SMP Pro Track, what sprocket sizes are you using for your 1000cc SBK? | GTAMotorcycle.com

SMP Pro Track, what sprocket sizes are you using for your 1000cc SBK?

Rossi86

Rossi86

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For racing at SMP pro-track, just wanted to get an idea what sprocket sizes people are using compared to stock sprockets? I've ran various configurations on my GSXR1000s from stock F: 16T and R: 42T, to F: 16T and R: 43T, F: 15T and R: 44T, F: 16T and R: 45T, F: 15T and R: 45R; with all combos my consistent lap times have been within 1.5 seconds.

With all the combos I've tried, I still felt like I was in between gears in different sections of the track. Has anyone tried F:-2T, R: +2 or +3T?
 
Where are you shifting?

You should be:

3rd gear through T1 and T2.
2nd gear through T3 and T4
1st gear through the hairpin (some use 2nd)
Up to 5th on the back straight
Down to 3rd through Fabi 1 and the chicane
Down to 2nd into Allen’s and onto the front straight

- Repeat -

I set my gearing to top out 3rd between T2 and T3
 
caboose56 said:
Where are you shifting?

You should be:

3rd gear through T1 and T2.
2nd gear through T3 and T4
1st gear through the hairpin (some use 2nd)
Up to 5th on the back straight
Down to 3rd through Fabi 1 and the chicane
Down to 2nd into Allen’s and onto the front straight

- Repeat -

I set my gearing to top out 3rd between T2 and T3
Click to expand...

On F: -1T, R: +2 or +3T, most of the shifting is the same:
-3rd gear near the end of front straight and all the way to braking into turn 3, reach up to 13500 rpms before braking and downshifting to 2nd
-2nd gear through turn 3, 4, and hairpin
-tried 1st for the hairpin and my drive into the back straight was terrible, the 600s were beating me down the straight. In 2nd I get better drive, but for a 1000cc on the current bike (2008 )I'm not able to pull away much (if anything at all) from the 600s until I'm near the redline. I remember on my 2003 gsxr1000 last year in amateur, the 600s didn't stand a chance with me on the back straight (took the hairpin in 2nd gear also and gearing was F: -1, R: +2). Maybe the pro 600s I'm dealing with now are built better... But for a 1000cc I don't stand a chance against the other litre bikes, everyone on a 1000cc pulls away from me on the back straight. I currently don't have a quickshifter, don't know how much of a difference that would make, and also have 2003 fuel pump which has a lower flow rate I was told.
-At the end of the straight, I hit about 13000 rpm in 5th gear, and downshift to 2nd before Fabi 1 and continue in 2nd gear all the way to the end of the front straight, till I shift to 3rd before turn 1. Before and after the chicane I hit about 12000 rpm in 2nd gear.

Just not sure if going F: -2T will improve my drive off the hairpin and maybe take Fabi 1 and the chicane in 3rd, or will the bike just wheelie and the rear slide all over the place that I can't put the power down?
 
Try it and see.

Dropping 3 gears off the back straight I don’t agree with. Take Fabi 1 in 3rd and hold 3rd through the chicane.
 
With the current set up, taking Fabi 1 and the chicane in 3rd would feel like the bike is outside of the powerband. I've done that a few times unintentionally when I missed a downshift, and the drive into the chicane and after was not great. But I agree, if I could only drop 2 gears before fabi 1 that would also help to minimize the rear dancing around before setting up for the turn.

For the next round, the set up will stay the same since I'm missing the Friday practice, but I might drop another tooth for the last round and try it in a couple of trackdays first maybe. Just wanted to know if anyone else had tried -2/+3 on a 1000cc, I hope that won't make a stunt bike out of my race bike ;)
 
I have used -2+2 and if worked ok. But I was hard on the limiter between T2 and T3.

You should already be rolling on the power at the apex of Fabi 1 and I’ve never thought my drive out of Fabi 1 was too slow in 3rd gear.

You should look into a quick shifter too. It’ll make using 1st gear in the hairpin easier. And it’s an effortless way to save 1/2 second per lap.
 
