high winds and coasting issue

[Judson D. Jones]

I'll second what Mark Bakarich says about gear selection: 16t is okay for long road trips. However, if you are going off-road at all, either stick with the 15t, or carry a 14t and put it on when you reach your destination. And if you have a big pile of luggage, don't be surprised to find yourself running in 4th in a headwind. --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "martinwaters" wrote:

> Considering changing front sprocket to a 16 point for a long

trip.

> Using calculator from Iron Jungle, it looks like I would get

about 7

> mph more speed in 5th gear at same revs as current 15 point

sprocket.

> Does this sound about right?? Is it worth the change?? > Thanks!

[Jim The Canoeist]

I have a nut on order and think I have ID'd a 'gotcha' in case someone considers sourcing one theirself. As I understand it, the nut from Jake is relieved so that it straddles the splined area where the matching stock lock washer grips the shaft. The nut therefore comes up against the sprocket and the lock washer is not used (?). Perhaps another innovation would be to keep the standard lock washer with a self-sourced, self-locking nut and NOT fold over the washer edge (or use a plain washer that clears the splines with its inside diameter). Someone that knows this area of hardware better than me should critique what I say. By-the-way, I have a report on the 14 tooth sprocket on my '03. 1) Highway & freeway use is definitely inferior to the standard 15. Unnecessary higher rev's at the 65-region traffic speed. Higher speeds more uncomfortable - always aware that the bike is not 'loafing' as it would be with taller gearing. 2) In-town, stop and go traffic performance is much more relaxing pulling away from stopped, trickling along with the flow. Third gear pulls nice away from right turns where it bucked a bit with standard gearing. 3) On the trail, I tested the same ride with 15 and 14. So much better. No snatch negotiating tighter situations at walking speeds. Second gear becomes better too for the slightly faster, but still tricky, trails. Bottom-line, this dual-purpose bike needs at least 2 sprockets for different purposes. I'm going to get a 16 too, for those longer cross-country jaunts where I won't be going off-road. What's nice is that there is plenty of adjustment range to work with all 3 front options. By-the-way, not only Jake's nut for the sprocket if one is going to change sprockets often. Get a locking rear axle nut too or quick-release, reusable pin. The standard cotter pin set-up is a hassle and we are not supposed to re-use them. Jake also has one-wrench nuts for the chain tensioning. Lastly, no master link? One has to pull the rear axle to get clearance to get the chain off the front sprocket? When did motorcycles drop master links; was I asleep? Something to do with o-ring chains? -Jim Walsh in AZ

----- Original Message ----- From: "philipnoyb" To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 1:06 PM Subject: [DSN_klr650] Re: Front Sprocket > I use both the 16t and 15t using the sprocket nut from Jake. I live > in Southern California, so to get anywhere, that means freeway > miles. For that, the 16t has made a huge improvement for me. At 75 > mph I'm at 4300 rpms and the bike just feels like it's not working > as hard. When my bike lives in the mountains at Big Bear, I switch > to the 15 tooth. Best of both worlds for me! Get that self locking > nut from Jake, it made all the difference from a pain in the a** job > to a pretty simple one. > > Philip

[ART]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Jim The Canoeist" wrote:

> Lastly, no master link? One has to pull the rear axle to get

clearance to get the chain off the front sprocket? When did motorcycles drop master links; was I asleep? Something to do with o- ring chains?

> > -Jim Walsh in AZ

The o-ring chains are riveted -- no old-style master link with removeable clip. When I came back to riding 2 years ago, I was surprised with this too. Can you see trying to hammer-down a rivet at trailside someplace? You need a chain-breaker just to first get the cahin apart, then join it back with an old-type master link. Jeez. Now need a chain-breaker in a tool kit? No way.

