ok I am an idiot sprocket question

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gmiller217

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I have seals for countershaft shift shaft and clutch pushrod coming soon. I took my front sprocket off a couple of months ago and didn't pay attention to which side was out (one side is marked 17 other is blank) anyway, I noticed tonight that the teeth on the sprocket are slightly curved. I know with it curved I should replace both sprockets and chain I just don't have the funds right now to do so. ... I assume due to the drive characteristics the teeth would be bent (worn) slightly towards the backside ... I am also sorry if this is confusing due to the lack of pics but my camera has grown legs (probably somewhere in my teenage daughter's room) and I don't want to go looking for it
 
If the bike is apart right now i'd recommend not putting the bad front sprocket back on. If it is bad enough you could jump a tooth or break one off and that could leave you stranded or even cause a wreck. Lightly used front sprockets can be had for 10 bucks and new ones are 30 or less shipped.
 
yeah I know I will be taking a risk putting it back on but have too many bills and not enough income ... seals will be here thursday and I want to get this thing out of my bedroom and ride for a couple weeks while I save for new chain and sprockets (40 mpg on the bike as opposed to 14mpg in my Jeep) I just need confirmation on what I think is the correct orientation
 
sprockets can be flipped to get extra use out of them, unless it is severely worn it wont be a problem.
 
Yes, if it's not too bad you can just flip it over and get a bit more life out of it. And when you get a chain, there's no need for some $100 deluxe o-ring job. Standard chains work fine on these. I've got 5 years and about 10K on a $20 J.C.Whitney heavy duty chain and it's only about half worn.
 
Flipper', I used my tractor chain for 6k miles and it was still kicking.... I did end up getting an o ring chain, but it was for $40 so I won't complain too much.
 
Curved teeth = too worn to use, I am cheap but skipping a chain can equal BIG $$$ Good grief for $8.00 TOTAL I'll mail you a better sprocket. paypal ziesler@bsupply.us
 
BigJimmyW13 said:
Flipper', I used my tractor chain for 6k miles and it was still kicking.... I did end up getting an o ring chain, but it was for $40 so I won't complain too much.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm not sure I know what a "tractor chain" is, but if it is a chain not specifically designed for motorcycle use, I would recommend against using it.

There was a story on another site about a rider that used cheap bulk chain that was intended as drive chain for farm equipment. It only cost, like $1 a foot or something like that, so he bought a bunch and cut a section and installed it on his bike.

Went riding with a group of friends on several motorcycles. Going down the highway, he was in the lead and the chain broke and jammed his rear wheel. He went down in front of the other riders and they all went down. Four people were killed, including his girlfriend who was riding on the back of his bike.

I install a new chain every two years whether it needs it or not. The stress on a motorcycle chain is way higher than other industrial type chain.
 
I used Ag chain ONCE about 30 years ago. That got me smart real fast, couldn't keep up with how fast it stretched, it was junk in short time the pins and bushing are designed for LOW SPEED only. MC chain spins like 10 times faster than ag chain. That crap I used had split rollers, not a smart chance to take.
 
I certainly sympathize with gmiller217. Having a disabled bike right at the start of riding season and not being able to fix it is very frustrating. But, when ti comes to chain, brakes and tires on a motorcycle, you do not want to compromise. Missing out on one season of riding is bad enough, but missing out on all future riding seasons is worse.
 
I've had good luck in the past with Industrial high speed chain-- it's slightly cheaper than motorcycle chain but nothing like as cheap as ag chains. But unless you've got a big industrial supply company nearby you'll probably not find it. And if they have to order it they will probably insist you buy the entire roll.
 
usually if a flat sprocket is marked ##T (tooth count) that is considered the outside, makes it so you don't have to count the teeth if the number is showing,
 
Also, not sure about the stock 530 sprocket but if you're running a 520 chain then it makes a big difference as to which side is out. Like jayel noted, number to the outside.
 
what you need to look at is tensile strenght, AG chain may be as low as 8000 lb. high speed motorcycle will be over 10,000 lb. wanna do holeshots and other high load hijinks? better have a good chain
 
I ran it for just under 6k it worked just fine. Just checked it each time before riding. Then, whenever a $40 oring popped across my plate I picked it up and installed it. The tractor chain worked just fine for me until then. Like I said. Just checked it every time and tightened it whenever needed.

Your "tractor" supply must be a little less industrial and a little more agricultural as mine doesn't sell any animals of any sort.... Mainly, truck/tractor parts, welders and tools.... Who woulda thunk? It's called Tractor Supply and not Go get my Chickies and Bunnies Supply....

BTW never said I got it from tractor supply. Just said it was a tractor chain - general term. It was a heavy duty #50 chain.
 
Last edited:
CDNTX650 said:
every time you choose to take the bike and not the car...
Click to expand...

Well maybe, but no need to require even more luck; headlight off, no helmet, A HARDTAIL, chick and bunny chain, etc.

BTW, where do you buy good chains?
 
So the tractor chain has 8k tensile strength? What do you think OEM tensile strength is?

FZ6 pushes 75+ horsepower to an oem chain that has a tensile strength of roughly 8k+. Now what does the tensile strength need to be for a 40+ horsepower bike?
 
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