Kawasaki Z1000 chain and sprockets replacement

At 29,954 km on the odo, it was time to replace the chain and sprockets, mainly because the front sprocket was becoming a ninja shuriken.
Sprocket brand: SunStar stainless steel
Chain brand: DiD X-ring gold
Intro clip courtesy of saudarabarney, check out / bikerzlab

[@thesighbored]

The chief mechanic is Hao, the one that was working on my bike in the video is KC.

[@thesighbored]

+Gordz Murphy The one you should worry about the usually the front one, it wears out faster than the rear, all that high torque and hard acceleration will destroy it. RSSR (ride safe, safe ride)!

[@mohdazhuzairiabdullaziz1171]

Tq bro for the sharing, today just done the chain cleaning n lubricate...really got a lot of stain in front cover...again, thanks for good sharing...RSSR

[@thesighbored]

This was done along with engine oil, oil filter and coolant change. Around RM900 all-in.

[@youtubehandol]

My Z1000sx is currently at 40,000km... original sprockets and chain. Those last 20,000km went way too quickly. I'm hearing noises from my front sprocket, and looking at yours at 30,000km.... man, I can't imagine what mine looks like. Parts are ordered!

[@Coupydog]

I've ridden 5,000 miles with this gear setup. The differences are: Smoother & lower engine tones & more "relaxed" cruising feel, 20-25 more miles per tank cruising range. No engine lugging or power loss in any gear. It just feels "right." That said, I have never wished to go back. In addition, there are 6 gears. You can always downshift to a lower one :)

[@ggym2387]

Coupydog i

[@portercooper3121]

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[@williamanakin1461]

@Porter Cooper Instablaster ;)

[@portercooper3121]

@William Anakin thanks for your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff now. Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@samneibiew]

Hi, may I know, is it legal to modified the exhaust of motorcycle? Will we get into problem when encounter JPJ road block or Police road block?

[@thesighbored]

It's not mandatory to change at 30k km. Regular checks on chain tension, sprocket wear and tear. If your sprocket looks like my front sprocket, the teeth are sharp and curved, like a ninja shuriken, then it's getting to the point of needing replacement. Can you still use the sprocket as in my condition? Yes, but not for long. It also depends on how you ride. If you always accelerate hard, kiss your sprocket good bye sooner.

[@Coupydog]

2012 Z1000: I went F17 from 15T & R40 from 42T. Difference is 1,000 RPM drop in high gear from 4,700 RPM@60mph to 3,750 RPM's; bike seriously needed this! B4, I felt I was cruising, but looking for 2 more shifts; that was top gear! Powertrain handles this change easily at every speed. No chain mods nded, very pleased & no regrets!

[@thesighbored]

With that setup there's probably some extent of acceleration loss.

[@Herzankerkreuz67]

Hi ! I made that observation too . Always looking for that 7 th gear.... The Z is just too short geared IMO. Anyway how did that change affect your speedometer ? Did you test that ?

[@Coupydog]

+andree hammerschmidt Hi Andree, I am running at 14% overdrive compared to stock (like 2 more upshifts). At an indicated 40 mph, I am traveling 45 now. At 49 mph, it's actually 55. At an indicated 65, it's 75. The factor increases, the higher your speed. I just got used to calculating in my head. On the good side, in first gear, you don't notice much loss of speed with all the torque the Z has. She pulls away hard & torques smoothly thru the gears, rather than rev, rev, rev until you reach your speed. Never feels over-geared. I don't understand why Kawi didn't up high gear to a nice, relaxed cruising ratio. They've still got 5 for racing & craziness. Their high gear is only 250 RPM's less than 5th!

[@Herzankerkreuz67]

+Coupydog Thanks for the fast reply ! Yes that's how I felt about the bike ! I believe the Z is one / or the best naked available but equipped with an 'overdrive ' I think Kawa would have nailed it and gained more potential buyers.... Not everyone wants to buy a bike and then change the sprokets despite the simplicity of the procedure. Thanks for the info and enjoy the bike !!!

[@Coupydog]

+andree hammerschmidt Hey bud, no prob! Crazy in today's market, where MPG's is such a big thing! I hadn't got the bike home from the Dealership B4 I knew something needed 2B done. When I was cruising along highway & needed 2 pass some traffic, I turned the throttle & shot ahead like I was blown from a cannon. Yes, I was in high gear! I read somewhere, the Z-1000 is capable of doing 50-70 in 1.7 secs-- in HI gear! I then realized, you don't need a passing gear with stock setup on this bike. You're in it all the time.

[@zheikal75]

How we want to know that we need to change the sprocket? mileage 30k? or others indication? thanks for sharing

[@psyfertech]

god i hate trying to get the front sprocket off, sometimes u just need a buddy to hold the rear brake and u jump on the breaker bar

[@thesighbored]

Yeah, awaiting repairs. :(

[@thundersteel84]

Nice and smooth..:)

[@torion29able]

What size socket do I need for the front sprocket?

