (Teeth) 15            
Rear Sprocket (Teeth)  48            
Final Ratio   3.20              
Primary Ratio 1.744            
Rear Tire Diameter (inches)  24.79            
Tire Circumference (Inches)  77.88            
GEAR 1  2  3  4  5  6
Internal Gear Ratio   3.083 2.062 1.647 1.400 1.227 1.095
Overall Gear Ratio   17.206   11.508   9.192 7.813 6.848 6.111
 RPM  MPH   MPH   MPH   MPH   MPH   MPH
 1,500  6.4   9.6   12.0  14.2  16.2  18.1
 2,000    8.6   12.8  16.0  18.9  21.5  24.1
 2,500    10.7  16.0  20.1  23.6  26.9  30.2
 3,000    12.9  19.2  24.1  28.3  32.3  36.2
 3,500    15.0  22.4  28.1  33.0  37.7  42.2
 4,000    17.1  25.6  32.1  37.8  43.1  48.3
 4,500    19.3  28.8  36.1  42.5  48.5  54.3
 5,000    21.4  32.0  40.1  47.2  53.9  60.3
 5,500    23.6  35.2  44.1  51.9  59.2  66.4
 6,000    25.7  38.5  48.1  56.6  64.6  72.4
 6,500    27.9  41.7  52.2  61.4  70.0  78.4
 7,000    30.0  44.9  56.2  66.1  75.4  84.5
 7,100    30.4  45.5  57.0  67.0  76.5  85.7
 7,200    30.9  46.1  57.8  68.0  77.5  86.9
 7,300    31.3  46.8  58.6  68.9  78.6  88.1
 7,400    31.7  47.4  59.4  69.9  79.7  89.3
 7,500    32.1  48.1  60.2  70.8  80.8  90.5
 7,600    32.6  48.7  61.0  71.7  81.9  91.7
 7,700    33.0  49.3  61.8  72.7  82.9  92.9
 7,800    33.4  50.0  62.6  73.6  84.0  94.1
 7,900    33.9  50.6  63.4  74.6  85.1  95.3
 8,000    34.3  51.3  64.2  75.5  86.2  96.5
 8,100    34.7  51.9  65.0  76.5  87.2  97.8
 8,200    35.1  52.6  65.8  77.4  88.3  99.0
 8,300    35.6  53.2  66.6  78.3  89.4  100.2
 8,400   36.0  53.8  67.4  79.3  90.5  101.4
 8,500   36.4  54.5  68.2  80.2  91.5  102.6
 8,600   36.9  55.1  69.0  81.2  92.6  103.8
 8,700   37.3  55.8  69.8  82.1  93.7  105.0
 8,800   37.7  56.4  70.6  83.1  94.8  106.2
 8,900   38.1  57.0  71.4  84.0  95.9  107.4
 9,000   38.6  57.7  72.2  85.0  96.9  108.6
 9,100   39.0  58.3  73.0  85.9  98.0  109.8
 9,200   39.4  59.0  73.8  86.8  99.1  111.0
 9,300   39.9  59.6  74.6  87.8  100.2 112.2
 9,400   40.3  60.2  75.4  88.7  101.2 113.4
 9,500   40.7  60.9  76.2  89.7  102.3 114.7
 9,600   41.1  61.5  77.0  90.6  103.4 115.9
 9,700   41.6  62.2  77.8  91.6  104.5 117.1
 9,800   42.0  62.8  78.6  92.5  105.5 118.3
 9,900   42.4  63.4  79.4  93.4  106.6 119.5
 10,000  42.9  64.1  80.2  94.4  107.7 120.7
 10,100  43.3  64.7  81.0  95.3  108.8 121.9
 10,200  43.7  65.4  81.8  96.3  109.9 123.1
 10,300  44.2  66.0  82.6  97.2  110.9 124.3
 10,400  44.6  66.7  83.4  98.2  112.0 125.5
 10,500  45.0  67.3  84.2  99.1  113.1 126.7
 10,600  45.4  67.9  85.1  100.1 114.2 127.9
 10,700  45.9  68.6  85.9  101.0 115.2 129.1
 10,800  46.3  69.2  86.7  101.9 116.3 130.3
 10,900  46.7  69.9  87.5  102.9 117.4 131.5
 11,000  47.2  70.5  88.3  103.8 118.5 132.8
 11,100  47.6  71.1  89.1  104.8 119.5 134.0

[ari211]

Hey BHolland, thanks for the hard data. On that 600 chart, is the back tire a stock size? And where did you find that calculator? Thanks.

Ari

[Bob Holland]

http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/calc_speed_rpm.htm

Go to this site for the tire size calculater.
The gear ratio calculater is one I downloaded a few years ago, and modified it for the bandits. It is just an excel file.

[ATC'er]

Am I reading this correctly for the 1200?  101 mph in second gear?  That's good to know, because I shift down into third on the highway when I'm looking to make a point with a cager.

[Bob Holland]

It is 101, if your bike will turn 10,500 rpms. I don't think stock engines make good horsepower past 9,500, but a set of GSXR cams will put you in the 10,500 range.

[ATC'er]

Good point.  Guess what I should've said is that if I'm cruising on the highway at 65 mph, I should maybe try shifting into second instead of third.  The gearing calculator shows the engine turning at around 6800 rpms in second at 65 mph.  Third gear at the same speed is showing 5300 rpms.  I was always afraid that putting it into second gear at that speed would over rev the engine.

[2005B12S]

Buy a spare cush drive and bolt up a 43 tooth rear sprocket. Switching between drives is a 15 minute affair without having to bolt up sprockets. Once the rear wheel is off swapping the sprocket assembly is easy and takes about 2 minutes.

I used to swap gearing as described on my GS750 when commuting betwwen college and home (300 miles) back in the '80's. A 43 tooth rear will drop the rpm in top gear nicely on the highway without sacfificing too much low end.

Good Luck, Ed.
2005 GSF1200SZ
1992 900SS
1983 GS750ED