Motorcycle Gearing Changes Explained | MC Garage

Want more acceleration or better fuel mileage from your motorcycle? It might be as easy as swapping out a sprocket. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about changing the final-drive ratio on your bike in this video from the MC Garage.
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When we talk about gearing, we’re referring to the final-drive ratio, which you get by dividing the number of teeth on the rear sprocket by the number of teeth on the front, or countershaft sprocket. This figure represents the number of times the front sprocket has to rotate to turn the rear sprocket, and ultimately, it determines how engine rpm translates to road speed and how much torque there is at the rear wheel.
The Different Types Of Gear Ratios
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of it, let’s talk the lingo. When someone says that a bike is geared “tall” or “high,” that means you’ll get a higher top speed but at the cost of acceleration. If someone says that gearing is “short” or “low,” that means better acceleration but a lower top speed. Here’s the confusing part though. A larger gear ratio-say, 3.10-correlates to shorter gearing, while a low number-like 2.70-represents taller gearing. It all goes back to how many times that front sprocket has to rotate to turn the rear sprocket and the wheel.
The good news is that while crunching numbers to compare ratios is helpful, it’s not necessary. All you really need to know is what your bike’s current gearing is-it’s printed right on the side of the sprockets-and then figure out how you’ll need to adjust the tooth count to change your bike’s performance.
If you want better off-the-line acceleration, say, because you ride a small-displacement bike or predominantly ride in the city or really tight canyons, you’ll want to lower your gearing by either subtracting teeth from the front sprocket or adding them to the rear sprocket. If you want to get better gas mileage and net lower rpm as you cruise down the freeway, you’ll want to either add teeth to the front or subtract them from the rear.
For the most part, riders tend to gear their bikes shorter since many motorcycles today come with excessively tall gearing. But even if a bike feels like the gearing is way off for the way you ride, you probably won’t have to change the tooth count much to notice a big difference. In general, people will change the front sprocket by one, maybe two teeth, and alter the rear by perhaps two or three teeth at maximum.
Do I Need A New Chain When I Change Sprockets?
If you change your gearing, even by just a tooth, you’re changing the diameter of the sprocket and it’s going to affect your chain slack, so make sure you readjust the chain tension. Most minor gearing changes of just a tooth or two can be accounted for with the available adjustment at the swingarm, but you don’t want to mess with your wheelbase too much, and if you’re going big on the rear, you may find that you need a longer chain. Also, if you’ve got a decent amount of mileage on your drivetrain, you’ll want to replace everything as a set so it all wears evenly. Throwing a new sprocket at a worn chain is going to chew it up in a hurry.
Gearing Changes And Your Speedometer
Another thing to consider when changing your gearing is how it might affect your speedometer. Most bikes register speed off of the transmission, so altering the final-drive gearing is going to screw up the math the ECU is doing. If you have an older bike with a front-wheel speed sensor you're in the clear, but otherwise, you might want to consider getting a SpeedoHealer or a similar calibration device.
What Sprocket Should I Change First?
Now, if you're on a budget or just want to experiment to see how a gearing change affects your bike, the cheapest and easiest thing to do is to swap out the front sprocket. Front sprockets are cheaper, for one, at about $20 or $30, they're held in place with less hardware, and a change of just a single tooth alters the ratio more than a single tooth on the back wheel. Rear sprockets cost more, and you have to remove the rear wheel to replace 'em.
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[@kavinsp]

The only sad thing about these videos are the fact that they end

[@kavinsp]

Auto blipper nobody cares about you and your shitty opinion

[@kavinsp]

Auto blipper get lost you are just a device which is used to blip the throttle while downshifting! How dare are you to speak bad about a human?

[@mrsauce9307]

Auto blipper both of you guys sound like 12 year olds💀

[@marekryszard]

@kavinsp This guy's delivery and how he simplifies the topics makes it easy for this old man to understand. I've watched dozens of his vidoes on motorcycles. Well done !!

[@deveshyadav5776]

thanks . cleared all my questions .

[@davidjames1684]

In some cases, it is necessary to reduce the # of teeth of the front sprocket cuz increasing the # of teeth on the rear is not practical (too expensive) or possible (mainly for clearance issues). Also, increasing the # of teeth of the rear sprocket drastically may also wear out the chain faster cuz it increases chain speed for a given road speed. For example, if the stock rear sprocket was 40 teeth but it was changed to 50 teeth, at any given speed (50 MPH, 100 MPH, 200 KPH...), the chain would be moving 25% faster. This may increase wear since there are more times the chain and teeth "mesh" with each other.