[@thesighbored]

This is an old video, unfortunately I do not recall that information. Sorry!

[@briankeith757]

is the gold chain just for looks or dose it provide extra protection from the elements

[@thesighbored]

I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's just for looks. There are other different color chains out there apart from gold.

[@briankeith757]

I just ordered the D.I.D 520vx2 steel color. Thanks

[@zheikal75]

How much the damage/cost bro?

[@PhotonUponLight]

I was thinking of changing the Front sprocket to 16 Tooth, (original is 15 tooth). Looks a bit tight in there? anyone done it before?

[@thesighbored]

Going up a tooth should be OK, just make sure the chain you get will match to your new setup..

[@PhotonUponLight]

Maceh bro

[@88Mitsuomi88]

Hello. What size is that front sprocket nut? I tried to take the nut out, but 26mm was too small and 27mm didn't feel good either. Thank you.

[@thesighbored]

Sorry I didn't take note of the size, maybe you can ask in Z1000 owner forums/FB group?

[@metamaster1492]

Is that change easier to do power wheelies?

[@thesighbored]

This is just a normal chain change due to wear and tear. If you want easy power wheelies, have a larger +1/+2 than OEM size rear sprocket will help, but your top speed and cruising RPM will suffer.

[@mazakram3128]

How did you remove the sprocket chain cover ? I have tried but no avail

[@thesighbored]

Unfortunately I can't remember how the front sprocket cover was removed, it was done a long time ago.

[@mazakram3128]

TheSighBored ok thanks for your reply

[@antmarc3461]

Do you know what the torque spec for the front and rear sprocket are on the z1000 2010

[@thesighbored]

Sorry, I don't. You can try referring to the bike manual.

[@Hussaiin1]

Front sprocket = 125 Nm / 92.2 ft⋅lbf Rear sprocket = 59 Nm / 44 ft⋅lbf

[@Youtech2023]

what wrench did you use to remove the front sprocket nut?

[@thesighbored]

This was taken so long ago, I don't recall.. Sorry! I'm sure the Z1000 owners group would be able to share the wrench size..

[@hangmust]

dekat ck? bro selalu nampak lambang bulat tu ...lambang kumpulan kew?

[@nutgone100]

How about finishing the job? Those pins were not peened correctly.

[@thesighbored]

Yes they were crimped with the tool all done correctly.

[@Shampitek]

Is this chain still on the bike now?

[@thesighbored]

Seeing the date of the video I hope it's not on the bike anymore and replaced with a fresh set.

[@mohdazhuzairiabdullaziz1171]

Good sharing bro this video...anyhow can u share how to tention the chain ownself...if posible can do it by ownself, anything thanks a lot...RSSR ✌️

[@thesighbored]

I don't have the tools to do it on my own, you basically need a wrench to loosen the axle and then move the wheel further back to maintain proper chain tension, there are markers on the swing arm to indicate your current position and how much more it can be stretched , the marks also serve as an alignment indicator so that both sides are on the same marker points. If I do get the tension adjusted I'll shoot a video, but I can't do it myself though. For Z1000 the system is a bit different but same concept, instead to moving the wheel, you just rotate the circle shaped bolt thing and both sides will move together evenly.

[@psyfertech]

man thats crazy the old sprocket wasnt even that bad and chain looked good too

[@thesighbored]

I could have still kept using it but I didn't feel the "pull" was nice anymore. Nothing like fresh set of chain and sprocket to have that tight new bike feel when you crack the throttle open. :)

[@psyfertech]

TheSighBored hell yea man I know exactly what u mean just threw some new sprockets and chain on mine super smooth my old one was pretty bad u could feel it popping and shit

[@Coupydog]

Correction, went from 15Tooth front to 17T & rear, 42T to 40.

[@thesighbored]

Yup.. That's our small little low-profile group logo.

[@hangmust]

cantik ler rantai,,,btw mekanik tu tahu x name die? last time die yang buat motor saya ..cun la hasil tangan

[@evansolomon169]

So how long did that pressed on plate stay in place before it fell off?

[@thesighbored]

Pressed plate? It's called rivet, that's how it's done. It lasted till infinity and beyond.

[@evansolomon169]

@@thesighbored I'm glad that it's held up, however, what is shown in this video is not a rivet.

[@Gary-zy1nk]

yeah the plates were pressed on, but not riveted on the video, the pins are riveted individually 👍

[@evansolomon169]

@@Gary-zy1nk there's another comment thread on this video where SighBored argues that this is indeed the correct way to rivet a master link. Scary. Maybe it was done off camera, but there's no mushrooming of those two pins shown in this video. I'd like to get a set of calipers out and measure the tips of those pins.

