Anyone run a smaller rear sprocket
 

So I"m thinking of going to a 39 or 40T rear sproket. I'm thinking for starters my speedo is off by about 8-9% so hopefully this will fix that to an extent, also to help fuel economy. The thing wheelies constantly already so it's not like the gearing it to tall already.

It seems everyone wants to go the other way so they can do better wheelies etc. But has anyone gone this way? If so what were your findings?

Heresy.... lol

There is no reason why you can`t. In the end, it`s all about making the bike better for what you use it for. If gearing up would make it better for you, then by all means go for it.....

Is there room under the cover to go up one in the front?

I would be interested in knowing that s well.

I ran a 17 on the front for a couple years. I had put it on for a trip to Barber for the Vintage races.It drops the rpm about 2 to 3 hundred at cruise. It can only be used with a 41 tooth or smaller on the rear with a stock length chain.

Yeah, for me, I've found with stock gearing, 1st ends up being fairly tall, which can be a pain in a hilly city, but you live in the area, so it must not bother you. I wouldn't go any taller than the 16/43 I am running now (having ridden both 16/41 and 15/43 before).

All that said however, I do wonder whether it's really possible to eek out any more mpg's by going taller than stock, since it will take correspondingly larger throttle inputs to achieve what you were getting before, including at cruise. Might be a wash, and it might actually get worse. Either way, I am definitely curious as to what you find out! :p:cool:

I really tall first is the only real drawback I can see. But it's never been much of an issue. I don't do a lot of in Seattle riding where the stoplights at the hills would be much of an issue. Just take a little more clutch.

I think changing gearing with bigger tires where you're adding rotating mass you'r statement of needing more throttle would be true. But just changing the gearing via a rear sprocket I don't think it'd be so much the case. I think you could definitely go to far to get to that point but I don't think going one or two teeth on the rear is going to do it. I guess I'll know if I try it. Just sucks to have to buy a new rear sprocket to test this when I just bought new chain and sprockets less than a month ago.

Wyldryce...I think you've got it backwards 16/41 is taller than 16/43 and 15/43 is shorter than them both.

Just remember, our odometers are calibrated to work correctly with the stock gearing and the speedos are calibrated to read fast, intentionally. Going to taller gearing to lower your speedometer reading will also make your odometer read less miles. Not a problem unless you actually use it for tracking distance traveled.