[@jlrutube1312]

Nope that's not the way it works. If you increase the number of teeth on the rear and maintain the same RPM you will just slow the bike down. To speed back up you will have to speed up the engine which will make the FRONT sprocket spin faster just to keep the back sprocket turning at your original number of turns.

[@bmwforlife1051]

Hehe nice vid, its good thing to do, a friend of mine bought as first ride a gsxr 750, but he wanned 600, but owner before changed rear fairing ans painted so there wasnt number for engine size wich sais what is "model" 600 750 or 1000 on suzuki, and friend dint watch what owner writte before he contacted hem to buy, and he rode a 600 same model before and can remember a little the feel of pull from 600, when he start to ride hes new bike he says he notice a small difference not big just a arround 10% it pulls stronger in suzu powerband, we watched rided and it runs great but with saim amlunt of gass it goes a bit beter than 600... but anyway it is good thing latter we found it is 750 engine haha 🤣 and becouse he is noob allso i am still noob even i ride coupe of years now, he bought front sprocked bigger 1 tooth, and bike pulls wery similar as 600, and meybe gained few kmh faster bike 😁 and wich is great he if want more power he doesnt need to put powercommander and tune for more, just put back sprocket 🤭 but it is good idea if someone like the look of for example of 1kcc sport bike but is begginer and ride 80% in city trafic, its great idea what he or she can do to reduce torque wich in my opinion is great, i ride 600 k7 gsxr, but i wanned that 750 for futire but tought it is a bit strong even threre is a minor very difference in "stock" form bike i am talkin, so just put sprockets that will gain you more speed and reduce torque and latter when you think u want mlre just put back stock one's, i kinda like this my friend idea what he did, soon i am gettin 750 but for rest of ppl who want for example stronger bike just becouse of that wider tire and looks but are begginers, dont wory buy it and just make it a bit weaker, i know what point is in 750 or 1kcc engine but hey its not that u are weakening ur bike by ecu or some engine parts... its not it is just some small parts that does not effect engine real performance and workin so dont wory ^_^ i am sad i didnt buyed before 750 and did this ^_^ and now just put stock for regular more power

[@nitemareman1]

What about odometer? I’ve heard changing sprockets causes incorrect readings. True? False?

[@chrisredfield3240]

nitemareman1 all down to what bike you have. If the speed is taken from the front or rear wheel your fine. If it comes off the gearbox before the chain it's going to get messed up

[@mastergogoy6166]

It was stated in the video. If you have the cable operated odo usually connected to the front wheel on older or small displacement bikes, you're fine.

[@nitemareman1]

He talked about the speedo, not the odometer. And yes I know they’re related.

[@ponyboy1664]

3:17

[@waybassdroids]

It should be affected too, i think..

[@myname9252]

I want my bike to ride at 1200 rpm in 6th at 100 mph.

[@dionaldtubang2894]

u need a 2200cc engine for that,

[@slovak4life1991]

Great video. Can you do a tutorial on how to make my biceps look like Ari’s?

[@Croak1]

Grom curls.

[@slovak4life1991]

John Capozzi Ah ok. That makes sense.

[@jospi2]

That's on Athleanx's channel.

[@TheGrendel1985]

Dude is doing roids! Cant you tell he is so angry all the time! Hair fell out a few years back. I mean all the signs are there.

[@GETUPANDGO]

lol

[@tyrrellburns7766]

I agree the back sprocket can be harder to change for some, however be careful going with a smaller front sproket cause most bikes will chew up the rubber chain slider and dig into the spingarn causing some expensive repairs.

[@AriH211]

Yup, great point.

[@MC-Racing]

I knew all this already, but i still watch these videos, just because they are damn good. :-)

[@davidjames1684]

On my 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R (17-39 stock sprockets), I went with -2, +11 (15-50 sprockets) and not only did those look cool, it made the bike MUCH more fun at lower speeds since I could get at the power MUCH quicker without having to go at license losing speeds. When not riding aggressively, I could easily shortshift all 6 gears at legal speeds but when I wanted to hammer it, I had all 6 gears in the speed range of the stock first 4 gears. The bike just "ate up" each gear quickly but still had a theoretical top speed of close to 150 MPH. Lots of fun. The 15-50 sprocket combo is a 3.33 final drive ratio so to get that with the stock 17 tooth front, I would need 57 teeth (3.35) which would have made it look like a stunt bike sprocket. Reducing the # of teeth on the front sprocket somewhat "hides" that it is geared down but a rear sprocket change is kinda obvious.

