Time for Sprockets and Chain Change?

[Roland]

So what do you think? Did I get enough use out of these or was I just risking disaster. Look closely at the old rear sprocket with the chainsaw looking teeth.

When it gets this bad you can't back the bike up because the sprocket is in essence hooked around the chain bearing and will not release going backwards. But going forward I had no real issue. Yea I know I was really lucky another month and the teeth would have just fallen off.

Yea I definitely noticed a power performance increase but unfortunately a significant reduction in fuel economy. O.K. well it might have something to do with much more confidence in the chain and sprockets and thus my take offs are much quicker. Now this was supposed to be an increase in performance going from a 630-530 chain but I am not sure how it works as both sprockets are smaller and one tooth was added to the rear sprocket. The rear sprocket is aluminum so I understand the weight reduction via the smaller chain and lighter sprocket but other than that what makes the diff?
630 3/4 3/8530 5/8 3/8

[Guest]

WOW! That's about the worst I've ever seen. When I lived in Pittsburgh I wore out a set of sprockets and the bike had a hard time climbing the many hills there.

[Mark whiz]

You can definitely expect a loss of gas mileage with that conversion. Via the conversion, you have decreased the size of the front sprocket which will increase acceleration, but increase rpms for any given cruising speed. The rear sprocket adds a double wammy since it is both smaller physically and has the added tooth.

Just by eyeballing your picture, I'd have to venture a guess that you've made at least a 10 to 15% change in your gear ratio - which is rather significant.
If you remember what your rpm was at a given cruising speed before the conversion, compare the rpms to the same speed now to see what the actual percentage of gear ratio change is.

[marz]

thats ?

funny i thought i was wastefull after seing your sprockets..

do you ride real slow?

just wondering cause if i did that id possibly be a lot,







dead!
marz as know as !ferfsake!

[Mark M]

You can definitely expect a loss of gas mileage with that conversion. Via the conversion, you have decreased the size of the front sprocket which will increase acceleration, but increase rpms for any given cruising speed. The rear sprocket adds a double wammy since it is both smaller physically and has the added tooth.

Just by eyeballing your picture, I'd have to venture a guess that you've made at least a 10 to 15% change in your gear ratio - which is rather significant.
If you remember what your rpm was at a given cruising speed before the conversion, compare the rpms to the same speed now to see what the actual percentage of gear ratio change is.

Well, actually he went from a 15/41 to a 15/42 ratio, which is about a 2.5% change. He also went from a 630 to 530 chain, which is why both sprockets are physically smaller. The front still has the same number of teeth and that's what counts... The rear only gained one tooth.

Yes, you will probably see a slight drop in economy and a gain in acceleration. The performance increase comes from the chain and sprockets being physically smaller and lighter (reducing rotating mass) and the 530 chain being lower drag than the 630 chain. You also gained a bunch of power at the rear wheel because your old chain was eating up a lot of power in that sort of shape. Your significant mileage drop is the result of more enthusiatic throttle openings, not a slight gearing change.

Mark