Looking for some opinions on overdrive sprockets. Really thinking about getting but..... Just wanted to hear what everyone else thinks. Thx
10 plus years of having an xs650 and pretty much ran the gamut of sprockets. I'm back to stock gearing at 17/34. One up riding, some highways but lots of hills, hollers and twisties. If I was to roll on interstates I might consider the overdrive fifth gear. I've never buried the redline yet. 70 mph and still not nearing it is fine by me.
Uh, 'scuse me, Scott, but that ain't so. When the XS1 came out in 1970 (17/34 gearing, as on later models), the oil crisis and 55 mph speed limit weren't even anticipated. The OE XS650 gearing fell right between the final drive ratio of Triumph's 650 Bonneville (slightly higher than Yamaha) and single carb 650 Tiger (slightly lower). I don't know about Hondas, but Yamaha and Triumph gearing underwent no alteration when the speed law
changed. We didn't fret so much about winding 'em up back in the day.
... I dunno about MikesXS' " overdrive gear".
It seems to me that a 23tooth gear can't be replaced by a 24tooth running on the same centers unless the 24tooth gear's tooth form has been seriously compromised.
...Guys, before you buy that tall 5th gear, do a search. Some buyers have encountered fitment problems due to Chiwanese/MXS QA.