[@ralphwarom2514]

I can't even imagine the wheelie machine you created. Those are massive changes.

[@itsmeta4]

Bruh all this "legal speeds" talk shut your dirty little mouth

[@ae70gts]

1 tooth biggger front = about 3.5 teeth smallest rear

[@dvlarry]

depends on the bike and gears, some bikes 1:2.5, some 1:3, not always 1:3.5

[@philkwon81]

This channel is such a double-edged sword. The information is so good and concisely put, that I spend hours scouring the internet for deals on parts that I don't really need and modifications that don't really need to be done. But it's winter here in Michigan, and I don't really have shit else to do. Lol. Do I really need to put $5000 of parts into a $4400 motorcycle? Don't answer that. Please.

[@Rohit-ij6eh]

Noo u shouldn't

[@philkwon81]

@@Rohit-ij6eh soooo…you’re saying maybe? 😂

[@thatasiandude1351]

Next is how to service your suspension.

[@heinzmuller1616]

keep distance would be awesome

[@Bilbus7]

fellow man*

[@RhoadsChristopher]

Agreed.

[@willem18241]

Next video: How do you keep that drivetrain so clean.

[@AriH211]

We've done that video ;)

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Keep the bike in a garage and never let it get rained on.

[@Shazzkid]

Soap

[@jakehiggins5118]

I replaced the stock 16t front sprocket on my 07 GS500F with a 14t sprocket and it makes a big difference in how the bike accelerates. I love this setup because I do more sporty riding than highway riding

[@mastergogoy6166]

Finally, I now know what those "taller" and "shorter" gearing you guys mention in your On Two Wheels videos.

[@IamSaud_YT]

Please explain about fork oils and which oil we use for better usability according to the ride style. Right now I am having problems with my suspension setup.

[@yashsvidixit7169]

One thing is sure from comments, People need to study high school Physics.

[@shAdOwstAlkEr945]

I dropped a tooth on the front sprocket of my little R3 and it completely changed the characteristic of the bike. And since I do a lot of canyon carving and street riding with it, I much prefer this set-up.

[@pepsiboy4274]

FPSPhilippines i believe front sprocket is 15? So you drop one tooth its now 14? And rear sprocket 45?

[@shAdOwstAlkEr945]

Pepsi Boy42 the OEM is 14 front 43 rear and I just swapped for a 13T takasago front sprocket and left the stock chain and rear sprocket since it all fits. However the speedo is rather enthusiastic reading 100kph when in reality its running about 93kph give or take. But doesn't really bother me since the speed limits in our island are more "guidelines" than actual rules to follow lol.

[@baecchi4153]

ride safe paps ... nice info na din ..

[@raymunddiems5540]

does changing the front sprocket affects the speedo?? please reply im quite interesting especially in small cc bikes

[@JJ_ExMachina]

Yeah did 2 down and three up on my 2005 Triumph Daytona 650... It now is an insanely quick bike.. Yeah I can only do 156-158 top end... BUT I don't ever hit those speeds on the street... I can keep up with my buddies stock ZX14 from a standstill to about 130MPH... SO I am just fine with that...

[@myronanton1689]

My issue is when my speedo reads 65mph I'm actually doing 60mph, so I would need to increase 1 tooth on the front sprocket?

[@motorcyclebettereveryday2373]

yes that's right

[@jay_321]

Another factor to consider when changing the front sprocket is chain life. Going taller in the front extends chain life significantly. Going shorter in the front decreases chain life significantly.

[@Aaaaa69999]

Jay _ yes that's why you always increase in the rear vs decreasing in front, even though ari recommended the opposite

[@JJ_ExMachina]

Well I went 2 down on the front and 3 up on the rear... OF my 2005 Triumph Daytona 650 about 20k miles ago... Chain and teeth are still just fine, yes the chain is getting near the point I will want to change it (measured the "stretch"), however it is still well within safe limits. I don't do any sort of wheelies... I do ride aggressively, and I purchased to spec parts. SO while I agree it does put added wear on the chain to do what I did, it's NOT going to wear it out that much faster then if you didn't do it. OR at least in my case (I take really good care of my stuff), it has not really effected the longevity of the life of the chain.

[@yessure5291]

@@JJ_ExMachina Wow that is a drastic change.

[@JJ_ExMachina]

@@yessure5291 Well I only do street riding, so the top end is not important. It really improved the response at speed and the way the bike leaves the line. With everything done to the bike, I am putting about 120hp to the wheel. So the bike is a rocket at street speeds.