[@thesighbored]

The tool used presses and curls the top heads into a lip and that's how it's done, a more detailed explanation by a mechanic is also available search Z800 chain replacement, or even on my ZX6R (ninja at workshop playlist) exactly the same method & tool.. I really don't know ehy it's so hard to believe I don't know what kits you guys buy or use perhaps it's different.. I have no clue

[@hangmust]

ader nampak logo bro kat z800 tersadai parking kat ck :D

[@evansolomon169]

I'm just gonna post this here for anyone considering DIY chain replacement. Don't forget to properly rivet the pins! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIrNZaaBqMyorLc

[@thesighbored]

If you're talking about legal, only a stock-standard bike is legal, no modifications allowed. Usually it depends on the officer(s) conducting the road block, sometimes they're fine with it, sometimes they're not, see how lucky you are, and also your people skills when dealing with the officer(s).

[@AB-nb2ic]

What state or country are you in? In NYS home made custom bikes built from scratch can be perfectly legal, and obviously modded factory bikes as well

[@thesighbored]

@@AB-nb2ic Malaysia.. It's different here.

[@froggyXIII]

keep that front sprocket and fulfill your dream of becoming a ninja

[@thesighbored]

I did keep it. It was so sharp just holding it while giving it a clean gave all my finger fine cuts that stung when in contact with the soap water. :)

[@patthonsirilim5739]

TheSighBored good you can use that for self defense at home

[@denisrailey777]

Front sprocket shot,stuffed,rooted.Need changing.

[@thesighbored]

Yup hence the replacement..

[@andyl.l.5662]

5:03

[@rilestousillicites1380]

you didn't rivet the chain :O ???

[@thesighbored]

Yes they did. That black metal tool they used is to rivet.

[@Lur3nso]

+TheSighBored but that's not on the video

[@thesighbored]

Check out 5:40 that is the riveting being done.

[@Lur3nso]

It seems that's just the press fitting of the connecting link plate

[@thesighbored]

That's how manual riveting is done. The metal thing presses onto the rivet pin and rolls the tip into a loop and it becomes sealed shut like a rivet.

[@adm2204]

Would have been a useful video if it actually showed how to do anything.

[@thesighbored]

Sorry it's not a how-to.

[@mohdrahmat3420]

Kenapa tak rivet?? Tu baru masuk masterlink .. kena rivet bunga dia

[@thesighbored]

This is rivet, there is no master link. Big motorcycles cannot use master link type chains, the master link will break.

[@mohdrahmat3420]

@@thesighbored bro please see youtube tutorial how to properly rivet a chain.. dalam video tu dia tak rivet pin tu.. dia just masukkan link.. patotnya lepas masukkan rivet link tu.. tgok video youtube.. tengok manual..

[@thesighbored]

5:36 He is using the tool to rivet the pins and lock the chain as one. That is how it is done.

[@mohdrahmat3420]

@@thesighbored no you are wrong.. there is one more step.. rivet each pin.. missing one more step

[@mohdrahmat3420]

@@thesighbored the each pin need to expand by riveter.. riveter pin

[@petecurran3995]

Peen the pins, no?!!

[@thesighbored]

I don't understand your question? The rivet pins where crimped using the rivet tool.

[@mbsevans]

TheSighBored no they were not, at least not shown in your video.

[@adrianhall5468]

This video is dangerous.The chain link has'nt been fitted correctly.DO NOT COPY THESE INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!

[@mbsevans]

And that is the stupidest and most dangerous video I have seen about chain replacement.

[@manoj2058]

whats wrong with it?

[@chrisbelec5365]

@@manoj2058 you did not mushroom the rivets on the new master link!

[@davidjames1684]

Some wrong stuff going on here.

[@thesighbored]

Nothing is wrong.

[@davidjames1684]

@TheSighBored - since when it is ok to use a sprocket as a holding tool to bust out a chain side plate? Also, you are not supposed to use an impact wrench on the front sprocket unless someone is stepping on the rear brake lever, otherwise it could put stress on the transmission. I wouldn't trust this guy with my bike. Look at his % of downvotes, it is quite high. Ever wonder why?

[@thesighbored]

I don't know why people vote the way they do, probably thinking the rivet way is wrong that's mostly what people complain anyway. They already took of the chain, stepping on the rear brake while trying to remove the front sprocket probably won't do any good, but yeah using a gun probably not the best.

[@davidjames1684]

@TheSighBored - Sure it will do good. You are supposed to step on the rear brake hard when messing with the front sprocket retainer nut. If I saw a mechanic do what you did here I would yell at him and maybe not go there anymore. You are supposed to loosen that nut while the old chain is still on, but not while in gear. Best is in neutral with the rear brake fully depressed and NOT use an impact wrench. Use a socket wrench with an extension bar if you have to.

[@thesighbored]

I have Z800 and ZX6R changing chains vids and the mechanic in those doing more or less similar and no issues.. But if you don't feel comfortable you have every right to get someone you're comfortable with to work on your bike.

[@AA-wo9di]

i wish this is the dream.. u do it wrong!! omg that chain gona fly a way :(

[@thesighbored]

Well, it didn't. True story.

[@mbsevans]

TheSighBored still wrong, you’re just lucky side plate hasn’t come off. But it was NOT riveted on in this video.