Chain and Sprockets

Looking to replace the worn out tired stock chain a sprockets.....any suggestions???? leaning towards and RK X-Ring chain and stock sprocket configuration but as i said i am open to suggestions.....?Oh and by the way my Bike is a 98 Gixxer 750 :scratch:

I just got a DID X-Ring chain from kneedraggers.com and love it. good chain makes a diffrence. Never had an RK but i can suggest DID. Bought Renthal sprockets to go with it but left the gearing stock. Now i wish i had geared down because i cant justify replacing new parts. So if you ever wanted to, nows a good time. (I have regret :nonod: :rofl: :D)

There is NO other chain to buy other than a x-ring DiD chain... DiD Website (http://www.didchain.com/) Not a great site but some good info. As far as sprockets.... I've had Sprocket Speciality's and Vortex (Website) (http://www.vortexracing.com/) ! But I can't say I'm loyal to either like I am to DiD!!!! But make sure you get a chain break tool that also properly pushes over the replaceable links rivits. VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!! I know from personal expierence... another story!

The key is to get a chain with enough tensile strength for your application. Personally, I don't have any issues with either RK or DID as I have had good experiences with both. As JK mentioned, make sure you choose the gearing you want as they are best replaced as a complete set. Take a look around, there are all kinds of different rear sprockets available but the fronts are mostly the same. And as Gas Man noted, make sure you have the right tools or take it to someone who does. Larry

Yes believe me....I made the sorry mistake, many moons ago, and let a guy install a replacement chain on my bike and he didn't install the replaceble link correctly.... Well, it came apart on the highway at about 80mph and about 10K RPM engine speed!!! Needless to say it F'ed up my bike bad!!!

I just got a DID X-Ring chain from kneedraggers.com and love it. good chain makes a diffrence. Never had an RK but i can suggest DID. Bought Renthal sprockets to go with it but left the gearing stock. Now i wish i had geared down because i cant justify replacing new parts. So if you ever wanted to, nows a good time. (I have regret :nonod: :rofl: :D) But when you gear down by dropping teeth on the rear sprocket you also dropping top speed.......right?

NO!!! Every tooth drop in the front is like going up 3 teeth in the rear...which increases your low end/off the line performence. Go up in the front or drop in the rear and your top end will go up.

By "geared down" he's probably talking about dropping one tooth in the front which is a very common gearing change. This will give you better acceleration and lower your theoretical top speed. I say "theoretical" because most bikes are top-speed limited by drag, not gearing. In fact, sometimes this gearing will put you in a better part of the power band and net a higher top speed as well as better acceleration. However, it will cause you to be at higher rpm when cruising. If you do a lot of open road touring you may want to reconsider this kind of gearing change. Also, if you have an electronic speedo, a gearing change will have it reading incorrectly and you'll want to consider a signal correction box as well. Larry

I prefer DID Chain & Vortex sprockets! If you really wont to do it right, go up 2 or 3 teeth in the rear and leave the front along. Save ware on the Chain sprockets and transmission. Just make sure you get the new X RING chain long enough.

I prefer DID Chain & Vortex sprockets! If you really wont to do it right, go up 2 or 3 teeth in the rear and leave the front along. Save ware on the Chain sprockets and transmission. Just make sure you get the new X RING chain long enough. :withstupi

Vortex are garbage. Renthal is the best. Vortex are billit and Rental are hardend. Rental is track proven...Whens the last time you vortex in a MotoGP race?

I replaced my chain and sprockets last year. Incidentally, the Suzuki OEM chain IS DID.

Vortex are garbage. Renthal is the best. Vortex are billit and Rental are hardend. Rental is track proven...Whens the last time you vortex in a MotoGP race? I agree that Vortex are not the best but, bang for buck they are hard to beat.