[@yessure5291]

@@JJ_ExMachina Take it easy - speeding tickets are easy to get and costly in fines and insurance increases. ;)

[@ConorCantCoast]

Anyone have suggestions for a good gearing set up for a ninja 300 if I’m wanting to lower rpm’s at cruising speeds? I’m currently getting around 7k rpm at around 70mph and looking to lower that.

[@B10401]

It's good to keep in mind that shorter gearing mainly helps off the line, as you can just be in a lower gear when up to speed, and you'll have the same acceleration at a given rpm and mph. If you're always going slow then shorter gears can help you stay in the power band, though. And if you have a sport bike that's geared ridiculously tall, and can go 90+ mph while lugging the engine, then there's no downside to going shorter.

[@B10401]

A good tool for doing the math is gearingcommander,com. if you want to know how big of a change it will be.

[@Bursar60]

I have a versys 1000 and torn on whatd be better. 1st gear zip seems fine, its more I hate loss of grunt in 6th gear going 60-100mph. Like feels like a bigger change 5-6th than between other gears. So making passes on highway I find myself wanting to go to 5th. Loss of mpg would be sad but feels like wasted gearing when im not running it up to 150mph and even doing 80/90 im only at like 3500/4000 rpm Though as a new rider I may just be scared of keeping it in higher revs. Other than moments of flooring it. Even going fast fron a stop Im enjoying fast up shifts with barely a release rowing up thru the gears at 4500-6000 rpm. Seems better than hitting second and reving it up to 8k hitting 60 then shifting up 4 gears in one go.

[@alexandredavid3812]

I have a crf 250. Have to climb a steep slippery trail every day to reach my place. What sprockets are recommended? Thanks

[@MacDaddyC7Z06]

Already liked the video while the add was playing lol. I know its gonna be good.

[@888jackflash]

Changing the front is the easiest and best. YOU DON'T NEED MUCH. One tooth is a lot. My SV1000 was too tall so I DROPPED a tooth up front; my old Bandit 1200 was too SHORT (it's a 5- speed), so I went UP a tooth. Both brought the bikes in-line with how I ride. Be careful though! 1) make sure you have enough physical ROOM to increase front sprocket size... and 2) watch your chain slack on the swingarm marks. You could easily make your chain too short or long. PS - I never worked on a bike where you could "easily" swap front sprockets without at LEAST removing the rear wheel.

[@Reihe_sechs]

Changing the sprockets also affects the anti-squat characteristics of the bike. This is something to keep in mind with this modification.

[@stmboat]

say more, im not familiar

[@Reihe_sechs]

One of the factors that influences anti-squat in a motorcycle is the angle between the chain and the swingarm. When you place a smaller countershaft sprocket and a larger rear sprocket this angle increases. This way the motorcycle gets more anti-squat. It works the other way around too, so when you place a larger countershaft sprocket and smaller rear sprocket the bike tends to squat more under acceleration.

[@stmboat]

Makes perfect sense and I learned it today. Thank you.

[@SpottedCreeper]

Great video as usual Ari. Would have been nice to show some stats of the differences going up/down teeth on that Versys. Eg. we went up two teeth on the rear and top end dropped from 133 mph down to 1xx mph, but the 1/4 mile time improved from xx seconds to xx seconds. And maybe some fuel consumption figures. Get Zack to do a commute on the standard size sprocket and then change it (up or down in teeth) and do the commute again and see how much it affects consumption. Keep the MC Garage vids coming, I'm always learning something new from them!

[@amerpaisa6920]

Looking for stats:www.gearingcommander.com

[@SpottedCreeper]

Nice link, thanks!

[@jenpsakiscousin4589]

I run 2.63 sprocket ratios on my commuter r6. That’s a 16 and a 42. Cruzin on the highway to work at 75mph only turns 5200 rpms. Still plenty of power.

[@shadevelt]

so you have longer gears?

[@pabz83]

hello, if you go 1- front and 2+ on a literbike, will it make a difference to the 1st gear, as in make it stall at low revs ? more than usual?

[@victordiaz8983]

Quality content as always 💪🏼

[@LRS7B]

*Sooooooo…* Does adding teeth make each gear rev out slower but also for longer *??*

[@motonomy9113]

Hi, I just want to ask. If i change the sprocket size of my YZFR15 V2 from 15/47 to 14/49 does it have a affect or change in reading on the speed meter?

