Replacing chain with new sprockets question

[burkbuilds]

Just to clarify, this is not on a GZ but on my Vulcan 500. I am planning to change my sprocket ratio on the bike and although I've always heard that you should change the chain when you change the sprockets, it seems logical that this advice is given based on needing to change the sprocket because of wear, not necessarily just because you decided to change ratios. Although I have over 11,000 miles on my chain (520-110link o-ring) I've only needed to adjust it once and only about 1/4 turn to keep it in specs, so it hasn't stretched much and is in really good condition, and I keep it lubed up at least every 500 miles, sometimes more often. A new o-ring chain chain for my bike is expensive, and I'll either have to pay someone to install the master link and flare it or buy a kit which isn't horrible, but it adds up. I'm wondering if I compare the new sprockets to the existing ones, if there's not discernible visible difference in the shape of the teeth and they aren't visibly worn can I re-use this same chain, or am I just asking for trouble? I'd appreciate your input, especially if you actually tried something like this and what your results were good or bad. Thanks.

I just found this little article on the web, this may answer my question, what are your opinions?
http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/gener ... n-rplc.php

[Water Warrior 2]

I would keep the chain. If it hasn't worn enough to need a lot of adjustment then it stands to reason that the sprockets should also in good shape. Sprockets normally wear badly when the chain pins wear and the chain gets longer and no longer matches the teeth. That is why some sprockets actually develop bent over teeth in extreme cases. As long as there are no binding links, no extreme noise and the sprockets look good after a thorough inspection you should be good to go. What change are you thinking of making ? I'm thinking it is a larger front sprocket cause it's cheapest.

[burkbuilds]

The OEM sprockets on my bike are 42 rear 16 front which is a 2.625:1 ratio. When I bought the bike the dealer suggested a 17 tooth front sprocket (2.47:1) to drop my highway rpms, and I had that done at 500 miles. That's been a better ratio for me than the OEM since I mostly run a lot of highway miles at 75 mph. When I was looking at possibly converting over to a scootworks belt drive conversion I noticed that they were using a ratio of about 2.23:1 and claiming that it significantly improved highway mileage over OEM. I also found some information that shows my motor peaks in both Horsepower and torque at around 5500 rpms which is almost exactly the rpms I'm turning now when I'm going 75 mph, so I figured that dropping my rpms 250-300 wouldn't bog me down and should make 2-3 mpg improvement in my gas mileage at the same time, plus putting a little less wear and tear on the engine. I was able to order a JTR rear sprocket 40 tooth for less than $25 and that should give me a final gear ratio of 2.35:1 So that's what I'm attempting to do, but I just didn't want to spend over $100 on a new chain and the tools to install it right now if there's no reason to do that. Thanks for your advice WW!

By the way, I also ordered a manually operated chain oiling device from a company in Great Britain called loobman. It has a double sided tube to get the oil to both sides of an o-ring chain and it seems pretty simple to install and operate, no electrical connections, just a squeeze bottle you give a little squeeze to when you stop at a traffic light or something every couple hundred miles. It was less than $30 delivered USD and got good reviews compared to several much more expensive units that I read about on another forum. I'm just getting lazy I guess, tired of pulling the bike into the garage almost every Saturday to do chain lubrication, other than that, I really have no complaints with a chain, they are pretty durable, comparatively inexpensive (to belt and shaft) and efficient at transfering power, they just require a lot of personal attention to maintain them.

[Water Warrior 2]

The Loobman comes highly recommended by a lot of riders. It will easily double chain life with proper use. Keep in mind not to give the bottle a squeeze prior to parking. It is gravity fed and will lube your parking area too. Also you can experiment with different weights of cheap oil for best results. Generally a heavier oil works best from what I have read. It flows a bit slower and will not fling as readily as a light oil. In the long run the Loobman will save $$ and be less hassle. Take some pics during the install so we can all see what it looks like.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by burkbuilds

so I figured that dropping my rpms 250-300 wouldn't bog me down and should make 2-3 mpg improvement in my gas mileage at the same time, plus putting a little less wear and tear on the engine.

By the way, I also ordered a manually operated chain oiling device from a company in Great Britain called loobman.

Just my biased opinion, mind you, but I think you are getting carried away in both cases.

The tiny little change you make with the rear sprocket will probably not be significant and maybe not even really noticeable. While removing the back wheel is not rocket science it is a LOT more difficult that just replacing the front sprocket. Then there is the chain............????

