Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Me thinks it's time to go down a tooth on the front spocket.......haven't investigated yet but on the way home from work noticed that the chain wasn't running smoothly and there was a "clacking" noise coming from front sprocket area! It's a regular clack, like rotational, increases with revs until the engine and exhaust noise muffles it, chain runs like shit when up on the stand.....jumps at intervals not smooth at all on idol
Took it real easy on the way home, later on today I'm gonna have a look, but I'm guessing loss of tooth, fuc**d sprocket or somethin along those lines.......
Hopefully no gearbox trouble!
Any ideas, would be greatfull, gonna get home about 5 today to have a look......sprocket size ideas would be good to.
Will keep you up to date.

I thought tight spots in the chain caused that behaviour(?)

Time for new sprockets and chain I'd say. I once rode a cbr400 (because I had to not because I wanted to) which belonged to a mates girlfriend and it did exactly the same. The front sprocket was screwed so much that the teeth wouldn't align with the chain correctly.

You should do the whole lot though ie both sprockets and chain otherwise you'll prematurely wear the new bits.

Damon
you need the lot
chain and sprockets from your description...

if you want acceleration, either one tooth down on the front
or 2 teeth up on the rear (which is what I did)

cheers

The chain is going to slap around anyway as the mass of the rear wheel catches up , even with a new chain and sprockets.
Mark

id recommend 2 teeth up on the rear as one down on the front means that the chain has to turn on an even smaller circumfrence, which could *possibly* affect chain life.

Just a thought though.

mike-s wrote:id recommend 2 teeth up on the rear as one down on the front means that the chain has to turn on an even smaller circumfrence, which could *possibly* affect chain life.

Just a thought though.

Mike
'zactly the reason I went 2 up on the rear on mine
why give a chain a harder life than it needs

cheers

Ok, investigation over..........conclusion:
Chain.....to much slack-readjust, slightly out of line aswell , good clean and relube(beauty), check all links for stiffness-fine, all orings moveable.
Rear sprocket......Teeth nice and pointy, no damage and no forward facing curvature.....ok for a few more thou.
Front sprocket.......Fark after I find it, now I know why racers remove the covers, grinding booth behind them. I've had bikes before but never had this much shit gather, don't think previous owner was into maintenance!
Sprocket is in good nick teeth look good and nothing untoward.
Gave everything a good clean out and lube.
Replaced everything and ran her up, much better, still a slight bit of slap in the chain but nothin to worry about, gonna give her a good run out when the farken rain stops to see how she goes.
In the meantime I'm gonna price up new chain an sprockets for the(near probably) future
Any recomendations would be greatfully appreciated.
Ps New Pilot Power front this week too...Woo Hoo!

Damon ZX9R wrote:Any recomendations would be greatfully appreciated.

get the best chain you can afford

Phil wrote:

Damon ZX9R wrote:Any recomendations would be greatfully appreciated.

get the best chain you can afford

as Phil said.........
and get a Renthal/DID ..or one of the better brands

mate it is probably best to do all at once.

renthal

I did the one tooth down at the front last week on the 6r and it screams a bit much now and wants to lift the front wheel in the air in second over hills (trackday) so i dont know how it would go on a 9r but i would say possibly 2 extra at the back might be a better bet.

you could try one down at the front on your old chain as the sprockets are cheap for the front but it will shag the rear sprocket in no time.

2 things...
1.one tooth front is equal to 3 on back...
2. by dropping teeth on front it does wear quicker (u were right mike)..

so my solution..i went up 2 on the back as well (thanks yoda)...this way it doesnt wheelie too much, still revs at a decent rpm at 110 ..if u went down a tooth front u will wheelie everywhere....
my suggestion is 2 up on the back...it still wheelies, but is rideable..

well if ur right neka, i might go 2 on the back

im right mina...15 teeth on front, 45 on back (honda)..i believe gixxer 1000 is 14/42..either way, ull find its a 3 to 1 ratio...so by going up 2 on the back, ur not goin a full tooth on the front...i reckon if i'd gone down 1 front (or up 3 back) i woulda had truble keeping the thing on the deck!!