[@motoryzen]

Yes...and that deals only directly with the front sprocket change as chances are with it being directly connected with the transmission shaft, the speed sensor in which is being read deals directly with that. Thus without a Speedohealer or another similar product, the faster you go, the higher the actual difference in real world speed you're doing versus what that stock speedometer in your stock cluster gauge will read One tooth count going UP on my cb 500x 2019 from 15 to 16 tooth = 10% differences in speed readings in stock speedometer in my gauge cluster versus actual gps real world mph at 55 on the speedometer but 60 on the gps in 6th gear. You can adjust the rear sprocket to almost any size that you can find without it messing with the speedometer's reading accuracy. In your exact example would mean your stock speedo will show you're going faster at speeds 40mph and above ( bigger the speed..the bigger the difference), than you're actually doing given you're going down one in the front and up two in the rear...thus that will give you slightly faster acceleration at teh cost of higher rpms needed for the same original whatever speeds above a certain speed range such as 30 or more mph.

[@S58PSHIFTING]

i wonder if he answers questions, anyway here we go, does a lighter chain help all around performance on a bike because of less rotational mass?

[@racerx9223]

LOL, the cheapest way to change the ratio on a shaft driven bike is to change the tire size!😁

[@charlesdelusignan7909]

I literally did not know you could do this. Very informative. Would have been great on my old FZS600. Great video(s). Keep it up! PS can you do a video on like dealing with electrical issues and how to examine wiring harnesses?

[@lillnemo1]

I like the MC Garage vids, but sometimes I feel he "cuts corners' -2 front and +3 rear ... isnt that already quite a BIG change?? should mention that... I did -1 front and +2 rear and that made my 2nd gear almost be a first gear??? he says changing the front sprocket is easiest cause less to remove, but that aint (always) true. And those sprockets tend to sit TIGHT, on my dads GSX1200, I could've removed the rear wheel and sprocket 10 times before we got the front one loose. We needed a 2m pipe to get enough leverage to get it loose. And those thin bolts holding the sprocketcover and cluthcablelever are easy to overtighten and break by someone with less experience (my dad did) also, the front spocket is the one that wears fastest and the less teeth, the faster it goes. also, sometimes you cant even go less teeth or max -1 tooth front, cause of chain hitting the frame/swingarm and smaller front sprocket reduces chainlife quite a big amoutn and going up in teeth in the rear can cause your chain to be too short or even tire coming too much forward, hitting the swingarm

[@crisaraya2558]

you really picked the best bike for this example, as a former owner of a versys, I always thought the gear ration was too low. is too aggressive especially in the city. great video, would have been nice to see real-life results in the versys to see the top end speed change gain in sacrifice to a bit of torque ( which in my opinion there is plenty in that bike)

[@mr.niceguy1647]

what about chain size, there are kind of chain size ex : 415, 420, 428, 512. is this give effect to motorcycle power transfer??

[@JReed305]

The easy way to change the final drive ration on a shaft drive is to change the aspect ration of your rear tire. Say you have a 190/50/17 on the rear and you want to get a taller final drive, switch to a 190/55/17 and you get a similar effect as changing a rear sprocket by one or two teeth.

[@Daschickenify]

The problem with that is the increased weight of the bigger tire, as well as little availability of different motorcycle tire sizes. The number of tire sizes for motorcycles is miniscule compared to car tires. Plus the cost of a new tire easily surpasses different sprockets, unless you needed a tire anyway..

[@austinmiranda8028]

Nice video guys. Maybe the next MC Garage can be on "how to know when to replace your clutch plates, clutch cable, etc"?

[@FlavienS57]

I'm now thinking about a thing. When getting a higher ratio, it's less expensive and easier to change the front sprocket. But, by changing rear sprocket, is there a gain with lowering the rotating mass and diameter ? Wich can result on same gain that front sprocket but with little acceleration gain (and again more mileage) ? Or is that negligeable ?

[@shashi4576]

As usual very informative and interesting video, my query is --> Does alteration in final drive is simple in motorbikes with IMU and cornering ABS. I mean can I just go for it for 2018 Kawasaki Z10000sx or there is a Software complication from IMU

[@caruser4]

Great video as always. I eliminated two teeth on the rear sprocket of my Wee and it was nice having the RPM go down on the highway but climbing hills sucked

[@jennteam]

Hi Carlos-I'm in a similar situation. How much did your RPM go down in highway? That is my main objective. Are you happy with the change? Thanks, -DJ

[@teagan73191]

Noob question : Does changing gearing affect where the powerband is? Like if you gear a sportbike down for more torque and less top end is it effectively moving the power band down the rev range? Or does it apply increased acceleration across the whole rev range and not effect the power band specifically?

