My Afternoon Project...

[HO-HUM-R1]

Had a little free time this afternoon so i decided to go ahead and do my 520 conversion chain and sprockets.. went down 2 in the front and down 1 in the rear. Before anyone asks why I went with that combination, it provides the same gearing step as -1/+2 but it also extends the wheelbase by an inch or so due to the smaller sprockets. Makes the bike less wheelie prone with the steeper gearing. Although on my test ride it was pulling the wheel in 2nd and making it very light in third.. I'm sure if there was any less than 230lbs tucked over the tank it would have been crazy...

[G21forme]

[Chippertheripper]

Those anniversary graphics are delicious.
That chain looks too tight.

[03Worc9R]

Nice bike. How fast does it go?

[Uncle Snake]

It is nice but it's no 'busa.........

[Eric Baker]

Nice bike. And as stated above, the chain is way tight. Let some length out of the adjusters.

[HO-HUM-R1]

I'm no expert but the chain does have about an inch of free play.. the service manual says thats good. I know sometimes manuals suck so if it should be looser what should the play be?

[Dannyf]

super tight chain is..... tight. But it does look good.

[Chippertheripper]

loose is fast.

[HO-HUM-R1]

can someone tell me what the chain should have for slack? I'm just going by what the manual said. It does look like it's pulled tight in the pic but the play is there if you move it.

[G21forme]

It's a feel thing but from the photos if it was my bike I would loosen it until it just about hit the swingarm, on my 636 my chain does touch the swingarm. My old bike was a gsxr and the spec was .75-1.25 or something and that is way too tight.

[SVRACER01]

about an inch while youre sitting on it.
if you have an inch now and it looks tight without you on it, imagine what it looks like with you on it.

[Falko]

loose is fast.

and on the edge of out of control...

[jcrawford]

loose is fast.

God I used to love that movie as a kid, now I look back and laugh.

[R7]

It's a feel thing but from the photos if it was my bike I would loosen it until it just about hit the swingarm

He'll have nice chain groves in his swingarm if he follows your advice

1" - 1 1/2" is a good amount of slack, I'd lean more to 1 1/2".
IMO if you have 1" of slack now being brand new, you'll end up with 1.5" shortly anyways. I'd run it as is if you're confindent you have 1" of slack.

Sharp looking R1, still my all time favorite color combination from Yamaha

[JohnStreets]

He'll have nice chain groves in his swingarm if he follows your advice

1" - 1 1/2" is a good amount of slack, I'd lean more to 1 1/2".
IMO if you have 1" of slack now being brand new, you'll end up with 1.5" shortly anyways. I'd run it as is if you're hid blue headlights you have 1" of slack.

Sharp looking R1, still my all time favorite color combination from Yamaha

Tighten it up so it can loosen later... thats what she said. lol. Really liking the chain though it looks really sexy, mixed with the yellow. This makes my R6 look like poop.

[SCRLT01]

I'm going ot be chainging out my chain and sprockets soon as well on my 2001 SV650s- being new, would anyone be able to advise me of the pros/cons of going from a 525 chain to the 520 conversion? it seems that the majority of the kits I've found include 520 chains, instead of a 525....Thoughts / suggestions / advice would be greatly appreciated!

[SVRACER01]

I'm going ot be chainging out my chain and sprockets soon as well on my 2001 SV650s- being new, would anyone be able to advise me of the pros/cons of going from a 525 chain to the 520 conversion? it seems that the majority of the kits I've found include 520 chains, instead of a 525....Thoughts / suggestions / advice would be greatly appreciated!

520 is cheaper and more readily available. thats why i changed over.
a 525 chain retails for like $150 but you can get a 520 kit (chain and sprockets) for like $10 more

[butcher bergs]

He'll have nice chain groves in his swingarm if he follows your advice

Not quite. I've run all my bikes, street and race, set up similar to how Greg described and haven't seen a swingarm become eaten by the chain yet.

The chain tightens as the suspension compresses so what was previously barely contacing the swingarm without weight now has clearance with weight.

[GNTurbo6]

Some people used to say that 520s might not be quite strong enough for a liter bike. I have no idea. I guess in the future if your chain gets too loose for the adjusters you can just 86 a link.

[R7]

Not quite. I've run all my bikes, street and race, set up similar to how Greg described and haven't seen a swingarm become eaten by the chain yet.

The chain tightens as the suspension compresses so what was previously barely contacing the swingarm without weight now has clearance with weight.

Do a search on the R1-forum and get back to me on that It's the bottom swingarm brace that will get chewed. I even have a small contact point in mine and I was lucky if I had 1.5" of slack.
Also the chain tension with weight or full compression varies with each model, so what may have worked on your bike, may not on his

[HO-HUM-R1]

Some people used to say that 520s might not be quite strong enough for a liter bike. I have no idea. I guess in the future if your chain gets too loose for the adjusters you can just 86 a link.

I think the only way that applies would on a bike that was hitting the drag strip every week or was using nitrous or turbo. With a stock length swingarm and normal riding (not launching on slicks) i didn't hear of anyone having issues. I believe this set up is as strong as the stock stuff anyway, even though it's smaller the quality is there to back it up.

[HO-HUM-R1]

I'm going ot be chainging out my chain and sprockets soon as well on my 2001 SV650s- being new, would anyone be able to advise me of the pros/cons of going from a 525 chain to the 520 conversion? it seems that the majority of the kits I've found include 520 chains, instead of a 525....Thoughts / suggestions / advice would be greatly appreciated!

I doubt you would notice any difference at all other than the cost and availability. that is, unless you changed the tooth count on the sprockets. the 520 will be slightly lighter as well. go for it.