Finally got my AFAM 43t zinc coated steel rear sprocket at a little after 1800 hours this evening from UPS.
Anyway, I had the wheel removed and the stock sprocket removed ready for it when it arrived. A little blue Loctite, a 14mm socket, a torque wrench, and a little sweat later and I had the new one bolted on. Then came the fun part. Loosening the chain adjustment bolts all the way in, installing the wheel/axle, then adjusting the chain and getting the wheel/sprocket into alignment with the chain again.
As always, it's not that hard to do, it's just tedious and a little time consumin' tryin' to get the chain tension just right while at the same time aligning the rear wheel. Luckily my hash marks seem to be pretty accurate. With the stock chain, the 43 tooth sprocket shortened the wheelbase right at 4/10ths of an inch measured by dial caliper from where the back of the axle adjustment washer is now and where the mark on the swingarm from the washer was before.
Install was pretty painless other than tryin' to align the rear wheel, rear brake caliper, and jockey the tire into position while tryin' to feed the axle through it all with no help. Not that bad really but it was the worst part of the job. I'd say that if you can align the wheel and adjust the tension of the chain properly you will have no problems doin' this mod yourself.
Now for my first ride report. First of all, it didn't make as big of a difference in easy take offs as I figured it would. It made a difference (definite improvement... less lug), just not as big of a difference as I had expected. On the same note, it didn't change the lowest part of first gear as much as I was expecting either. Again, it's definitely better, just not the day and night difference I expected after readin' others' posts about droppin' the gearing.
Once rollin' it definitely made a big difference though. Far closer to what I had expected. She definitely doesn't feel like a machine geared for 200mph luggin' around at 55 mph now. The gear change turned her into a low end barn burner. She's a LOT more peppy than before once you get past the low end of first gear. Even roll ons in 6th gear feel much stronger.
To avoid excessive wear down the center of the tire (yep, I'm holdin' strong and keepin' my word to myself on this!) I didn't really romp on 'er too hard from dead stops in the low gears, but I rolled on hard enough a few times to feel the difference. You can definitely feel that martherfarker tryin' to paw the ground when you twist on it now. It fuggin' sling shots when you drop two gears and roll on it any at all.
I don't know if it's possible to feel a difference in handlin' by shortenin' the wheelbase 4/10ths of an inch, but I swear it felt a little different today than the other times I rode it on the new tires. Maybe it's just a "placebo effect" or something, but I just know it's different somehow in the corners.
Anyway, if you want to wake your busa up for around town or twisty ridin' I'd say that a 43t rear sprocket would be a nice way to do it. I only rode about 25 miles or so but I can already tell that it's more suited to my style of ridin' with the lower gearing. Not sure yet if the 43t alone is gonna put the RPM's where I want them in the twisties but based on the few decent corners I hit today it's definitely an improvement. I don't think I'm willing to trade off much more cruisin' speed revs or gas mileage for any more revs though. I think a 16t front would definitely put it over the top for me. I'm wondering what a 44t rear would do though. I'm pretty sure I'd have to buy a new chain if I wanted to try it so it ain't gonna happen right now. Hopefully the 43t will do what I want it to do and I won't need anymore.
I know what some of you are prolly thinkin' at this point. Will he ever shut up!?!
Yeah, I will, soon... I know what else some of you are thinkin' as well. Why do most people post "daaayyyyyyuuuuuuuummmmm" level posts after gearing changes and BT only posts at a "nice improvement" level of enthusiasm? I'm glad you asked. As I said, I'm slowin' my azz down on the street and avoidin' low gear blasts. I'm doin' this for two reasons.
#1 is that I was flirtin' with disaster and luckily I realized this before something tragic happened. It was just a matter of time before I either got busted, riskin' my license and my job. or I busted myself and Da' Train up BAD. It makes less sense to me every day to take that kind of risk on the street. Don't get me wrong, I still love to play. I'm just gettin' my thrills from cookin' the corners at 15-20+ mph above the speed limit with that beeyotch leaned as far as I dare to lean 'er instead of blazin' along the straights at 150+. After seein' the guy that hit the deer at 130+ on the R6 I just can't get comfortable hittin' those kinds of speed in many places on the road anymore.
#2 is the tire thing. It just gripes my ever lovin' azz to look at the stock tire and see all that rubber left on the outsides while the center is nearly gone. I can't tell you how much that torques me off!
Wasted money is what it is, and I don't have any to waste.
I simply refuse to waste the outside edges of the POWER's by eatin' up the middle on low gear blasts. I'm gonna take it easy on the straights, enjoy the ride, and then get buck wild in dem corners to get my rocks off.