[@hisride]

No, powerband is to do with the engine itself and how it makes power. Gearing just affects how that power is put down. Easy to think of if you use a bicycle. When in a high gear (ie low gear ratio) its hard to get the bike to accelerate quick, but in a low gear it is super easy and you can even wheelie if you are not careful. The powerband (ie your legs) never changes, just how quickly youre in it and what affect it has on turning the wheels. So in effect, shorter gearing will make the bike feel more torquey, but you will go through the gear a lot quicker and ultimately have less top speed. hope that helps!

[@teagan73191]

@@hisride Thanks that's helpful, it's kind of what I suspected

[@hisride]

@@teagan73191 nice one. Im bout to go one tooth down in the front and 7 up in the rear so im imagining ill struggle to keep the front down lol

[@teagan73191]

@@hisride wow let me know how it goes! I did one down two up on my 636, I love the power delivery now

[@hisride]

@@teagan73191 will do, thats awesome!

[@DmanGuitar327]

15 /45 is exactly what i have w my 00 gsxr 600, had 16/46 2.87 fd to 15/45 3.00 fd n man what a difference

[@roybatty-]

Pst, this is your future self, don't go to that fireworks party...

[@tonywallace3380]

We miss you, Ari!

[@genegoodwin8925]

I just bought a 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator and I love the bike. But I;ve been riding V-Tqins since the 1990's and I am use to a lower RPM at highway speeds. I am thinking about changing my front spocket from a 14 tooth to a 16 tooth but I worry that moght be too much. I don't care about the quickness of the bike but I know if I go too big on the front spocket the bike will labor hard when in the higher gears So my question, is going from a 14t to a 16t front spocket too much? Should I just go one tooth larger to a 15 tooth and be happy with that?

[@aldiprai9308]

What should I do to increase initial pickup for wheelie?

[@mscar8024]

Ari can you talk about engine braking/downshifting and rev matching?

[@pandeysiddhartha]

Hey Arai, love your easy and simple to understand videos. Though would like to know how to judge as to what no.of teeth we can increase or decrease on a certain bike?

[@RR-xb7dl]

Great video. I have a 2009 CBF1000A and I need to replace my chain and sprocket soon. I am considering different sized sprockets if they would increase the acceleration from start off because the CBF1000A's first and second gears range are so low they really hinder a good take off. I have ridden some other bikes which effortlessly accelerate from zero to say 60km/hr in first gear. How much of a high end speed reduction is there by going with a shorter gearing? Can you provide some examples?

[@ProMountainBiker]

Fun fact, on electric motorcycles, having a larger rear sprocket can actually improve mileage by taking stress off the motor

[@motoryzen]

"on electric motorcycles, having a larger rear sprocket can actually improve mileage by taking stress off the motor " That makes absolutely no sense given if the bike is rear driven on an electric motorcycle ( meaning the direct...drive shaft or chain connection to the rear wheel is involving the rear sprocket..unlike your gasoline I.C.E. bikes)...a bigger sprocket unless you go 100% aluminum from stock steel....wiLL ALWAYS be heavier and thus require MORE energy to move. duh.

[@seinfeld11123]

actually did this last week. I wanted taller gearing on my R3 as its always revving its tits off. so I worked out I got 8% higher top speed / loss of torque. So to combat that I got myself a high end X ring chain that recovered said lost torque. Win fricking win!

[@michelemicoli]

Would love to see a video off you guys going on an adventure with the Versys 650!

[@shreeraj34]

Hey what showld we do to make speedometer correct after changing sprockets

[@ashwinprakas606]

Not quite, in certain scenarios where you're riding a smaller displacement motorcycle on tighter roads, shorter gearing can actually improve gas mileage. Running with 14/36(stock) sprockets on my 220cc motorcycle I'd open the throttle more at lower gears to maintain a decent speed and prevent knocking whereas now with a 14/40 setup all is well and I roughly do half the RPM's and throttle input to maintain the same speeds.

[@charliegutierrez8728]

I have a 82 Yamaha xj 550 and I don't want to force the motor to rev high at a higher speed. What would be the best combo to lower my RPM

[@BusaDave]

Do not throw your money away changing the sockets. This will only make 2 results: 1. this will improve starting off (launching) 2. this will increase your RPM in top gear at highway speeds. Changing the sprockets is changing the final gearing on your cycle. Changing the final gearing means nothing. What really matters is overall gearing. Overall gearing is everything from the engine to the rear tire. Overall gearing is a affected by these areas: 1. Primary drive ratio between crankshaft and transmission. 2. Manual Transmission 3. Drive sprockets (final gearing) It is a very common misunderstanding that changing the sprockets will mean you'll always have lower gearing. That is not true. You have a manual transmission. That allows you to have what ever gear ratio you want. If you like the power of low gearing then don't shift until redline for all I care. Shifting at redline is not what you really want unless you are drag racing. My point is you can decide how high you want your RPM to go before shifting. If you like low RPM for fuel efficiency shift early and keep your RPMs low. Once you get in top gear you can't shift up any more. That's why I say changing the sprockets will affect the RPM on the highway.