I agree that Vortex are not the best but, bang for buck they are hard to beat. :here: what ya think of JT, SUNSTAR or AFAM Sprockets :here: so drop a tooth in the front add three to the rear and don't :nono: buy Vortex Sprockets

AFAM is good, JT has a poor finish, and Sunstar is rock solid but poor finish. On your bike for the street, just 2 up in the back would fine. Going one down in the fron would spool your bike up to much for the street and would thorw you speedo off.

so drop a tooth in the front add three to the rear Don't do both it will be too radical of a change...one or the other. Larry

Is there any advantage to going down (teeth) on the front sprocket vs. up on the rear sprocket?

NO!!! Every tooth drop in the front is like going up 3 teeth in the rear...which increases your low end/off the line performence. Go up in the front or drop in the rear and your top end will go up. more teeth in the front faster acceleration, less teeth in the front faster overall speed, more teeth in the back easier wheelies, less teeth in the back less wheelies more speed right ???? :wink:

More or less... but as Twisty said and I think I said as well....droping 1 tooth in the front is like going 3 up in the rear...they do the same thing which is raise your final gear ratio! Think of it that way....just like a car... Down in the front / up in the rear.... Ratio UP Up in the front / down in the rear.... Ratio DOWN Like going from a 3.73 to a 4.11 is up and vis versa

so am i right in saying that if my stock chain is a 525 chain 108 link with a 16 front sprocket and a 44 rear sprocket and i bump the rear up 2 teeth does that necessarily mean i add 2 links making it a 525 110 link chain??? :skep: :skep:

dam im lost lol i need to read up on that !!!

so am i right in saying that if my stock chain is a 525 chain 108 link with a 16 front sprocket and a 44 rear sprocket and i bump the rear up 2 teeth does that necessarily mean i add 2 links making it a 525 110 link chain??? :skep: :skep: YES SIR!!!!

Is there any advantage to going down (teeth) on the front sprocket vs. up on the rear sprocket? Price only! -1 tooth in front is harder on the chain and trannie. Some bikes this will cause the chain to rub the S/Arm (this is bad)

so am i right in saying that if my stock chain is a 525 chain 108 link with a 16 front sprocket and a 44 rear sprocket and i bump the rear up 2 teeth does that necessarily mean i add 2 links making it a 525 110 link chain??? :skep: :skep: most of the time you can get away with going up 2 teeth in the rear without changing your chain..but if your gonna replace the chain then get the extra 1 0r 2 links

most of the time you can get away with going up 2 teeth in the rear without changing your chain..but if your gonna replace the chain then get the extra 1 0r 2 links Not 2 on 2001+ GSXR. You might be able to get 1 tooth but it mess with you wheel base. Get like a 110 or 120 chain and cut it down. I would rather have too much than not enough.

Not 2 on 2001+ GSXR. You might be able to get 1 tooth but it mess with you wheel base. Get like a 110 or 120 chain and cut it down. I would rather have too much than not enough. usually the stock chain has stretched enough that a 2+ rear sprocket will fit..i would try it if you didnt want to buy a new chain, you have nothing to lose...a 1/2" shorter wheelbase for a few months isnt gonna make too much of a difference in the geometry of the bike and it will stretch....

If your chain is streched that much its time to replace it anyway, yes it will make big difference in bike geometry. Wheelbase is one the most important factors is setting up your bike correctly.

If your chain is streched that much its time to replace it anyway, yes it will make big difference in bike geometry. Wheelbase is one the most important factors is setting up your bike correctly. i will repeat what i said..a half an inch, (which would bring your axle to the foward part of the adjustment is not gonna change your geometry of the bike that you(especially) would even notice...you want to tell people to buy new chains for a 2 over rear sprocket be my guest...I say its not needed....

After the brake in period for the chain every MM the chain stretches it decrease's the tensile strength. If you want people getting hurt because you told them to reuse the chain be my guest....plus the chain old chain and sprocket form a "mesh" together. Putting a new sprocket with the old chain will increase wear.

After the brake in period for the chain every MM the chain stretches it decrease's the tensile strength. If you want people getting hurt because you told them to reuse the chain be my guest....plus the chain old chain and sprocket form a "mesh" together. Putting a new sprocket with the old chain will increase wear. well what is it, change of bike geomety that u said was so important that a 1/2" was gonna mess up their bike forever, or using a chain that they were not going to change anyways on a 2 over rear sprocket thats gonna kill them.... did i say to use a 10 year old chain over, no...all i said is you dont have to buy a new chain just because your going to a 2+ rear sprocket, most of the time it will fit fine..if you were going to change the chain anyways, because of wear then by all means get one with the extra links..how hard is that to understand ....