[bigfatgreenbike]

artinamerica@... wrote:

> > >The o-ring chains are riveted -- no old-style master link with >removeable clip. When I came back to riding 2 years ago, I was >surprised with this too. Can you see trying to hammer-down a rivet >at trailside someplace? You need a chain-breaker just to first get >the cahin apart, then join it back with an old-type master link. >Jeez. Now need a chain-breaker in a tool kit? No way. > > >

Why would you need to intentionally break the chain, ever, until it was due for replacement anyway? I carry spare masterlinks because I'm on my second chain, and this one has a masterlink. I never carried a masterlink with the OEM chain. I guess if you made large gearing changes for off-roading you might have to add links, but masterlinks are single-use-only and it would really add up if you used up two of them every time you did a long dirt ride. If you subject the bike to something that snaps or parts a modern o-ring chain (assuming it's even remotely serviceable), I'm guessing that putting the chain back together would be the least of your worries. -- Devon Brooklyn, NY A15-Z '01 KLR650 '81 SR500 cafe racer "The truth's not too popular these days....." Arnold Schwarzenneger, in The Running Man

[Jim The Canoeist]

The master link allowed the chain to be removed for cleaning and lube and for sanitizing the sprockets. We used to boil our chains in kerosene and then coil them up in a pan of waxy grease which was heated until liquid and then the chain removed and hung up to dry. What fun. I bemoaned not having a master link while changing the front sprocket. I could not get enough slack to get the chain off the front and wound up removing the rear axle. In retrospect, I probably would have been able to 'derail' the chain off the rear one with the adjusters fully forward. When chains got worn and needed replacing, it was a simple matter to separate/join chains using the master link. I will adapt. These modern chains are great. -Jim Walsh in AZ

----- Original Message ----- From: "bigfatgreenbike" To: "KLR650 group" DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 5:46 AM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] Re: Front Sprocket ...> Why would you need to intentionally break the chain, ever, until it was > due for replacement anyway? I carry spare masterlinks because I'm on my > second chain, and this one has a masterlink. I never carried a > masterlink with the OEM chain. I guess if you made large gearing changes > for off-roading you might have to add links, but masterlinks are > single-use-only and it would really add up if you used up two of them > every time you did a long dirt ride. > > If you subject the bike to something that snaps or parts a modern o-ring > chain (assuming it's even remotely serviceable), I'm guessing that > putting the chain back together would be the least of your worries. > > -- > Devon > Brooklyn, NY...

[ART]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, bigfatgreenbike wrote:

>> > If you subject the bike to something that snaps or parts a modern o-

ring chain (assuming it's even remotely serviceable), I'm guessing that putting the chain back together would be the least of your worries.

> -- > Devon > Brooklyn, NY

You got that right! Whenever I used to find somebody broke down with the chain hanging off, it was always because the master link came loose and dropped off somewhere, and they couldn't find it to fix their chain back tegether. Now, if changing sprockets, it might be better to get a chain with a coventional master link, instead of a rivet-type master link, if you want to change gearing around sometimes.

[wgmcham@webtv.net]

Will a KLR 650 (87-89 ) 14 tooth or a klx c (93-96) 14 tooth fit a klr 600? Thanks in advance, Weldon 2/1 CAV

[mike chartier]

hey folks its me again i was wanting to know if the 16t front sprocket will drop my rpms enough at 80mph to keep the engine from winding out like im in 4th gear? would the bike pull that fast if i also put on a 41t rear?

[Conall]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "mike chartier" wrote:

> hey folks > its me again > i was wanting to know if the 16t front sprocket will drop my rpms > enough at 80mph to keep the engine from winding out like im in 4th > gear?

Yes, 16th in the front (43-R) will put you pretty close to 5k rpm at 80 mph. No downside to this gearing in my opinion as long as you downshift to 4th gear for long uphills or when riding into strong headwinds. This is recommended for highways, not goat trails.

> would the bike pull that fast if i also put on a 41t rear?

Not sure, if you want to get technical there is a program called gearcalc. Haven't used it myself, maybe someone else can comment on the functionality of gearcalc. http://racingdownloads.com/racing_software-22.html%5d Conall http://www.angelfire.com/co/klr650/index.html

[Judson D. Jones]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Conall" wrote:

> > > would the bike pull that fast if i also put on a 41t rear? >

Going up one tooth on the counter is roughly equivalent to going down three on the sprocket. Going from 43 to 41 wouldn't change your gearing quite as much as 15 to 16t on the counter.