Rear sprocket and chain question

[Dannyboy]

If I go 2-3 teeth bigger on a rear sprocket do I have to add links to the chain?
Danny

[Degsy]

Maybe, maybe not. Depends how close to the end of the adjustment range you are right now. You also have to make sure you won't be pulling the rear wheel so far forward that the tire hits the swingarm.


Degsy

[GuntherRC51]

Just go one down in the front. Less chain problems and the front sprocket is way cheaper.

[Stoneman]

I'm not into explaining why going down on front sprockets is not necessarily a good thing to do. Mark, you there?

[Stoneman]

Hee hee...I said 'going down on front sprockets'!!!

[benVFR]

Can I guess?

The front sprocket is small so the chain torques on the teeth harder and/or the sprocket wears out faster, so it's better to adjust in the back? (Also a change in the front is a larger % change since it's so small to begin with?)

Just a guess, the smallest front ring on my mountain bike is trashed after only like 1500 miles, but the bigger ones are fine, and I don't use the small one very often. And I'm guessing motorcycle front sprockets must be <20 teeth so the chain is seriously bending to get around it?

Ben

[Stoneman]

Basically, yes. It has more so to do with the mass and rotation of the chain, and having a smaller circumference in which to navigate itself around...

Mark can probably explain it better. I'm just waiting for the old guy to see this thread. (That'll get his attention...)

[Dannyboy]

I read something on the 929 forum that said you can actually damage the engine by changing the size of the front sprocket. I can't remember what it was but I do know it was bad! Hey Degsy,
Do you know anything about this?
Danny

[lee955i]

Not only that, but a smaller front can, depending on the bike, drastically accellerate the wear on the chain guides (plastic runners) many bikes have on their swingers. You dont notice until you start to see aluminum filings
Cheers, Lee S.

[GuntherRC51]

Yeah I've heard it all blah blah blah. I stopped worrying about it after accumulating 30,000 trouble free miles on my last two bikes. One with the only aftermarket chain I ever bought and the other with 7800 miles on the factory chain. Never a problem. Never heard of any of my buddies having one either. I'd say there is a hell of a lot better chance of me tossing the thing off the road than damaging it from a one tooth front sprocket change. To each his own...........I have bigger fish, er um, mods to fry.