So here's MY issue:

My chain is looking pretty sad, and the rear sprocket is rusty and chipping (PO stored the bike in a pretty crappy place). Front sprocket is OK, after some cleaning.

I ordered up a 530 chain, but I'm conflicted on the sprocket. Since I'm replacing it either way, should I upgrade to a +2?

Being in Chicago, I do a LOT of highway riding. It's impossible not to. Upgrading the sprocket is going to lower my top speed, but that's not my concern. What bugs me is that this seems to imply that its going to cause me to ride at higher RPMs at the lower speeds. Is this the case? If so, what are we talking here? I don't want to be hitting 11k @ 100MPH. Fuel economy is a concern, as I tend to take long trips.

 

around normal hwy speeds you will be fine and still be under 8krpms. you may start to look for 7th gear tho lol.

You may want to try a -1/+1, but I am happy with my -1/+2. And def make sure to replace both sprockets and chain as a set.

 

By "normal," do you mean "legal?"

Speed limit around Chicago is 55, but doing that on the highway will get your mirrors blown off. Average "flow of traffic" is about 80, off-peak.

Do you think I'd still be under 10k at 100? Do you think I should quit going 100 in the first place?

Man, there's a good question. Is going 100MPH significantly more risky than 75MPH?

 

-1+2 will actually not lower top speed. The stock gearing doesn't have the torque to push the bike to its redline very easily if at all. getting the upgraded gearing will give you better acceleration plus a boost to torque which will actually get your bike closer to redline. I topped out at 165 stock gearing and 165 -1+2. No change in top speed... Just a change in where your cruising RPMs are, which can kinda be uncomfy if you are not used to it vibrating the hell out of your *****.

 

By normal I mean with the flow of traffic. IIRC the other day I looked while I was doing around 80mph and the rpms were about 6 - 7k, so yes cruising at 100mph you should still be under 10krpms.

 

is 100 significantly more risky than 75? good question..i dont know the answer but i do know if i had a chance to choose at what speed i had to crash at, id pick 75 and not 100 mph lol

 

yeah id have to say that 100 is worse than 75, i drive the Kennedy, Ike and the rest of em quite a bit during peak hours and off peak hours for work and i know im defiantly too big of ***** or just smart enough to stay off of them on my bike..haha probably too big of a *****. there are some terrible drivers out there and its dangerous enough just to keep up with traffic, let alone be out there passing everyone

 

lol I haven't run the numbers but I'm pretty sure someone has found the risk increase from those speeds to be statistically significant.

Its a choice we all must make... its much worse to think of the risk we put others at with our speeds than our own, tbh. Not saying I'm innocent..

Anyway, I will be getting a new chain set soon and I'm going to stick with stock specs I think. Being in central FL I do a lot of commuting and highway rides as well and I can't see sacrificing the highway rpms and gas mileage for a little bit of take-off. I don't get much thrill from coming off the line personally and I don't enjoy wheelies enough (nor do I have a problem pulling them up) to mess with my gearing... I'm much more into flying around corners at speed (in the boonies of course! ) and dropping a gear and leaving people behind almost instantly. Dropping/adding a couple teeth here and there isn't going to change that experience for me.. though I'm hardly the gearing expert. Of course, I've never had anything but stock sizes.

 

Man, the Kennedy is like instant death in a CAR. I saw a vid on YouTube of a guy taking it all the way from Congress (290 there) to the Rt 53 exit in like 14 minutes. Had the speedo on cam the whole time so you could see it wasn't faked. Couldn't tell what kind of car, gauges looked Audi.

 

What I'm saying there is, if I hit the median at 75MPH, I'm going to die. If I hit the median at 100MPH, they're just going to have to walk further to find all my teeth to identify me with.

What's the speed at which i can hit a stationary object and not have death be a guarantee? I know they taught us that math in driver's ed.