Gearing for commuting

[MeltDownZ]

My newly acquired Busa has been geared down a tooth upfront - so the seller claims.

I'd like to make the bike a bit more commuter-friendly and thought that returning to the stock 17T up front may help smooth out the very torqy feel of the engine in traffic. Trying to short shift 1st at 4-5K rpm is a nightmare in bumper to bumper traffic. Also, should I consider 18T up front?

Not being the mechanic type, I'm assuming to verify the gearing I need to strip off the leftside lower faring and remove some sort of gear cover and count the teeth on the counter sprocket. Is this correct?

Also, if I do re-gear upfront, do I need to replace the chain?

 

[GoofyGuy]

if you dont konw the current gear you would have to open er up and count them. You wont need a longer chain for the front sprocket to be +1 or 18t. 18 would be high but managable. I think 17 is fine but Im not in traffic a ton on my bikes either most maybe 5 lights in a row and then wide open country.

 

[Juggler]

Stock gearing up front (17T) should be fine for commuting.

You are correct, I think there are 4 or 5 bolts to remove, and as I recall if you remove the shifter mechanism, it makes removal much easier.

You'll also probably want to get a Suzuki 17T sprocket as it has rubber on both sides (I don't think an aftermarket sprocket would have this). The Suzuki sprocket will be a bit quieter.

Good luck.

 

[MeltDownZ]

Thanks for the reply's. Just a followup for those doing research on gearing... I went with the 17T, new chain and rear sprocket. After putting on couple hundred miles, I would say that the bike couldn't be anymore perfect for street commuting.

 

[kevin567]

Thanks for the reply's. Just a followup for those doing research on gearing... I went with the 17T, new chain and rear sprocket. After putting on couple hundred miles, I would say that the bike couldn't be anymore perfect for street commuting.

What did you end up installing on the rear tire? Stock 40T or less?

 

[bigjack7679]

What did you end up installing on the rear tire? Stock 40T or less?

i See that the thread starter hasn't logged in since 2006. Real old thread

 

[kevin567]

Rookie mistake!

 

[bigjack7679]

Rookie mistake!

its all good. im pretty sure you can find the answers to questions through searches or starting a thread