As for chain oiling, I do mine about once a week when riding a lot......in the driveway with a plastic squeeze bottle. Takes about a minute. :cool:

[Water Warrior 2]

Easy, you missed the part where he already went up one tooth in the front. Dropping 2 teeth off the rear may be the icing on the cake.

I highly doubt any more would be gained by going any further.

[burkbuilds]

This change puts me at the "outside limits" of Kawasaki's standards for this bike. I'm sure it would be possible to find somebody making an even lower ratio for this bike but it's not "standard", if that makes any sense. It may not make much difference but every little bit of wear and tear adds up, for instance, dropping just 250 rpms on a two hour ride is 30,000 less rotations than before. Twice a week that's 60,000 rotations and if I do that 40 weeks per year that's almost 2 1/2 million less up and down rotations wearing away at rings and pistons and cylinder walls etc. each year and, well it adds up. So, for $25 and a little time I have little to risk and potentialy much to gain. This is a 5% drop in ratio from my current ratio. I agree that I probably won't notice much performance difference in acceleration, especially since I'm not into Jack Rabbit starts and all, but 2-3 more mpg on the highway won't hurt my feelings if it pans out. As Water Warrior pointed out, I'm just kinda "tweaking" things here at this point, I'm certainly not unhappy about my current performance, but I guess the nature of the beast with a lot of us is, "can I get just a little improvement to what I've already got"? If I was going to have to replace the chain and everything at this point, I'd just wait until the chain was worn out to do this, but at this stage it seems like fairly minor to just pull the back wheel, replace the sprocket, put it all back together and adjust the chain and go.
As for chain oiling, maybe I get a little overboard with my current care, I pull it in, put it up on something where I can spin the rear wheel and wipe down and clean the chain with a heavy rag and then oil it with heavy weight 80-130 rear end lube pretty much every Saturday and if it's raining, more often. Then every so often I get the kerosene and a brush out and try to get everything "spotless" and then re-lube. That may be major overboard, but it's been my routine since I got the Vulcan. So far, the chain seems to like it! With the system I'm ordering I'll still clean it really good, probably every 3,000 miles, but I'm planning on just adding those drops of oil from the system about every hundred miles, and I'll probably stick with the heavy weight oil, it may be thick but it seems to give the best protection under these types of stresses.

[mrlmd1]

Like every other mod one here and elsewhere - it's your bike, you got whatever advice you want to listen to, you've obviously thought it through pretty thoroughly, and, if you don't mind or if you even enjoy the extra work, I'd say go for it. Just be sure to come back and tell us how it worked out, performance-wise, gas mileage-wise, etc, and if it was worth it in the long run. And we need pics!
Have you compared your oily chain lube with the Dupont Teflon spray as far as ease or longevity or cleanliness of the chain?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by burkbuilds

but 2-3 more mpg on the highway won't hurt my feelings if it pans out.

[re: chain] That may be major overboard, but it's been my routine since I got the Vulcan.

The bottom line is: Whatever trips your trigger. As long as the chain won't end up being too long to adjust, I agree it's worth the time.....as an experiment. You probably won't lose any top end because I doubt you have really tested the top end but you might actually lose a bit of gas mileage. No way to know for sure without trying......unless you find someone else who has already.

As for the chain, yes **I** think it is obsessive. I do mine about once a week with a "dribble-push-dribble" approach and lightly clean it with WD or mineral spirits and a rag when it gets looking REAL grungy; no more than twice a year. I NEVER clean it shiny clean.

And finally, nice theory on engine wear but it's not quite that simple. Your reduction in wear will never be more than your total change in ratio. If your total ratio change is 12%, then that's the most you can expect in the way of reduced wear or increased life. Since you do a lot of highway riding, you would get more benefit than most but a difference in useful life between, say, 60,000 miles and 69,000 miles might not be that noticeable when (and IF) you get to that point. Most folks like the newfound torque in the lower gears so much that they STAY in the lower gears LONGER, resulting in ......less overall rev's or more.....????

Not trying to talk you out of anything, just conversing.
I'd still like to ride a little Vulcan sometime.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Easy, you missed the part where he already went up one tooth in the front. Dropping 2 teeth off the rear may be the icing on the cake.

Mmmmm.....not really. I saw that. I think it might be pushing it TOO far from the factory original......as it will be going a bit farther in the same direction. Just a thought. :roll: