Couple of questions about track gearing | GTAMotorcycle.com

Couple of questions about track gearing

Corsara

Corsara

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So I want to do the 520 conversion to my bike, which is a great opportunity to change my gearing. My 03 gsxr 1000 comes stock with 17/42, but I've been running it with 16/42 last summer and I liked it. Would the track pro's recommend -1/+2, or even bigger change?

Also, I know DID makes great chains, I also know the front sprocket better be made of steel, and I also think that a steel rear would be heavier than aluminum, but more durable. Any recommendations about good quality sprocket brands, or even complete kits with chain?
 
Ideal gearing can fluctuate a lot. -1+2 is a good start. I ran my 04 10R at -2+3 and i have my 2010 10R at -1+4. FWIW I have two front and five rear sprockets in my parts bin. My gearing is good for TMP, GBM and Shannonville. I would run a much taller final drive at Mosport.

Hardened aluminum rear sprockets work great. I've had good luck with PBI but there are alternatives.
 
Hey there!
You cannot go wrong with a complete Vortex set of sprockets and treating yourself to
a choice of front and rear sprockets if you are doing more than one track.
There are plenty of charts to help with ratios.
The rear sprocket you use the most will last a season and is not that expensive.

Regards Gareth

Corsara said:
So I want to do the 520 conversion to my bike, which is a great opportunity to change my gearing. My 03 gsxr 1000 comes stock with 17/42, but I've been running it with 16/42 last summer and I liked it. Would the track pro's recommend -1/+2, or even bigger change?

Also, I know DID makes great chains, I also know the front sprocket better be made of steel, and I also think that a steel rear would be heavier than aluminum, but more durable. Any recommendations about good quality sprocket brands, or even complete kits with chain?
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your replies!

Mr.Azim said:
Do a search of this topic, there are lots of threads... including one that was extensively discussed a month or two ago.
Click to expand...

I can't find it.

caboose483 said:
Ideal gearing can fluctuate a lot. -1+2 is a good start. I ran my 04 10R at -2+3 and i have my 2010 10R at -1+4. FWIW I have two front and five rear sprockets in my parts bin. My gearing is good for TMP, GBM and Shannonville. I would run a much taller final drive at Mosport.

Hardened aluminum rear sprockets work great. I've had good luck with PBI but there are alternatives.
Click to expand...

I'll be frequenting TMP the most as it's closest to home, maybe I'll try -1+4 and have a spare front for a 0/+4 for when I try Mosport.

Supertaff said:
Hey there!
You cannot go wrong with a complete Vortex set of sprockets and treating yourself to
a choice of front and rear sprockets if you are doing more than one track.
There are plenty of charts to help with ratios.
The rear sprocket you use the most will last a season and is not that expensive.

Regards Gareth
Click to expand...

So, right now I'm considering Vortex steel front and hard aluminium rear, and a EK MVXZ chain, based on this chart:


Chain Weight Tensile Strength Max cc.
DID ERV3 520 4lbs 3.3oz 8,660 750cc
RK GXW 520 4lbs 8.8oz 8,800 1000cc
EK MVXZ 520 4lbs 15.4oz 9,000 1000cc
EK ZZZ 520 5lbs 9,400 1000cc
EK MVXZ 530 5lbs 7.6oz 9,900 1000cc
DID ZVMX 530 6lbs 1.3oz 10,408 1400cc
EK ZZZ 530 6lb 11,400 1100+cc

Edit: I think I'll get Renthal sprockets though, google says they're better.
 
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-1/+2 is pretty good for a GSX-R 1000 at my track day pace (sharpish end of the expert group) for Mosport and Calabogie. I run out of revs at both of them with -1/+3 but I do like the feel of that gearing - it works well at Shannonville (and presumably TMP, GB). Just remember, it's not the same for every rider as some riders like to rev the snot out of their motor at all times while others like corner speed and gear up to prevent highsides. Your style is as important as the gearing for some tracks. I never use 1st gear and so consider that as well.
 