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Rossi86 said:
On F: -1T, R: +2 or +3T, most of the shifting is the same:
-3rd gear near the end of front straight and all the way to braking into turn 3, reach up to 13500 rpms before braking and downshifting to 2nd
-2nd gear through turn 3, 4, and hairpin
-tried 1st for the hairpin and my drive into the back straight was terrible, the 600s were beating me down the straight. In 2nd I get better drive, but for a 1000cc on the current bike (2008 )I'm not able to pull away much (if anything at all) from the 600s until I'm near the redline. I remember on my 2003 gsxr1000 last year in amateur, the 600s didn't stand a chance with me on the back straight (took the hairpin in 2nd gear also and gearing was F: -1, R: +2). Maybe the pro 600s I'm dealing with now are built better... But for a 1000cc I don't stand a chance against the other litre bikes, everyone on a 1000cc pulls away from me on the back straight. I currently don't have a quickshifter, don't know how much of a difference that would make, and also have 2003 fuel pump which has a lower flow rate I was told.
-At the end of the straight, I hit about 13000 rpm in 5th gear, and downshift to 2nd before Fabi 1 and continue in 2nd gear all the way to the end of the front straight, till I shift to 3rd before turn 1. Before and after the chicane I hit about 12000 rpm in 2nd gear.

Just not sure if going F: -2T will improve my drive off the hairpin and maybe take Fabi 1 and the chicane in 3rd, or will the bike just wheelie and the rear slide all over the place that I can't put the power down?
Click to expand...

You’re getting out driven on to the back straight because you’re in 2nd and your rpms are too low. You’re racing against pros, not amateurs. Listen to what caboose is telling you. If you set you’re gearing properly, how he’s telling you to ride the track is the fast way around. You can try it your way but that hasn’t worked so far...
 
dricked said:
You’re getting out driven on to the back straight because you’re in 2nd and your rpms are too low. You’re racing against pros, not amateurs. Listen to what caboose is telling you. If you set you’re gearing properly, how he’s telling you to ride the track is the fast way around. You can try it your way but that hasn’t worked so far...
Click to expand...

I think you missed the part where I said 1st gear was worse for me than 2nd coming out of the hairpin :D

I wouldn't say my current setup hasn't worked at all, my pace is significantly better than last year, but there is always more room for improvement... I picked up the bike in stock gearing, tried it at 1st round and came close to my best pace last year, went to 2nd round with -1/+3 and dropped 1.5 seconds from my best pace last year, 3rd round same thing did almost 2 seconds better than last year. I'm not disagreeing with caboose, just stating my observations from what I've experienced so far with my set up and asking what can be improved.

I wish I didn't have to drop 3 gears going into fabi 1, but with the current set up 3rd gear won't work, 2nd gear has been better in that section and I've made quite a few passes there. If I drop to -2 in the front that may be possible and I would prefer to be in 3rd gear into fabi 1 and chicane.
 
Why ask for help if you’re not going to listen? He told you how to improve you’re lap times. I told you why you’re loosing time and getting out pulled by a 600.

Good luck.
 
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dricked said:
Why ask for help if you’re not going to listen? He told you how to improve you’re lap times. I told you why you’re loosing time and getting out pulled by a 600.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I don't understand your tone, if you don't have anything helpful to contribute, why reply at all? Caboose gave me some helpful information to understand what I need to be aiming for if I change my set up, but with the current set up that won't work. In theory, 1st gear should be better coming out of the hairpin, I tried that multiple times with different sprocket configurations in the past and it didn't work. What Caboose said about the quickshifter makes sense, because if I'm having to get off from WOT 4 times to get up to 5th gear on the straight, that would be worse than 3 times if I use 2nd gear through the hairpin. Another pro-SBK racer at the track told me he uses 2nd gear there too, so as Caboose said, some people do use 2nd gear through the hairpin... If you want to help, why don't you share your shifting points and sprocket sizes like Caboose did?
 
Rossi86 said:
I don't understand your tone, if you don't have anything helpful to contribute, why reply at all? Caboose gave me some helpful information to understand what I need to be aiming for if I change my set up, but with the current set up that won't work. In theory, 1st gear should be better coming out of the hairpin, I tried that multiple times with different sprocket configurations in the past and it didn't work. What Caboose said about the quickshifter makes sense, because if I'm having to get off from WOT 4 times to get up to 5th gear on the straight, that would be worse than 3 times if I use 2nd gear through the hairpin. Another pro-SBK racer at the track told me he uses 2nd gear there too, so as Caboose said, some people do use 2nd gear through the hairpin... If you want to help, why don't you share your shifting points and sprocket sizes like Caboose did?
Click to expand...