Not hard at all your just giving people info that you shouldnt. It is clear you have no clue what your talking about. If your chain has streached 8mm then it should be thrown away. 8mm is 2 teeth. I wish you knew somthing because this would be more fun. But Im finished with you now because you a ROCK. Also 8mm on a wheelbase is huge. On todays bikes we set wheelbase on the type track or riding we are going to do, we just dont tighten our chain and go out and play everything has to fit the Geo specs. Im sorry you lack the knowledge of todays machines but please dont give readers false info.

Not hard at all your just giving people info that you shouldnt. It is clear you have no clue what your talking about. If your chain has streached 8mm then it should be thrown away. 8mm is 2 teeth. I wish you knew somthing because this would be more fun. But Im finished with you now because you a ROCK. Also 8mm on a wheelbase is huge. On todays bikes we set wheelbase on the type track or riding we are going to do, we just dont tighten our chain and go out and play everything has to fit the Geo specs. Im sorry you lack the knowledge of todays machines but please dont give readers false info. here we go again... so you set up your bike's wheelbase to suit different tracks...so what u have different chains for each differnt track you go to....gee in the good old days, a turn was a turn and all we had to do was change gearing for different tracks.sometimes we even had to turn those adjuster thingies on our shocks, but i dont want to confuse you too much now....... im amazed how more complicated racing is now adays...woops, i mean track days, im glad i got my racing out of the way before all these new changes came out...i would have been screwed, i was lucky i knew which way to turn next on a new track....if i had to make my bike longer and shorter for different tracks i just dont know what i would have done...maybe if i made my bike shorter for loudon and longer for bridgehampton i would have been as good as you..... now back on topic, did i say you were wrong in telling the poster that he would need 2 extra links for a 2 over chain, (since he was changing the worn chain anyways) no...all i said and i really hate repeating myself but i dont want to kill off the whole forum with my lack of understanding of these new 2 wheel fandangled machines, is that... sometimes you dont have to change the chain just because you go up 2 teeth in the rear sprocket. If your chain is in good shape it may fit...and the small amount of bike lenght that it will cause will not affect you or me in the least bit especially, since we are not in twisty's league of riding...

Im glad you got out of racing too, people like you are always in my way.

Im glad you got out of racing too, people like you are always in my way. you wouldnt be the first guy i was in the way of...but i gurarentee youd would never get past once i was in front of you...unless u wanted to take a trip through the grass on the outside.. :seeya:

That would be fun. I love hard racing.

That would be fun. I love hard racing. you dont have a clue to what hard racing is... woops, i forgot...u dont know what racing is..... :dthumb:

i would say why dont you come out to the track but I forgot you pussed out and only do the straight line thing. A real racer would never stop unless he was pink and wet.... :lol:

i would say why dont you come out to the track but I forgot you pussed out and only do the straight line thing. A real racer would never stop unless he was pink and wet.... :lol: lets see if your riding competetivley at 52 or will u be sitting on your butt like an ole lady

I will ride till I die and thats a promiss. Even old men like you are still racing, they park in the handycap spots but they are still out there.

I will ride till I die and thats a promiss. Even old men like you are still racing, they park in the handycap spots but they are still out there. again last word from me on the subject :loser: u want to keep it up fine..ill be the adult and stop... :loser:

Im done.

I got a better idea..... why don't both of you meet at the track or the gap and settle this once and for all with exhaust fumes instad of talk... YEAH!! I think that would be worth seeing....

:dthumb: finaly some action :rant: lol :lol:

my $.02... #1 - chain = Regina, always had great luck with them #2 - GENERALLY, if you replace your chain, replace your sprockets, if you replace your sprockets, replace your chain, don't be a cheap azz...that being said, if either of the two componets are relatively new, then you MAY be able to get away with just replacing one, but, Twisty is right, chains and sprockets tend to "mesh" with each other very quickly... I have spoken.