I run the same gearing on my bike at Shannonville, TMP, and Grand Bend, which is roughly -1 / +2 compared to stock (it's not exact, because the stock chain is a different pitch and I've converted to 520). Calabogie needs a tooth smaller rear sprocket (-1 / +1), Mosport needs a tooth bigger front sprocket (stock / +1). All of these allow getting into 6th gear on my small-displacement bike at the end of the longest straight except for Shannonville Nelson track, where I don't get past 4th but it hardly matters. At Grand Bend, I don't go below 3rd gear but I'm using 3rd through 6th.

Big displacement bike is another matter ... Scott Forgie's CBR929 had stock gearing and at Grand Bend, only needed one upshift and one downshift per lap at Grand Bend in the endurance race. Good thing, since I run reverse shift pattern exclusively and we had one team member who doesn't and can't ... this minimized the amount that I had to think about it.
 
Stay away from Vortex sprockets.

PBI and AFAM are your best bets and the ERV3 chain mentioned above.

With a large displacement bike like yours, it sometimes works well to essentially run it like a 5 speed(avoiding 1st gear)

Gearing it to run as a slightly tall 5 speed so you avoid using first in the slower sections will calm the bike down a bit and make it easier to ride, and if you gear it a bit tall for this config, you'll find you'll ride into the gearing pretty quickly(you'll be going faster and not working as hard)
 
As BrianP said, my Fireblade has enough jam (stock bike with just a slipon) that I have left the gearing stock. I have almost highsided myself to the moon with stock gearing already,LOL.... It is primarily an endurance race bike, so the less busy a rider is for an hour or more straight on the bike, the less tired he will be physically and mentally, and I also find that not downshifting too much before a turn allows me to concentrate more on maintaining corner speed and smoothness. Besides, in endurance, we aren't racing for position, so being able to outdrive the opposition on every corner exit isn't as important as it is in a sprint race. I did find during an endurance race while chasing a new GSXR1000 for nearly an hour, that I had to make up time midcorner and on the brakes, becasue the GSXR would slaughter me on every corner exit.

I have sprint raced the Fireblade twice, and both times felt like it could have used different gearing, more for launch from a dead stop at the green flag than for corner exit drive.
 
I was running -2 +3 at TMP with k6 1000 and it felt good for my first track day on it. Couple things to consider though, if you go too low on the front sprocket your chain can end up eating the chain guide and if you go too high youll need more links in your chain.
 
Some good advice here. What recip says is quite true. You want to stay out of 1st gear in the corners. I have the same bike as you corsara and been using -1/+2 and been happy with it at TMP. I'm usually in yellow and I'm out to have fun. If yur looking for chains and sprockets I suggest checking this out;

https://www.motomummy.com/chain-kit...anodized-alum-rear-sprocket/driven-chain-kit/

I've been using the driven for a couple years now and it has served me well. (I'm still using a 530 chain) You may want to look at the supersprox sprockets if you like something lighter (steel/ aluminum combo). GP spec sells them here in ontario. I recommend the DID ERV3 chain. The DID chains that I've used have stood up well.
 
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Screw supersprox. Get a Superlite. It's steel throughout and as light as the combo units. I've been using one on my 180whp street bike this year and it's held up to 7K just great... the aluminum sprockets I was using on my BST wheels lasted no time at all... thankfully Superlite started making a steel sprocket for the Marchesini/BST hubs.
 
Shaman said:
Screw supersprox. Get a Superlite. It's steel throughout and as light as the combo units. I've been using one on my 180whp street bike this year and it's held up to 7K just great... the aluminum sprockets I was using on my BST wheels lasted no time at all... thankfully Superlite started making a steel sprocket for the Marchesini/BST hubs.
Click to expand...

I tried to get one of those Superlites myself. I ordered it and they shipped me a sprocket that weighed more than my stock sprocket. Turns out they sent the wrong one. At the time they could not supply me with the superlite one but if I could get one I would in a heartbeat. For now the Driven hard anodized has stood up well. I think the ones from sprocket specialists are also pretty good. But my bike doesn't make 180 hp either. Maybe in the 150's at the wheel.
 
