Mine is actually one tooth down on the front and it seems perfect to me. It was that way when I bought it, so i never had a chance to try stock gearing. I like the extra get up and go from dropping the front sprocket.

Now I did have the opportunity to ride my FZ1 with stock gearing before i dropped it one tooth on the front. It turned that bike into a wheelie machine and a rocket!

 

18 front 40 rear

18 on front requires grinding a little alum.

best combo IMO

Less rpm more mph/kph, slower off the line ...........higher top end
and much smoother for touring and highway work

Here's a thread I had on putting an 18 up front ...............with pics

https://cbrforum.com/forum/cbr-1000f-hurricane-38/anyone-planning-18-tooth-up-front-96094/

 

Thanks everyone for all the input, i have decided to go with
17t front and drop the rear to 40t.
Now all i have to do is wait a few more months until the rebuild is complete to see how the gearing goes, and i do hope a stock 114 link chain will still do

I am starting to become frustrated, i just want to get my girl on the road even though she still looks pretty sitting in the garage

Thanks Again

Aussie Johnno

 

On a side note...I know everyone everywhere says 114 links, but I had to cut...er...4...?...links out of the 114 I ordered when I did my chain and sprox. I'm pretty sure it was 4, but not positive.

 

usually they ship 120's and you lop off what you don't need

 

I'm with you, but this was a 114 link chain, in a box labeled as such. I did the chain and sprox in the middle of a long trip I did recently and ordered it specifically because I didn't want to have to mess with cutting it w/ my on-road tool kit.

I'm interested to hear what the results are...I'd bet money that mine was 110 (with stock gearing).

 

As far as I know a 114 is the std chain for 17/42 gearing.
It's what I have...................

 

yeah 114 with stock for sure less than that and you have a small rear sprocket and
maybe a small front too.

I ordered a DID xring ......it came with std 120 links ...... I cut 4 out to 116.........
116 works for me for a bunch of different sprocket setups and I don't really pay
any attention to the "chain wear sticker"........actually I peeled it off. Depending
on what sprockets I have on there could have the axle all the way forward or all
the way to the rear.

Planning to get a second chain and cut that one to 112 and try and find the smallest
rear out there to run with my 18tooth front ..just to see ..........who knows maybe
I can cruise at 100mph @ 3k rpm and get 85 mpg while I'm at it !!

it's fun dicking about with the ratio's .......wheelie bike -----> all the way to super
low rpm sport cruiser .......and everything in between..........................

More teeth on front , less teeth on rear = lower rpm and a higher top end speed......
but less off the line acceleration

Less teeth on front, more teeth on rear = higher rpm and a lower top end speed......
bust much faster off the line acceleration.

Here's a pretty great CHART

S'wot I call "Sprocket Science" ........LOL