#2 is a good rule. Our resident mechanic Larry G has already said this!! I can't see this being in dispute!

#2 is a good rule. Our resident mechanic Larry G has already said this!! I can't see this being in dispute! Well it was.

#2 is a good rule. Our resident mechanic Larry G has already said this!! I can't see this being in dispute! yup, as i said in numerous posts i also agrees with #2 100%, but if you have a chain in new shape, a 2 over may fit and no need to get new one......the lenght of the bike was the initial concern, which i stated is not a problem.... i never said to use a worn out chain....I would rather keep a new chain with an endless links, than buy one and have to put a masterlink in it...and the new sprocket will mate just fine to the existing chain.....

Geez, I leave you guys alone for a week and all you do is argue :D How about this... Twisty is right that wheelbase makes a difference in handling, many superbike teams change internal ratios before changing sprockets so they don't have to move the wheelbase. Jack is right that probably 99% of us would never be able to tell if the wheelbase has moved 10mm. That said if a chain has stretched enough, don't just add a bigger sprocket. That amount of stretch probably means the chain should be replaced as well. However, if you just replaced your chain and sprockets and realized you don't like your gearing, change it and keep the chain if it fits...it probably hasn't worn in that fast. Now, as to which sprocket to change...the front sprocket is cheaper to replace, you will feel a bigger change with one tooth, and you probably won't have to replace the chain to make it fit. However, a smaller front sprocket can cause extra wear on the chain from the tighter radius and can cause the chain to rub on the swingarm. Make sure it will work before you do it. I still think this is the best way to see if you like the gearing change before spending the money on a new set, then you can buy the equivalent ratio in whatever combination you prefer. Finally, adding three teeth on the rear sprocket does not automatically mean you need a chain with three more links. Buy an oversize chain and cut it to fit...if you have the tool to properly press on a new link, you should have the tool to cut the chain. And although it hasn't been debated here yet...clip-on master links are fine if they are installed properly but a rivet link should hold no matter how hard you try to screw it up. Just my $.02...feel free to argue all you want :D Larry

There's the REAL DEAL!!! Can't argue with that!! Thanks for setting the record straight Larry! I agree, rivit/replaceable links are the best for attaching the chain to the bike. I believe that is all that DiD uses...well, it's all that my DiD's have came with... WAY STRONG!!! Again, thanks Larry for saying what I knew. But I wasn't going to step into it. My mama tought me to never step in between 2 dogs fighting, always pull out your shotgun and just shot the one you don't like in the head! But I didn't feel that was need yet! Larry G = anti-flaming tech guy!! :lol:

Geez, I leave you guys alone for a week and all you do is argue :D How about this... Twisty is right that wheelbase makes a difference in handling, many superbike teams change internal ratios before changing sprockets so they don't have to move the wheelbase. Jack is right that probably 99% of us would never be able to tell if the wheelbase has moved 10mm. That said if a chain has stretched enough, don't just add a bigger sprocket. That amount of stretch probably means the chain should be replaced as well. However, if you just replaced your chain and sprockets and realized you don't like your gearing, change it and keep the chain if it fits...it probably hasn't worn in that fast. Now, as to which sprocket to change...the front sprocket is cheaper to replace, you will feel a bigger change with one tooth, and you probably won't have to replace the chain to make it fit. However, a smaller front sprocket can cause extra wear on the chain from the tighter radius and can cause the chain to rub on the swingarm. Make sure it will work before you do it. I still think this is the best way to see if you like the gearing change before spending the money on a new set, then you can buy the equivalent ratio in whatever combination you prefer. Finally, adding three teeth on the rear sprocket does not automatically mean you need a chain with three more links. Buy an oversize chain and cut it to fit...if you have the tool to properly press on a new link, you should have the tool to cut the chain. And although it hasn't been debated here yet...clip-on master links are fine if they are installed properly but a rivet link should hold no matter how hard you try to screw it up. Just my $.02...feel free to argue all you want :D Larry very good Larry....If you read the whole thread, all that was said by me was that a 2 over rear sprocket MAY fit and no need to replace the chain......and the only reason i said that was because ive done it many times on gsxr750's, honda hurricanes and my gsxr1100..I changed front and rear sprockets constantly on my bikes for all the different tracks like loudon, bridgehampton and limerock..,,,which way the wind blew (in your face on the long 1 mile straight or to your back) at bridgehampton made a difference to which rear sprocket i used.. ...it sort of was like if i said the sun sets in the west i was gonna get an argument that it didnt in here from some people... the original argument was the wheelbase, and that as you know is silly..the 10mm shorter never made my bike handle any different than 10mm longer did...so when people figured that was probably true, then they went with the worn chain theory that i was gonna kill someone with my reckless posts....I never said to use a worn chain, if your gonna replace the chain then by all means get the extra link...but if the chain wasnt worn then try it and see if the 2 over rear sprocket will fit...not a problem to me but i guess it was to others... one other thing, in 11 years of racing, thousands of dragstrip runs, and 30 years of riding,,,ive never had a chain fail so i must be doing something right ..im not a certified mechanic, but i worked on all my bikes and know quite a bit about the bikes ive owned and how to set them up...Im not gonna chime in on something unless i know what im talking about, unlike others.....setting up suspensions and tuning carberators was my gift...but now with fuel injection, im out of a job :wink:

Holy Moly...after days and days of seeing this thread, I kept wondering to myself, how the hell can a thread about sprockets and chains be THAT long? Now I know why. I've seen a lot of arguments in my days, but never one that long about chains and sprockets. Very interesting indeed. :)

Holy Moly...after days and days of seeing this thread, I kept wondering to myself, how the hell can a thread about sprockets and chains be THAT long? Now I know why. I've seen a lot of arguments in my days, but never one that long about chains and sprockets. Very interesting indeed. :) i dont think were arguing anymore...just discussing and if your referring to me being the cause of the long thread, im just replying to the posts being made...dont like to be misunderstood..or killing the readers either with bad advice

I wasn't blaming the long thread on anyone at all. I was just commenting that in my experience, I've never seen any "discussion" as long as this one regarding chains and sprockets. No worries, just an observation on my part. :)

I wasn't blaming the long thread on anyone at all. I was just commenting that in my experience, I've never seen any "discussion" as long as this one regarding chains and sprockets. No worries, just an observation on my part. :) well LarryG ruined it by explaining things :lol: ...but i still think we have a few more pages to go... :bthorse:

All I have to say is.... Welcome to TWF!! :lol:

All I have to say is.... Welcome to TWF!! :lol: for real!!!!! you kinda ruined the fun of this thread but it might have gone to far already what do i know i just like fighting !! :dthumb:

Just an FYI about wheelbase concerns. While factory superbike teams might change internal gear ratios ... the other 99% of racers and teams do not. We change sprockets (front and rear) to suit the track we are at. I personally carry 3 front sprockets and 5 rear sprockets with me, and use the combination that suits the track we are at. So does every other racer out there (except perhaps the aforementioned superbike teams, and given that I know they change rear sprockets as well, that argument is not even that valid). Yes it changes your wheelbase ... but not enough to where anyone but perhaps Mr. Rossi would even notice ;). As long as you're not at the outer extremes (all the way forward or all the way back on the adjusters) you'll be fine. If you're at the extremes, get a new chain and when you install it, cut it so that you're in the middle of the adjustment range for the sprocket you're installing. And as someone mentioned ... changing the chain with the sprocket is generally a good idea anyway if you've got any sort of mileage on it. They wear a unique way, and putting on a new sprocket with an old chain will decrease the life of one or the other if not both. And in all honesty, the real answer is ... you should change both sprockets and the chain if you want the longest life out of all the components. The front is usually made of hardened steel, which makes it a bit stronger, but it still wears. Most people dont want to spend the money to do this ... but it is the best practice (and front sprockets are only ~ $20 for most bikes). - Brian Roach SpeedWerks.com