| Motocross
Gearing - Sprockets and Setting Final Drive Ratios
The
gearing on your bike can be based on a number of factors:
- surface
conditions
- rider
weight
- track
length
- track
style (eg. supercoss or motocross)
and
more...
You
can alter the gearing of your bike easily by changing either the
front or rear sprocket. This will be either adding or removing
teeth from the sprockets.
To
put simply this can be called 'gearing up' or 'gearing down'.
Gearing
up, either by using a larger countershaft or smaller rear sprocket,
decreases the final drive ratio and adds more speed to the motorcycle.
Gearing
down, which increases the final ratio and reduces speed, is accomplished
by using either a smaller front sprocket or larger rear sprocket.
If
the track is long and fast, ur a light rider or the traction is
good you might gear the bike up.
For
supercross or a track with short straights, deep sand or heavy
mud, gearing down might be the go.
Changing
sprockets may also require a new chain, shortened chain or a combination
could alter the length of the wheelbase. Altering the wheelbase
can affect the handling of your bike as well. ie. longer wheelbase
- slower turning, more high speed stability, shorter wheelbase
- quicker turning, less high speed stability.
How
do you calculate final drive ratio? Click play below:
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