Im new to this, have an F4i, and would like to increase my get up speed and for the track. Please tell me about sprockets on what I need, how many teeth down, up, or whatever. I have no clue about these and the chain conversions. any help would be appreciated.

 

ok mang...cause you firemang i help you...cause my great friend a firemang....

gearing depends on the track length...different tracks require different gearings depending on the longest straight, turns, etc. so ideally, you have a bunch of sprockets and chain in your tool chest and you set up your gearing according to the track.

so...what you want is preferred gearing...i had -1 up front and it's great. i think -1 front +2 rear (this is also known as -1/+2) is too choppy and doesn't do much good as far as twisties are concerned. -1 up front equates to almost +3 in the rear. right now i have +3 in the rear.

ok...now to 520, 525, 530. stock 600 is usually 525 chain. the first number is the pitch of the chain (distance from the pins in the chain) the second and third numbers is for the roller width. so all three chains have the same pitch, but different roller width, with 520 the thinnest and 530 the fattest. with this said...you need to have the numbers corresponding to the sprockets as well.

ok...so why swap to lower number? less rotational mass = better pick up and power delivery.
does it really matter? not for the street, but for racing...every little bit helps.
common mistake is people do a 520 conversion with gearing swap and say...wow 520 is awesome...wrong...
what they really feel is the re-gearing...and not the 520 converesion. if you don't believe it, try it and see...will cost some money but it's for R&D so all worth it.

now...so what to do? i say just swap out front for a -1 and see how you like it...it keeps the same chain length, etc...
and remember...number of chain links has to always be an even number...so if something looks like it's 1 link too long...leave it...it's fine.

when you swap gears, the little chain wear indicator is not longer accurate (in fact...i don't even use it...haven't ever use it...just know that when you're tightening you chain every week, it's time to change).

hope this helps.

T

 

still a little confused. I thought the less teeth you have in the back means, it will pull harder, and the more teeth, the harder it has to work. Is that right?

I want to go into street racing, what would you guys recommend for my f4i?

What kind of sprocket do i have now? how many teeth on each?

 

You want to go into street racing? Just go to the track and be safe there is no reason to race on the street with other bikes or cars whatever your doing. It just puts both of you in more danger.

 

think of a 10 speed pedal bike. the bigger gears in the back are the ones that don't go fast but are really easy to pedal going up hill and to wheelie with. This is because more of the energy potential (limit of the engine's output) is being converted to force (forward momentum) rather than work (speed potential) in the transmission or gears. if you drop one tooth in the front and go up two in the back you will hit the power band almost a half second faster, which means faster "get up speed" as you put it but at the cost of a slightly lower top speed. This is probably one of the most common gearing mods on the street because most of us spend very little time if any being concerned about achieving max speed or anywhere near it due to traffic/road limits/safety etc. your speedometer will be off a little off too (MPH is measured in the transmission before the gears modify the final drive ratio) unless you get a speedo healer. not sure how they work but search the forums.

Also. Use lightweight aluminum sprockets and convert to a 520 chain (stock is 525). D.I.D. x-ring type seal chains have the least friction. you can take ~1.5 lbs of weight off the drivetrain and reduce friction. Think about a 10 speed again. think about spinning the wheel by hand while it's upside down. Not hard. then think about a motorcycle upside down and spin that wheel. MUCH harder. the motorcycle wheel is heavier and has more rotational mass to apply force to to make it do work. the analogy is that you are the "engine" spinning the wheel. It's heavier so it's harder to move. This is the point of taking weight off. It also helps with braking (less likely to lock up) and suspension accuracy. if you want to know anything more pm me.


your'e stock gearing is 16/46. remember -1 in the front = about 3 up in the rear. your best bet without getting too torquey and twichy is 15/48 but it's all a matter of opinion and straightaways on the track i guess. don't go down more than 1 in the front because the chain will wear VERY fast because of the increased angle. PM me if you've got any more questions.