18t front sprocket

happyfinger

happyfinger

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i just put an 18t front sprocket on my fz1 gen2 and i must say it feels alot better to ride now than the standard 17t sprocket but the only thing that concerns me is the chain bracket that sits in front of the engine casing would not go back on as the chain is alot closer to the engine now im hoping the chain will stay intact so i dont have any problems in the future "fingers crossed!!) but feels good to ride!:tup:
 
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Good luck to you, I couldn't think of a worse thing to do the FZ1 as the gearing is already very tall. It's going to bog like crazy off the mark as the stock bike already bogs bad enough. I suppose if all you do is freeway runs then it might be sort of ok?
 
Yeah, but I wouldn't take a chance on that chain hitting the inside of the case. I would definitely stick to the 17T. Your the first person I ever heard of that went UP from stock and not down. I'm curious though what the RPM's are at 60mph?
 
First one I've heard of that accomplished this. Most people go with a smaller rear sprocket to reduce rev's.

But, I hear ya!. I do a lot of interstate 75-85 mph and it can get a bit revy. I never go to the track but I still dont want to sacrifice take-off, so if I change, I'll probably go 16 which will increase revs but help take-off. Ultimately, I wish 1st thru 4th weren't such close ratio's, then 1st gear could be shorter and 6th could be taller (a true overdrive).
 
isn't 75-85 in the 6k maybe touching 7k rev range? witch is still below the party zone. Might be from my leo can but it doesn't sound revvy untill 8k+. Im just saying because my bud lets me ride his ninja 250 from time to time cuz he wants to upgrade to a fz and ill let him ride mine on straights. 75-85 on a 250 is revvy.
 
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I was thinking of going 1 tooth smaller in the back just to decrease the RPM about 200 to 300 when cruising, but then keeping a 16T around to swap out for track days to bring my gear ratio a little lower than stock, even with a 44T rear sprocket.

I know the FZ seems a little tall, but it doesn't bog down on me to bad like I've read from other people. It definately has a lot more torque than my 636 had when I get into the twisties up in the hills.
 
Well, you could buy part number 4B1-15113-00-00 labeled "plate" at just under $25 from PartShark.com - Motorcycle Parts, ATV Parts, UTV Parts, PWC Parts, Powersports Apparel, Motorcycle Accessories for OEM and Aftermarket. and then file/grind it down to the point that it once again fits and hopefully leaves enough material to still protect the crankcase in the event the chain fails. I'd feel a lot safer if it was there but realistically, it's only going to do its job if the chain breaks. If you ride/commute and are not much into hard carving, then I'd say you're quite safe so long as you take very good care of that chain. ;)
 
I run the 16T.. Cannot imagine how bad it is on takeoff with the 18.. But if you like it, more power to ya!

I personally would have gone with a smaller rear sprocket vs a bigger front.
 
I can understand where you are coming from, wanting to reduce your revs, especially when doing high speed on the superslab. It probably would have been a little easier to reduce the rear sprocket a couple teeth than increase the countershaft a tooth, but whatever works for you is OK. I wouldn't worry too much about the sprocket cover not being able to handle a chain that might separate or come off because that piece of plastic isn't going to be of much help in any event if the chain decides to buckle up on the countershat area. It's going to be a nasty situation no matter what. That being said, for some of the more hefty riders on here, the FZ1 may feel like it is a bit low on torque at the bottom of the range but for me (155 lbs) I think it has plenty of steam at the bottom once you get used to launcing a bit higher in the R's. I've never had a stalling problem or a sensation of the bike wanting to baulk on take-off. I do think it's pretty buzzy (as far as sound goes and my Sono barks darned good at anything over 4000) and decreasing the R's by a good 500 at speed would help make it feel like it doesnt have to be up-shifted when it's already in the proper gear. When I get a new set of sprockets and chain, I'm definitely changing the gearing to acomplish just that. As with any machine, learning how it works the best and what fits the riders likes and dislikes makes a combination that is more pleasurable and fun.
 