+1 for the DID ERV3. I have two full race seasons (16 race weekends and almost as many trackdays) and it still looks ok but i'll be replacing it this winter.

I have really only used two of my PBI rear sprockets and they both still look new. They are hardened aluminum and I am pretty anal with chain maintenance.
 
I've had an ERV3 on my AM 1000 since 2009, it still looked new when I sold it to Fiset with about 30 track days on it. The one on my "fast" bike is also three years old and looks new. They have a higher strength than the standard 530 chain that came on the bikes.

Chain maintenance? What's that? I spray 'em with WD40 about twice a year to keep the seals soft. They're roller chains. I do inspect them every event, though... I had a ERV2 (precursor to ERV3) rip in half on me in 2009.
 
RobVN said:
Some good advice here. What recip says is quite true. You want to stay out of 1st gear in the corners. I have the same bike as you corsara and been using -1/+2 and been happy with it at TMP. I'm usually in yellow and I'm out to have fun. If yur looking for chains and sprockets I suggest checking this out;

https://www.motomummy.com/chain-kit...anodized-alum-rear-sprocket/driven-chain-kit/

I've been using the driven for a couple years now and it has served me well. (I'm still using a 530 chain) You may want to look at the supersprox sprockets if you like something lighter (steel/ aluminum combo). GP spec sells them here in ontario. I recommend the DID ERV3 chain. The DID chains that I've used have stood up well.
Click to expand...

That's exactly the kit that I'm ordering right now from MotoMummy. I'll go with Driven sprockets -1/+3, and an EK MVXZ chain, 520 pitch. After reading some reviews on that site, as well as other places on the internet, this chain in the 520 configuration seems to be more favored than the DID ERV3 as it has more tensile strength. DID ERV3 is 8660 lbs/100 links, and the EK MVXZ is 9000 lbs/100 links. Maybe that's why DID rates the ERV3 for use up to 750cc max (link: http://www.didchain.com/roadChains.html). And here is the link for EK MVXZ: http://www.ekchain.jp/product/street_bikes.html
 
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Corsara said:
That's exactly the kit that I'm ordering right now from MotoMummy. I'll go with Driven sprockets -1/+3, and an EK MVXZ chain, 520 pitch. After reading some reviews on that site, as well as other places on the internet, this chain in the 520 configuration seems to be more favored than the DID ERV3 as it has more tensile strength. DID ERV3 is 8660 lbs/100 links, and the EK MVXZ is 9000 lbs/100 links. Maybe that's why DID rates the ERV3 for use up to 750cc max (link: http://www.didchain.com/roadChains.html). And here is the link for EK MVXZ: http://www.ekchain.jp/product/street_bikes.html
Click to expand...
By the time you add shipping and duties, you're not saving anything.
Give Tony @ Blue Streak Racing a call, I got my Driven sprockets and DID ERV3 chain from him and his prices are very competitive with the US market.
You also get free shipping and you get your parts a lot faster.
 
Mina said:
By the time you add shipping and duties, you're not saving anything.
Give Tony @ Blue Streak Racing a call, I got my Driven sprockets and DID ERV3 chain from him and his prices are very competitive with the US market.
You also get free shipping and you get your parts a lot faster.
Click to expand...

I tried the Blue Streak Racing, Driven front + Driven rear + rear nuts + DID ERV3 is $276 before tax. Earlier placed an order with the mummy place for the same, but with a EK MVXZ chain, paid 223 total shipped to my door, and even if I have to pay the 13% tax on arrival, it's still a better deal. Duties---I doubt, Driven are made in US and there shouldn't be any duties.
 
Corsara said:
I tried the Blue Streak Racing, Driven front + Driven rear + rear nuts + DID ERV3 is $276 before tax. Earlier placed an order with the mummy place for the same, but with a EK MVXZ chain, paid 223 total shipped to my door, and even if I have to pay the 13% tax on arrival, it's still a better deal. Duties---I doubt, Driven are made in US and there shouldn't be any duties.
Click to expand...
It was cheaper for me, but I think it's because I got a bunch of other stuff as well...
 
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