So the previous owner put 15/43 sprockets on the bike. It runs great, my only problem is that I like to run fast on the highway, spending alot of time anywhere from 7-9000 RPMs. According to the gearing calculator my top speed is around 150 at 10500 RPMs. I'd like to bring down the RPMs, but don't want to loose too much pull. I've never driven one with stock gearing. So what do you think about the stock set up, will I be disappointed if I go back?

 

Stock gearing is 16/41.

When I did my latest build I used 15/41. It's "****** it out of your hands" fast off the line but is 5500r's (confirmed by LEO) 85mph.

It didn't seem that fast to me.

And I think I was in fourth gear.

 

Front sprockets only cost around $20, so go back to 16 and that might be enough to satisfy your need for speed.

 

+1. In my opinion, the 16/43 (about 4.8% lower than OEM) is the best compromise for a mix of city, highway and mountain riding.

 

But be aware that 15/43 doesn't lower your ultimate top speed compared to stock gearing because with 15/43 the Hawk will pull more revs in 6th. Stock it tops out in 5th.
I prefer 15/43, but if you want to lower the revs I agree with the other posters to go back to a 16 tooth countershaft sprocket.

 

When I went to 15/41, for some reason my first impression was "this is how the bike should have been from the factory". Dunno why, it just felt "right"

 

I had a 15/41 gearing and it wore the sprocket and chain real fast.
I went to 16/43 and it pulls just right. On the back straight away at Mossport, I get it revving to 9000 RPM before having to break. That is perfect gearing.
Standard gearing is tall on most bikes and this is probably the cheapest mod one can do. How many riders get to do over 250 kph on the street?

 

Since when?!?! My bike, even when it was bone-stock, would go da-da-da-da off the rev limiter in top gear. I've always seen top speed listed as redline in 6th.

 

I don't know, Jamie. With stock sprockets 9500 rpm in 6th is a calculated 169 mph.

 

It's not about that, it's about the revs while cruising. You are absolutely right, 99% of the time you are maintaining a constant speed. Why beat up your valve train for no reason? If you want more umpf, click down a gear. That's a heck of a lot more than +2 teeth on the rear sprocket. If I do it just right, I can pin the throttle on my bike in first and it pulls out just hard enough not to point the front to the sky. You aren't in that gear very long anyway, once you shift the benefit of gearing is gone.

 

Since redline is at 9500, you'd probably be hitting the rev limiter before you'd see 150, but who knows?
How much pull kind of depends on how much you weigh too. I'm 155 and stock gearing is fine with me.

 

Am I the only one that has hit the limiter in top gear? I've done it a couple of times, so it wans't just a one-time fluke. It was showing an indicated 165-170 (I don't pay that much attention to the speedo at those speeds, as you can imagine). The speedo is horribly inaccurate anyway. Now where did I put that spreadsheet.......

 

with my 15/43 setup I hit limiter (10.5) in top gear on a runway and it wouldn't go past 155-157, or at least that's what the speedo said but I know it's a little off. so if claimed top gear in stock form is 169 at 9.5 which I assume would climb another 5-7 for 1k rpm to about 175 we're only losing about 20mph, but who goes 175 anyways?

 

How big are you? (physical size I mean) It's the only way I could see a stock VTR pulling redline in 6th with standard gearing.

 

Are you running a speedohealer? If not your speedo is going to show the same speed as stock gearing at that rpm, but you would really be going slower.



6' and 215lb in street clothes. No problem hitting rev limiter, takes less than a mile.

 

I've got the stock 16/41 gearing and it is fine for almost everything. I find it a tad too tall for in town riding sometimes, but on the highway it's great. At an indicated 70mph I'm at about 3800rpm in 6th.

 

I think I'll try the 16 tooth front, as it sits right now there is more than enough power in 1st and 2nd.