much like the heading states... i wanted to open a conversation on such..
im probably going to order a set tomorrow..i tottally feel like a noob in this area...anyone who has any recent experience over the last couple of years.. def share whatever you have.. it will def put weight into my buying decision either tomorrow or the day after..
anyway im looking for the best made.. light, strong.. id like to get gold or colored..
but performance is way more important..
oh and its going on a 95 cbr 900 with low miles which actually i want to make clear.. im not looking for chain that will go fifty thousand miles.. i want it to go five to ten thousand like nicholas cage in ghost rider.. if you know what i mean..
thanks guys for your most valued opinions...
jay
oh and p.s. can anyone explain in simple terms what a 520,525 and 530 chain means and which one i should go with.. i think it has something to do with thickness but even still how does it relate to performance.. inquiring minds would like to know..

 

actually answering part of my own question after some research...

You're guess is correct. (front/back example -1/+2) Dropped a tooth in the front and picking up 2 in the back would give the bike added torque. I myself plan to probably drop one in the front and leave it from there.

As for the 525/520 chain kits. This is actually a different diameter chain. We, stock f4i'ers have a 525 chain. And alot of people change them out to a 520. Which is smaller and lighter, but not as strong. So it will make you faster, but it wont last as long.

i'm still trying to figure out either an o-ring chain or x-rings (wxyz)
i guess i have more research to do...
and still havnt figured out aluminum or steele???
but abything added here or p.m.ed to me would be great!!!
thanks jay

 

I use D.I.D or RK gold chains. They are both quality x-ring chains.

There are many good quality sprocket options; oem, sunstar, driven, superlite, afam, vortex, etc...

I prefer steel sprockets for the street due to longevity.

Check out www.sprocketcenter.com. Many of us here recommend them.

 

Quick points,

Honda uses D.I.D. and RK as their OEM chains, I have a gold X-ring 525 chain and I love it.

If you drop or add any teeth your speedometer will most likely be off (Not sure if the 95 has the same speed reader as the F4i) and you would need speedohealer or speedoDRD.
Also with dropping teeth in the front or adding to the rear, will lower your top speed by making more pull at lower speeds as your cruising RPM's will be higher along with a lower MPG.

520 will not make you go any more noticeable faster, It is really only needed when trying to shave milliseconds off of laptimes.

Steel sprockets are the normal unless you again are trying to shave milliseconds off laptimes as they will not last close to what steel sprockets will.

So in short, I would suggest just staying with a 525 chain and steel sprockets and whatever gear ratio you want.

 

Like JeffJ says stick with 525 with a quality x ring chain as it effectively equates to a double seal which aids less wear and greater longevity.

Use a simple gearing estimator to figure out how you want to go , more accel or higher top end

Oh yeah and SuperSprox are kinda neat if looking to do something different

 

Going with a smaller pitch like a 520 conversion isn't detrimental. It does lessen drivetrain loss, but like others have said, you probably won't really notice the difference. It's kind of like getting a lightened flywheel in a car.

That being said, in answer to your question I would say DID/RK chains + Supersprox sprockets. Many of the Supersprox rear sprockets come with a lifetime warranty, if you can believe that and the materials/craftsmanship is amazing.

SUPERSPROX USA

 

so weird, i had a feeling you might add something in here.. i think because i had no other takers and i double posted but for good reason..
gotcbr: i went through almost 27 pages of general tech to try and answer all my questions in one shot and strangley enough i didnt find anything that was definitive enough to answer all my questions ... actually i found two old articles from sport rider on gearing heres the newest one.. Sport Rider-Free sport bike motorcycle horsepower by changing gearing
im putting it here for anyone else who wonders in and is qurious.. and is not in the mood to read all the old threads all day.. and based off of what you personally use i think i'm going to go RK and steele this time round and its right off the shelf at my nearest dealer..


jeffjones: thanks man.. i personally like my education simple and if i bumped into you earlier i probably would have taken your advice and ran to the parts store.. well as it turns out.. i am taking your advice.. im going to go with a 525 RK chain and hopefully i can get it in a kit with steel sprockets...but im glad i spent really two days reading and digging... you know its un beleivble.. i can spend 10 bucks or 100 bucks on a sprocket.. so i have to admit its been a bit daunting...thank you.


sprock/raylee: how cool is supersprox... i was in there website... i tottally would have gone with them and still might.. im on my way to work now and im going to stop at my dealer and either going to order my parts or hopfully pay for them and have them in a bag when i go.. giving me the lead on these guys was really good and the closest thing to what i meant when opening my thread aside from the tech stuff which i should have learned years ago but just didnt make the time and probably wouldnt have but for a couple of builds i have going on this winter.. so i actually have two other bikes that need sprockets and chains and if i dont outfit todays bike with sprocks then one of my other bikes will.. for sure!!!

Guys thank you, at least when i hit that counter in twenty minutes or so i'll know what the hell im talking about.. i actually popped in there a couple days ago and the girl that was helping me was already to order a 520 chain and who knows what kind of gears.. im not saying she didnt know what she was doing, but actually i didnt know what i was doing.. so i held off and am glad i did...i am going to drop one on the front and one up on the back.. my old 900 had that setup and it was fun... again i have two other bikes which i can gear differently one for highway for instance... thanks guys... i might edit thus last post and drop in articles if i find them.. for noobs in the future...i think they'll appreciate at.. i know i would have!!!

jay..

 

if money was no object, I would buy a new bike !


I agree with this. D.I.D and RK are the best known brands out there for chains. I always use vortex sprokets though. just my prefference.