17t front sprocket change

[D-Mac]

Hi everyone,

After doing a search and reading about various sprocket mods, I ordered a 17t Vortex front sprocket today.

That's right..... I'm going with +1/0. My riding style has become a lot of highway miles, and I'm looking for anything to help drop the vibes a bit. I'm not a wheelie guy and I figure that the FZ6 will still be far beyond my riding capabilities, even with this mod. I also don't find that it lacks anything 'down low' for my riding style either and I'm not a heavy guy. Hopefully I can get a few more miles out of a tank too, although I doubt I'll gain much. I did this mod on my last bike (which was more complicated since my old Honda didn't have room for a larger sprocket up front) and the results were fantastic.

For anyone looking to change the front sprocket on a 2007+ FZ6 (which has a funky lock-nut with compression tabs and takes a 30mm socket), I found a good 'how to' video. It's in ITALIAN, but still makes a lot of sense (any internet translation program will help with the text).

[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-HYWEgeLvk[/nomedia]

 

[FZyLarry]

I did this mod last year and after about 6 months I switched back to the stock set up. How many miles have you put on the bike since you've owned it?

 

[SovietRobot]

You don't have to remove the rear sets/shifter

 

[DefyInertia]

TourGuide did this and likes it a lot...even 2up in the mountains. Let us know how you like it once the snow melts.

 

[D-Mac]

I did this mod last year and after about 6 months I switched back to the stock set up. How many miles have you put on the bike since you've owned it?

I'm not sure of my exact mileage, but it's no more than 4K since I bought it new last summer. Not quite enough for me to want to swap the chain and rear sprocket (I also maintain the chain religiously). I'm also thinking I might not like it and just switch back.

 

[D-Mac]

You don't have to remove the rear sets/shifter

Good point. I thought that looked excessive. I think the manual shows it being done, so that's probably why the guy did it.

I remember checking the valves on my old Honda and noticing that the service manual called for the carbs and most of the engine to be removed first (totally unnecessary with some creative thinking). They also said that you had to remove the ENGINE to drain the coolant reserve tank (!)

 

[D-Mac]

TourGuide did this and likes it a lot...even 2up in the mountains. Let us know how you like it once the snow melts.

Yup. It was TourGuide's comments that convinced me to try this. I'm not a big guy, I never ride 2-up, and I don't live near mountains, so all the more reason for me to try it I guess.

 

[racerws]

I did the +1 17 tooth mod also and I like it. Seems the FZ6 has plenty of
get up and go for me even with the mod. As a plus it seems to have corrected the speedometer (it was registering too fast by about 5 mph before) Also, it seems to have made the close ration 6 speed smoother
when going through the gears, at least for me.
I did keep the stock one just in case I want to change back someday.

 

[FZyLarry]

I'm not sure of my exact mileage, but it's no more than 4K since I bought it new last summer. Not quite enough for me to want to swap the chain and rear sprocket (I also maintain the chain religiously). I'm also thinking I might not like it and just switch back.

Well it's really easy to do the swap and I think there are a few people out there that put the 17 on for long rides and then go back to stock for everyday riding. My previous bike had been a twin that red lined at 6 grand so it took a while to get used to the higher revs. In my early days of FZ ownership I kept trying to get a 7th gear so I figured the 17T would make things less buzzy. It did but eventually I got used to the buzz and found myself riding on the freeway in 5th - seemed like a sign to switch back

 

[616ah]

The 17 tooth has had me thinking lately too for the highway miles - just wondering what it might do to the low speed control though - may have to slip the clutch more (too much) at slow speeds. Any findings from those who have tried it?

 

[Nelly]

You don't have to remove the rear sets/shifter

....Or the gear linkage, its a bit fiddly but can defo be carried out with both in situ.

I did this mod last year and after about 6 months I switched back to the stock set up. How many miles have you put on the bike since you've owned it?

You haven't said why you switched back to stock?

Nelly

 

[FZyLarry]

You haven't said why you switched back to stock?

Nelly

I guess I got used to the higher revs over time and I missed the neck snapping acceleration that the stock setup had. After 2 years & 12K miles the 7K at freeway speeds seems OK now. I even find myself in 5th on the freeway if the traffic is making me think I might need snappy acceleration.

 

[impheatus81]

so what is the pros and cons for the 17T mod ?

 

[FZyLarry]

Pros = reduced rpms at freeway speed, maybe less vibration in the bars depending on your cruising speed

Cons = less exciting acceleration, maybe some issues with taking off from a dead stop if you are 2 up riding.

 

[impheatus81]

Pros = reduced rpms at freeway speed, maybe less vibration in the bars depending on your cruising speed

Cons = less exciting acceleration, maybe some issues with taking off from a dead stop if you are 2 up riding.

so if i down to 15T

the pros and cons will be totally reverse?

 

[D-Mac]

so if i down to 15T

the pros and cons will be totally reverse?

Pretty much. Explains why 15t is a much more popular mod than 17t since most people would prefer quicker take-offs and are willing to have it rev higher at highway speeds.

You can also add a tooth or two on the rear sprocket for an even greater effect (adding teeth on the rear sprocket has the same effect as removing them on the front). I think it's typically better to mod the front sprocket if you're only gonna mess with one sprocket because it doesn't affect the length of the chain as much (taking one tooth away from the front also has more impact on the ratios than adding one to the rear sprocket).

Many folks swap-out both the front and rear sprockets (dropping to a 15t on the front AND adding 2 on the rear for an even bigger effect). If your chain/sprockets are even a bit worn, you should always replace them all at the same time in any case.

 

[D-Mac]

Sprocket mod - COMPLETE!

I broke down yesterday and got my bike out of storage (a friend's heated garage).

As soon as I got her home I did the sprocket swap and put on the 17t. It was very easy to do (I have an '07 - you do need a 30mm socket).

Today I went for a little ride (23F!) My initial thoughts?

I LOVE this mod! I did notice a little less 'get up and go', but on the plus side I felt more comfortable twisting the throttle than before and it also seemed to be smoother (more forgiving at lower speeds) if that's possible. Because I haven't ridden in a while it wasn't easy to make a fair comparison, but for the very minor loss in acceleration I found that the difference on the highway (lower rpms while cruising along) is definitely worth it for me.

The sprocket is noisier (you can tell as soon as you install it - no rubber on it like the stock one has), but I didn't notice any additional noise while riding. I bought a Vortex (530).

 

[reiobard]

how much did it actually drop the RPM'S and what is the real life mileage increase per tank? I love the power of the FZ, but i ride enough that the extra mileage would be very helpful. Also, do you have a speedohealer to compensate for the speed reading incorrectly?

 

[Smittyboy]

Would just doing a rear sprocket -1 make the speedo true to actual? I'm sick of having to do the 10% in my head... And a little less rev's on the highway would be nice...

 

[D-Mac]

No idea if it affects fuel consumption yet. Unless it warms up I won't be making enough trips to get a good idea about that for a while. Previous reports suggest it's minimal (maybe 2-3 mpg on the highway).

It seems to drop the revs at least 300rpm at 70mph, but I can't be certain because the speedo is now more accurate than before (so I don't have a good idea of the difference in readings). I'll give the rpms.

As for the speedo, I don't think -1 on the back would be enough since most who've done +1 on the front report it's dead accurate (and +1 on the front is like -2 or -3 on the back). I'm planning on doing a run this afternoon with the GPS, so I'll be able to confirm that the speedo is now accurate once that's done.

I'll report back soon with the rpms at 70mph (based on a GPS) for future reference.