[@Lugare2011]

Question. I just bought a 2019 Kawasaki Z400 and the speedo is off by 3 mph. Dealer said it's something I'll have to deal with as all sport bike speedos are off to some degree. When my speedo reads 60 mph, I'm actually going 57 mph per GPS reading. What changes to the front and or rear sprocket would I need to make to correct this and get it close to reading true??? After watching this vid, I thought about going bigger with the front for gas mileage but I'm already getting just shy of 60 mpg's but more is always better, especially since I have about a 30 mile ride to work lol. I'm assuming going bigger in the front would slow the counter shaft, so would that fix my speedo since it's reading fast and would 1 tooth be enough or would it take a 2 tooth upgrade??

[@quillaja]

Live with it. Almost every vehicle (cars too) shows an inaccurate speed on the instrument cluster. Your 5% error isn't too bad in my opinion.

[@panagdimi]

How about adding 5-10 miles to a (small displacement engine) bike's top speed, at the expense of acceleration. The easiest way would be adding 1 (or 2) teeth to the front sprocket, correct?! And are there any other things (positive or negative) I should consider, i.e. higher/lower mog, etc? Thanks for your feedback! 😉👍

[@griffithbowen4590]

5 year old video and still taught me something, awesome explination!

[@rouhinmarkshah8712]

Guys I'm doing -1 in the front & +2 in the rear on my 2015 Z1000. The OEM chain has 112 links. Now that I'm changing my sprocket set up, will I need a longer chain or the 112 chain is good to go? Need this answered asap. Will be vv grateful my fellow moto - people.

[@amerpaisa6920]

Those looking for stats: www.gearingcommander.com

[@MillionairesDiary]

thanks, that helped a lot

[@jkabee]

Thank you! Awesome link!

[@miroslavtrifonov8820]

I have a Yamaha R1 2003 my sprocket are 16/43 I’m thinking of swapping them for 18/38 what is you opinion i’m aiming for top speed

[@nkriggg2254]

My dirtbike gear is 17-50t. Top speed ONLY 60km/h. Now i want to ride it in the city, if i change gear with 17-35t is it ok? I think reducing the rear gear from 50 to 35 only add 30% top speed.. and it's still not enough. Sorry bad grammar.

[@motofalcons]

If the rear wheel is 18" with 40 T sprocket and front sprocket is 13T, keeping the same performance, what should be done if the rear wheel is changed to 17"? I have a Honda CRF 230 with 13/40 sprocket. I want to change the rear wheel to 17". Please advice. Thanks in advance.

[@irondiet6831]

This dude is amazing. Clear and concise.

[@jasperdomacena6491]

on city riding better go with stock I actually got worse fuel economy on smaller rear sprockets in the city but I got WAY BETTER Fuel Economy on the highway but if you live on a place where there's inclines everywhere I got better fuel economy with a bigger rear sprocket I ride a 74' Honda CB350

[@austintan6569]

Can you elaborate on using prime number tooth sprocket relation?

[@0racle999]

Ok let's say you have a Fz1 and want to do that. The stock specs are a 17T front sprocket, 45T rear one (530 pitch). The OEM chain has 122 links. How do I know how many links my new chain needs to have if I change the front sprocket to 16T and the rear one to 48T?

[@terezaputnam6356]

Hey I have a question. I have a yamaha yzf r125. That was lowered as it was high ish for me. It wasn't lowered much. However when trying to shift from 1st to second I seem to keep hitting N sometimes it's more then once which a few secs. Only happens between 1 and 2 any tips please 🙏 😊

[@Thesaviorsway]

Changing my final drive from 2.14 to 2.1333 repeating is improving my fuel economy, increasing top speed and since my rear sprocket is bigger my acceleration shouldn't be hurt so much

[@jimmyrigged1292]

Question...I have a 15T front sprocket 50T rear sprocket....I'm planning on putting a 17T front sprocket on . What can I expect in performance once I make the change ..?? Any feed back from anyone would be great ..