I'm definitely considering dropping at least 3 teeth off my rear next time it needs to be replaced. On the FZ1 I find anything over 4k rpm to be a bit buzzy for my liking. I was going to add 1T to the front, but there seem to be issues finding an 18T here in NZ - and if there are problems fitting it, then the rear will be much easier.

My last bike was a DL650 and I changed the front 16T to a 17T - dropped the revs at 100 kph from about 5k to 4.5k. It made all the difference - suddenly I didn't need to keep searching for 7th gear to cruise at 100 k. I definitely didn't notice any difference on take off.

Dropping the revs by 10% is going to make next to no difference at take off speeds - but all the difference at cruising speeds. I do find it frustrating that the first 3 or 4 gears are too closely spaced. I use my bike mostly for commuting - and second is nearly useless - I just about always short shift to 3rd. Shorter 1st and taller 6th would suit me just fine.
 
I'm going to keep my chain oiled up and monitor its wearing just to be safe but chain break isn't very common on a road bike I don't ride it much so I shouldn't have a problem only have 10,000 klm on the clock since new in Feb 2007 ..

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My front sprocket has 17 teeth, and the guard is about 3/16" thick steel, and runs just above the chain rollers and between the side plates. If the chain were to break, I think there is an increased probability that the guard would allow it to move on around the countershaft gear and dump out the bottom.

Without the guard, the chain might be more likely to jam against the engine housing, and possibly knock a hole in it. Not good. Yes, the likelyhood of the chain breaking is low, but if you have a master link with a clip, then the chance of failure goes up greatly.

Because of the above, I chose to keep the 17 tooth. Instead, I have a rear sprocket and shorter chain that I only use on very long highway trips. It has 38 teeth, instead of the stock 45. It gets about 15% better mileage, cruises nicely with plenty of torque, and quiet engine. The bike starts off OK for normal riding and traveling, but the "fun factor" is definitely gone, and gas mileage increases only a little bit when riding in town. Consequently I change back to standard gearing after returning home. 16 teeth would definitely be a hoot!
 
I can see how you'd want higher gearing. Some days I find myself shifting into 7th. On the back roads I'm zipping along at 75 to 110+ and I wish the gearing was taller at times. I don't see how anyone does the -1, +2 deal. Even on my track bike I decreased my rear sprocket one tooth back to a 48 from a 49. The problem I had was hitting redline before the end for a straight and then having to feather the throttle until I could begin braking. The whole world passes you and it isn't safe as you can get rearended.
 
papaageorgio said:
isn't 75-85 in the 6k maybe touching 7k rev range? witch is still below the party zone. Might be from my leo can but it doesn't sound revvy untill 8k+. Im just saying because my bud lets me ride his ninja 250 from time to time cuz he wants to upgrade to a fz and ill let him ride mine on straights. 75-85 on a 250 is revvy.
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I can tell you stock gearing on my '09 has you at 79mph at 5,000rpm on the highway...cause that's pretty much what I cruise at. I don't even look at the speedo...just watch the tach.
 
Can anyone with an '09 tell me what the difference is going to a 16t frt? Example highway cruising at 80mph is at 5,100 now...how much would it go up?
 
09kyfz1 said:
Much obliged...but you would say it's well worth it for the low end?
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To tell you the truth I did the 16T sprocket after I had already done the other mods (see my signature) so the "effect" of it wasn't as noticeable. However, on a relatively stock bike it really wakes it up. If you do a lot of highway riding it may not be worth it.
 
09KyFZ1, I have a modified version of a gearing calculator spreadsheet I got off the FZ1OA site. I suspect it was originally for the Gen I, but I've put my 07 ratios in it. I'm not sure if they are the same as the 09, but they are easy enough to change with data from the handbook. PM me if you want a copy.
 
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