Changing gearing finally,what results will i see

[XS650D]

I am currently running 17/30 stock motor and have a 33 rear sprocket to install.
I realize that with the 33 the bike should pull quicker off the line but will there be any difference
just riding around like quicker spool up when hitting the throttle .With my 30 Tooth i found i always had to downshift a gear or 2 to put the bike in the power or torque zone otherwise it wood just boog down or seem flat. and unresponsive.Thx for any feedback,

 

[retiredgentleman]

You will really enjoy 17/33. Coming from the 30, you'll think your engine just gained 10 horsepower! In town or on the highway, it works great.

 

[fredintoon]

I am currently running 17/30 stock motor and have a 33 rear sprocket to install.
I realize that with the 33 the bike should pull quicker off the line but will there be any difference
just riding around like quicker spool up when hitting the throttle .With my 30 Tooth i found i always had to downshift a gear or 2 to put the bike in the power or torque zone otherwise it wood just boog down or seem flat. and unresponsive.Thx for any feedback,

Hi XS650D,
17/30 gearing on a stock motor gives you a 3-speed transmission with two overdrives.
17/33 is one tooth less than the stock 17/34 and is just about perfect.
FWIW my '84 Heritage Special left the factory with 17/36 gearing which I changed out PDQ for 17/33.
Luckily I kept that nearly new 36T sprocket. It's just perfect for pulling a sidecar.

 

[mrtwowheel]

I've done this mod on '80s Hondas that were geared for strictly 55mph, everywhere, at the time they were built. Remember Jimmy Carter? I love the interstates and this makes a big difference at 70 mph. I haven't done it yet, but one tooth less on the XS650's seems to be the perfect solution on those tiny, to start with, sprockets. Makes sense to me that two less teeth on those small rear sprockets would be too drastic of a change.

Scott

 

[5twins]

I feel two teeth is too much on an 18" wheel but it is just about perfect for the 16" wheels.

 

[VonFuct]

I'm confused, the overall tire diameter is (about) the same on a 16" or 18" wheel. The 16" tire just has a taller sidewall. So wouldn't the 33 tooth be just as good on either?

 

[5twins]

They are close but not exactly the same. The 16 is slightly smaller. Here's a chart from one of those on-line gearing sites. A 32 on a 16 is closer to a 33 on an 18, closer than a 33 on both .....

 

[grizld1]

Rookies: Please realize that what 5twins' chart shows is known in the trade as theoretical top speed; that is, the speed the bike would be doing if it had enough power to reach redline in top gear. You won't get more top speed by overgearing the stock motor; the motor has to have enough power to do the job. In the absence of motor work, theoretical top speed isn't a realistic expectation. A reasonably healthy stocker should be able to reach low triple digits with 17/34, but that's about it.

 

[gggGary]

But but the chart clearly SAYS my bike will do 140!

 

[grizld1]

Yeah, Gary, and I know how you do that 140! Folks, a word to the wise: this man is ruthless, and if you ride with him, give yourself a lot of nose room. When he lights up that jet pack, anything closer than 200 ft. gets barbecued.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Mmmmmmm........ Barbecue...

 

[5twins]

Mmmmm ..... 140 mph, lol. In my (our) dreams. This is just a 50 HP engine we're dealing with here for the most part. It's not going to pull top gear to redline if you gear it much higher than stock (you hardtail bobber knuckleheads take note). Granted, gutting one of these does reduce the weight and that would make higher gearing easier to pull, but with like 2" of front suspension travel and NO rear suspension, just how fast do you think you can go??? I'm thinking the fastest guy never made it home alive, lol. "I'm going 120 ..." ---- SPLAT

 

[grizld1]

Yup, 5T, and the mix of lies and pure ignorance that's out there is purely amazing. One local dementoid, butcher, and pathological liar keeps telling me his stock engined XS650 bobber (rear shocks retained) has done 140 mph. He doesn't have a clue how much power it takes to reach that speed.

 

[XS650D]

Thx all,my rear tire is going to be due for some new skin in next 2000 kilometers and have decided to
install the gear when i pull the tire.But cant wait to see the results,i feel this is what the bikes been missing all along.
By the way for those that have read previous posts off mine,i am really liking the MikesXS Commando Muffs,nice
throaty sound and slightly better performance!!

 

[retiredgentleman]

A few years ago, there were quite a few members advocating using 18/30 gearing. I thought to myself..............wow! How boring is that?
For every vehicle, car, truck or bike there is a sweet spot, where HP and gearing find the perfect balance. If someone drives their XS650 mostly in the city, a 17/36 gearing would be a real fun gearing. I drove my bike with 17/36 for the first year and really enjoyed it. You can beat everyone, when you race from one red light to the next red light. However I like to take long trips, so I switched over to 17/33. and that has proved to be a good compromise.

Its the same with my car. If I just leave the transmission in "Drive", it's very mundane to drive around town. When I manually select
"3" gear (its a 4 speed automatic), it totally changes the fun factor of the car. The engine operates in a higher rpm range, and the car responds/accelerates much quicker.

 

[mrtwowheel]

Back in the day when these bikes were new and motorcycle media were in their heyday, large influence on sales, that 1/4 mile time in the magazine specs was an important, competitive, selling point for the manufacturers, often to a degree of a flawed design for everyday riding. Often that 1/4 mile time was compared to other bikes in the same class in one of the first paragraphs of a "road test". So, it just makes sense that the manufacturers designed and geared these machines with that spec number in mind. But in the real world this is what I prefer, mid-range rpms at speed limit with more throttle power to grab for passing etc. I couldn't care less about red line, top speed, 1/4 mile time and WOT.

Scott

 

[grizld1]

I use 17/32 on a 700 cc. motor with Shell #1 cam, Jack's port work, free flowing exhaust with straight through glass pack muffs, and TM36/68 carbs. Low speed manners are very good, there's plenty of kick out of the corners, and the motor pulls very nicely to 7500 in 5th (suspension upgrades keep the bike pretty well planted at 100, but I took it to 118 exactly once in testing; things happen fast at that speed). Don't know how that gearing would feel on a stock motor.

 

[fredintoon]

Yup, 5T, and the mix of lies and pure ignorance that's out there is purely amazing. One local dementoid, butcher, and pathological liar keeps telling me his stock engined XS650 bobber (rear shocks retained) has done 140 mph. He doesn't have a clue how much power it takes to reach that speed.

Hi grizld1,
I reckon it was real cruel of you to sneak into your buddy's garage and swap out his speedo for a metric one, eh?

 

[grizld1]

No, Fred if I'd been cruel I'd have taken him up on his offer to go title for title on a top speed run. If I thought taking his bike that way would cure his delusions I might have done it, but that kind just thinks up excuses, welshes on the bet, and stays crazy. But I'll keep that caper in mind--I like the way you think!

 

[fredintoon]

No, Fred if I'd been cruel I'd have taken him up on his offer to go title for title on a top speed run. If I thought taking his bike that way would cure his delusions I might have done it, but that kind just thinks up excuses, welshes on the bet, and stays crazy. But I'll keep that caper in mind--I like the way you think!

Hi grizld1,
the thought was inspired my Canadian bilingual speedo reading so slow that if I assume it's KPH numbers to be MPH numbers it reads about right.
But if you do make that particular swap be sure to set the substitute's odometer to the same number as the original and to use the Euro-model speedo because the Canadian dual Metric/Imperial dial markings are a dead giveaway.