16/42, and I use the gears caboose recommended in the turns how he’s explained.

The pro that said they use second out out of the hairpin, are they on a 1000?
 
Rossi86 said:
I don't understand your tone, if you don't have anything helpful to contribute, why reply at all? Caboose gave me some helpful information to understand what I need to be aiming for if I change my set up, but with the current set up that won't work. In theory, 1st gear should be better coming out of the hairpin, I tried that multiple times with different sprocket configurations in the past and it didn't work. What Caboose said about the quickshifter makes sense, because if I'm having to get off from WOT 4 times to get up to 5th gear on the straight, that would be worse than 3 times if I use 2nd gear through the hairpin. Another pro-SBK racer at the track told me he uses 2nd gear there too, so as Caboose said, some people do use 2nd gear through the hairpin... If you want to help, why don't you share your shifting points and sprocket sizes like Caboose did?
Click to expand...

The sprockets we’re all using don’t really matter.

If you’re 10kph slower than me through T2 or 5kph slower through the hairpin all the info is useless.

Tooth count is irrelevant.

My advice is to choose your gearing so your just touching the limiter between T2 and T3. I don’t know what tooth count that will be for you. You have to figure that out.

Then one day you’re going to go faster through T2 and you’ll hit the limiter too early and have to change gearing again.

Then you need to learn how to take the hairpin in 1st gear.
 
caboose56 said:
The sprockets we’re all using don’t really matter.

If you’re 10kph slower than me through T2 or 5kph slower through the hairpin all the info is useless.

Tooth count is irrelevant.

My advice is to choose your gearing so your just touching the limiter between T2 and T3. I don’t know what tooth count that will be for you. You have to figure that out.

Then one day you’re going to go faster through T2 and you’ll hit the limiter too early and have to change gearing again.

Then you need to learn how to take the hairpin in 1st gear.
Click to expand...

The reason I'm asking for tooth count is because I'm concerned about the safety of -2/+3 on a 1000cc sbk. If someone has tried it and they felt the bike was wheeling and sliding too much, then I won't try it...

I'm near the redline between turn 2 and 3 with the current set up, with maybe less than 2000 rpm from the limiter.
 
Rossi86 said:
The reason I'm asking for tooth count is because I'm concerned about the safety of -2/+3 on a 1000cc sbk. If someone has tried it and they felt the bike was wheeling and sliding too much, then I won't try it...

I'm near the redline between turn 2 and 3 with the current set up, with maybe less than 2000 rpm from the limiter.
Click to expand...

Again.

caboose56 said:
The sprockets we’re all using don’t really matter.

If you’re 10kph slower than me through T2 or 5kph slower through the hairpin all the info is useless.

Tooth count is irrelevant.

My advice is to choose your gearing so your just touching the limiter between T2 and T3. I don’t know what tooth count that will be for you. You have to figure that out.

Then you need to learn how to take the hairpin in 1st gear.
Click to expand...
 
My old R1 on Pro would be 16-43 and second out of the hair pin. 5th on straight, exact same shift spots as caboose. I could get wicked drive and not lose much if anything on the newer sbk's. its all how connected your wrist is to the rear grip level., maybe your scared of the power????
 
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racepro171 said:
My old R1 on Pro would be 16-43 and second out of the hair pin. 5th on straight, exact same shift spots as caboose. I could get wicked drive and not lose much if anything on the newer sbk's. its all how connected your wrist is to the rear grip level., maybe your scared of the power????
Click to expand...

I'm not totally familiar with the newer bike, and I've changed the sprockets twice already. The suspension settings were changed a few times too as I was shredding the rear tire. The older one I rode on the street for more than 30 000 kms over 8 years, and track for 6000+ kms over 4 years, so I knew the power curve very well.

As I said, I'm doing better on the newer bike, I'm trying to improve areas where I think I can do a lot better. Did you have a quickshifter on your R1?
 
have to all the jones' have them so......... gotta keep up. its like 1 full sec per lap
What kind lap times you at?
 
keep at it you have a long way to go, the times come down a lot slower now. your in better company, tag in behind eel,mike, jeff and just watch and learn, well maybe not jeff
 
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