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.

How do you calculate final drive ratio? Click play below:

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.