[@jaytravel-12]

Can anyone help me .. so I have the Kawasaki 2020 400 Ninja I have been having problems trying to figure out what gear to Cruise in ..so when I shift I normally shit at about 3-4 rmp from 1st gear all the way to 6th and just cruise that out until I come to a stop sign or stoplight is that safe for the bike..... Also I noticed when I ride in high RPMs the bike gets very hot how to prevent that.

[@johnwillard6198]

I just bought a 14’ 650 Versys and want less rpm at interstate speeds 80mph ish , so one tooth bigger on countershaft ?

[@cg-constantlygrowing1896]

If I’m satisfied with the torque down low, I just want a little more top end speed. I got a 2022 ninja 650. will adding a tooth in the front mess with my power down low? How should I go about re gearing my 650?

[@rb_rage]

Its a very good video to explain everything i just have one question im currantly a semi new rider im riding a 250cc scrambler and its running a 428-16t in the front anf a 50-428 in the rear witch sprocet do i replace because i need to replace my rear and chain pls help me?

[@patrick00755]

Question I have 16 front 42 rear on my kz650 but I want to gear up for more top speed. What would you recommend? Thanks

[@πόληβυθός]

Hi, I'm riding a 125 (14 th front 45 th rear) if i change the front to 15 and the rear to 43 will it increase the top speed or not?? Plus I'm looking to get more power out of the engine, getting hit face on with wind seems to slow the bike down. Thanks

[@MLKM4N]

I need advice. I have a z650 and the top speed is about 120mph. I’d like to have it hit around 130 but this dude is saying I should make it more torquey.. what to you guys think?

[@R6trackaddict66]

I'm going +2 on the rear. 112 links on now. Do I need to add links? And, if so how many? It's for my 450 sumo.

[@FelipeLuizDickmann]

My bike top speed is 188, it reaches 170 freaking easy. I don't really need that speed. Gonna increase the gearing. Reaching easily 150 km/h is pretty enough in my third world shitty roads. Plus I get more torque at low rpms and better fuel consumption. Thanks

[@problemslayer3538]

Im about to buy an FZ8 and plan to put on new sprockets and chain. Standard sprockets are 16 46 and to get a little more gas mileage was thinking of 17 45 so plus one on the front and minus one on the rear. Will this require a different length chain?

[@Greenfarmer25]

Anyone ever told you that you look like Tom cruise and Mathew McConaughey 😂 both

[@naveenvarghese7463]

Hi, i would like to upsize my front sprocket from 14 to 16 teeth, and my bike currently runs with 116 link chain, should is upgrade the chain too or will it works with the same 116 link?

[@jakemandel92]

Can you do a video on boring out cylinders to get a bigger displacement? Benefits / drawbacks, etc

[@Jambome]

Very informative! Have you done one on compression ratios and what they mean,? Also bore and stroke,? Kindly Share the link if there's one of each. Keep it up!

[@trindu4833]

Who is watching this video in 2021? :)

[@viktorask]

2024

[@gearpoint8981]

can anybody tell me what if we change timing chain sproket teeth, will it increase performance or not please let me know

[@AllSpace]

i bought a 6 speed exciter 155 yamy and dont use 1st gear, ready for change the front tooth up 1, and back-tooth down 7.

[@mohamedelkhatib1172]

Just bought my l6 gsxr 1000 want to improve acceleration and reduce high rpm any recommendation for gear ratio ?

[@noobrefinisher5443]

ive been riding for 7 weeks and im riding 2016 ktm duke its fun but at highway speed it sits at 8000-9000 rpm and i think its to loud and i was told not to spend heaps on my learner approved bike

[@nathanwilson3185]

My plan for next summer: buy 300cc, higher gears so I can do 70 comfortably

[@kosta2177]

Wait. If I don’t give a fuck about gas mileage and top speed, but need faster acceleration, what should I buy?

[@DEeMONsworld]

for further reference and calculating all sorts of side effects of sprocket changes visit Gearing Commander, even can factor in chain pitch and tire diameter (yes its a gearing change). You can enter your bike to get the stock numbers then play around. www.gearingcommander.com/

[@davidjames1684]

I tried adding teeth to the rear sprocket like you suggested but there was no more room. All of the available tooth locations were already in use. I am stumped.

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

lol

[@skelskell]

you have to buy another rear sprocket with more teeth

[@jeschristiansalva8083]

is it okay to lower the teeth of front and rear sprocket at the same time? let's say subtracting 1 tooth each (front and back)?

[@user-nk3re4dj5h]

Guy before me went -1 and +2 on my R1 and now the speedo is so out of whack that i'm changing it back to stock.