So, if I had romped on it hard in first or second there is no doubt in my mind that I'd be postin' another "Oh my friggin' God" type post. Fact is I done the gear swap to get somethin' besides stump pullin' torque and front wheel loftin' runs through the low gears. I'll be much more impressed if the swap improves the busa in the twisties than I will about how it runs through the low gears. Based on what I felt during my ride today, I'm sure the wow, or rather "Fuggin' WOW!!!" factor is there now. It's just that it isn't my thing anymore.
Questions? Comments?
<!--EDIT|BulletTrain
Reason for Edit: None given...|1090460204 -->
As always, it's not that hard to do, it's just tedious and a little time consumin' tryin' to get the chain tension just right while at the same time aligning the rear wheel. Luckily my hash marks seem to be pretty accurate. With the stock chain, the 43 tooth sprocket shortened the wheelbase right at 4/10ths of an inch measured by dial caliper from where the back of the axle adjustment washer is now and where the mark on the swingarm from the washer was before.
Install was pretty painless other than tryin' to align the rear wheel, rear brake caliper, and jockey the tire into position while tryin' to feed the axle through it all with no help. Not that bad really but it was the worst part of the job. I'd say that if you can align the wheel and adjust the tension of the chain properly you will have no problems doin' this mod yourself.
Now for my first ride report. First of all, it didn't make as big of a difference in easy take offs as I figured it would. It made a difference (definite improvement... less lug), just not as big of a difference as I had expected. On the same note, it didn't change the lowest part of first gear as much as I was expecting either. Again, it's definitely better, just not the day and night difference I expected after readin' others' posts about droppin' the gearing.
Once rollin' it definitely made a big difference though. Far closer to what I had expected. She definitely doesn't feel like a machine geared for 200mph luggin' around at 55 mph now. The gear change turned her into a low end barn burner. She's a LOT more peppy than before once you get past the low end of first gear. Even roll ons in 6th gear feel much stronger.
To avoid excessive wear down the center of the tire (yep, I'm holdin' strong and keepin' my word to myself on this!) I didn't really romp on 'er too hard from dead stops in the low gears, but I rolled on hard enough a few times to feel the difference. You can definitely feel that martherfarker tryin' to paw the ground when you twist on it now. It fuggin' sling shots when you drop two gears and roll on it any at all.
I don't know if it's possible to feel a difference in handlin' by shortenin' the wheelbase 4/10ths of an inch, but I swear it felt a little different today than the other times I rode it on the new tires. Maybe it's just a "placebo effect" or something, but I just know it's different somehow in the corners.
Anyway, if you want to wake your busa up for around town or twisty ridin' I'd say that a 43t rear sprocket would be a nice way to do it. I only rode about 25 miles or so but I can already tell that it's more suited to my style of ridin' with the lower gearing. Not sure yet if the 43t alone is gonna put the RPM's where I want them in the twisties but based on the few decent corners I hit today it's definitely an improvement. I don't think I'm willing to trade off much more cruisin' speed revs or gas mileage for any more revs though. I think a 16t front would definitely put it over the top for me. I'm wondering what a 44t rear would do though. I'm pretty sure I'd have to buy a new chain if I wanted to try it so it ain't gonna happen right now. Hopefully the 43t will do what I want it to do and I won't need anymore.
I know what some of you are prolly thinkin' at this point. Will he ever shut up!?!
#1 is that I was flirtin' with disaster and luckily I realized this before something tragic happened. It was just a matter of time before I either got busted, riskin' my license and my job. or I busted myself and Da' Train up BAD. It makes less sense to me every day to take that kind of risk on the street. Don't get me wrong, I still love to play. I'm just gettin' my thrills from cookin' the corners at 15-20+ mph above the speed limit with that beeyotch leaned as far as I dare to lean 'er instead of blazin' along the straights at 150+. After seein' the guy that hit the deer at 130+ on the R6 I just can't get comfortable hittin' those kinds of speed in many places on the road anymore.
#2 is the tire thing. It just gripes my ever lovin' azz to look at the stock tire and see all that rubber left on the outsides while the center is nearly gone. I can't tell you how much that torques me off!
So, if I had romped on it hard in first or second there is no doubt in my mind that I'd be postin' another "Oh my friggin' God" type post. Fact is I done the gear swap to get somethin' besides stump pullin' torque and front wheel loftin' runs through the low gears. I'll be much more impressed if the swap improves the busa in the twisties than I will about how it runs through the low gears. Based on what I felt during my ride today, I'm sure the wow, or rather "Fuggin' WOW!!!" factor is there now. It's just that it isn't my thing anymore.
Questions? Comments?
<!--EDIT|BulletTrain
Reason for Edit: None given...|1090460204 -->
