I was wondering why you guys go down 1 in the front instead of doing 3 in the rear? Is it just cost? It seems like a 15 front would be really small making a very tight radius for the chain to go around.

 

Thats why you go with the 520 kit. There cheap and look good. Plus out of all the thing i have done to my bike that made the biggest dif in the over all power. I went down i tooth in the front and man does it make a dif. Good luck dude.. The Kid

 

that and chain length.

 

So is the 520 chain conversion a good idea? I've done a lot of reading on the search and it seems to be a pretty heated topic. So I'm assuming if I stay with the stock chain size I can re-use the stock chain if I only do the -1 in the front?

 

Yes just going down one tooth in the rear you can prob. keep your original chain, unless its already been adjusted out too much. You will have to adjust the slack, though.

 

most people I know either swap both at once or start with the rear sprocket
the front sprocket is cheaper, and I guess on most bikes you wouldn't have to remove the rear wheel, so a rearstand isn't necessary


just to clarify, sprockets don't give you any more power and they don't change the powerband or any of that crap, all it does is change the ratios at the drive chain

going with aluminum sprockets and/or 520 conversionwill gain you about .2HP by dumping a small amount of rotating mass but if somebody says they notice that on the street, they are lying

 

i just went one down in the front and kept my stock chain. i didnt have to remove the rear wheel. all i had to do was tighten the chain afterwards. took about 15-20min. i LOVE it.

edit: its also probably the best mod for the money. a vortex 15t front sprocket is only like $30~40