trackday noob gearing?
 

Hey guys,

I'm taking my VTR to the track for my first trackday in about a week, and I'm wondering about the gearing. The bike came to me with a 39 on the back, and it drives me nuts. When riding on the street, it lugs down bad in second around corners, but too fast for first. 6th is unusable unless i'm doing 80 at a minimum. I haven't popped the cover off, but that makes me think it's a 16 on the front. Bike came with a 43t ring. I def want to switch to the 43 for street use, but is it going to suck on the track? Should I buy a 41, or even stick with the 39 for the track? Track is MSR in Houston, btw.

I might add that my hesitation with going to 43 in the back is that i'm already locking up the rear wheel and skidding when downshifting on the street. damn torquey-ass motor. almost makes me miss that FZ1 that had basically zero engine braking...wait, just kidding

Rev match when down shifting.

yeah. didnt need to on my last few bikes so I got used to not doing it.

Rev matching is fun...reminds me of driving my Sunbeam Tiger, that ford V8 has lots of braking power which must be respected!

I really wouldn't sweat the gearing if you are new to the track, it won't make you any faster or slower. If you are locking up the rear on occasional downshifts there are other things with your riding that should be focused on, like downshifting one at a time and easing out the clutch a bit slower while slowing, etc. work on bein smooth with everything, be it downshifting, braking or accelerating.

To be honest I've never done a track day but I do ride the streets hard so I'll give you my input....

I had stock originally(16/41), then I switched to 15/43 and although fun doesnt give much top end, now I'm running 15/42 much happier with it...

for the track I would recommend 15/41 or 15/42... just from personal experience

on another note, what might help you more is a quicker turn throttle, 1/4 or 1/5 it will hel you keep those revs higher easier.

The problem isnt so much the gearing but where you hold your rev range in each individual gear. Rev that bitch up ;)

I think you're right.

It really depends on the track. They are all different.

Since you are new to it, you wont have anything to compare it to. But I don't think super high gearing is any good for any track except Daytona, which is really one big straightaway.

Go back to shorter gearing and be gentle on the downshifts.

And for crying out loud, have fun and avoid the urge to race every squid around you. Those are not real racers, they are playing dress-up racer and may not hold their lines.

When in doubt...don't. Just work on comfort and smoothness. Look way UP the track. Stay relaxed. Don't grip the bars too hard.

Check tire pressure constantly, it makes a huge difference.

Oh yeah. And have fun.

thanks, man, will do.

I would go back to the stock 16\41 as a starting place.

Other gearing can work but it is hard to know what works for you if you don't know how it feels "stock"..... and FYI after trying the different gearing options I am back to the stock gear as it works the best IMHO.

As for the throttle tube...... you guys should know by now that the stock throttle tube is 1\4 turn. ;)

I'm either going to come accross douchey or dumb here but my factory throttle tube was about 1/3 turn, I measured the turn before doing the CBR front end swap and did the same with the CBR tube. The CBR tube came in at just under 1/4 turn (maybe a degree or 2 less). There was also a noticeable size difference of the diameters of the cable guide area of the two and I didnt note any significant wear on the SH tube. My bike is a 98, could they have used a different tube on the earlier models? I'm going to see if theres a part number on the SH tube when I get home and do some research because you keep saying this and in my experience is not true (atleast on my bike)...

Well mine is a 98 actually a 97 but yes the stock tube is 1\4 turn.

Stock - 1\4 turn
RC45 - 1\5 turn
HRC - 1\6 turn

Not that it matters to me, just want to keep the info correct.
To me the really quick tubes are better suited for a I4 but we each have our own riding style.

For those wanting a shorter turn throttle, there is one draw back, and that is on the street. You hit a bump and your wrist moves a tiny amount, and your head snaps back. It gets annoying after awhile. This is why throttle ramps are popular.

That is why I went back to the stock tube....... though I have also been told it is because I don't know how to ride..... :rolleyes::rotf::rotf:

1/6 turn or GTFO! LOL

I wouldn't worry about gearing for a bit. Make sure your brakes are good, upgrade if needed. And enjoy the f out of it

at the moment, i'm way more worried about fixing this stuttering issue, but yr right, thanks.

Stock gearing hauls me around the mountains just fine. The stock throttle works well too - just roll it on smoothly.


It would be smart to buy a 41T rear sprocket, then you'd have three to choose from - 39, 41, 43 - and could try them, as long as your chain adjustment works out ok.

I remember a thread a while back about quick action throttle tubes and a post from you saying the same thing about little inputs and getting jerked forward at every crack in the road, or something like that. I didn't heed your advice and made a throttle ramp very aggressive. With the crappy roads in Wisconsin, I did not enjoy riding after a short while.

I've done a 15 or so trackdays on my SH...I think I have stock gearing & throttle tube.

I ride a smaller track (1.7 mi) and Road America (4 mi) and have done Gingerman, Grattan and Autobahn. Plenty of torque for being in wrong gears and plenty of speed to a$$loads of fun no matter what.

Go have fun. Ride your own ride. Pay attention to the rules for your org & individual group.

Nice, that's an excellent description VTRDarren, be water my friend, adapt and flow.