[C&VZ1000]

I have been having a problem with chain adjustments..seems I have to adjust my chain every 600-1000 miles....Today durning my adjustment I noticed something strange. My chain was loose to point where it was touching exhaust but if I spun wheel around it got to a tight spot where it tightened up.. what causes this???? I am a aggressive rider and I read that factory front sprocket is 15t rear is 42t. I have also read that best setup is a 16t 44t which changes over all ration from 2:63 to 2:93... does anyone have this setup? how do you like it? hows it cruising down highway at 80mph? and with the aggressive riding should I got 530, 520, or stay with the 525 chain... all opinions are greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[BeastIncarnate]

Changing the ratio is a matter of preference. If you increase it, you will slow down acceleration and hit higher speeds at the same RPM as the lower/shorter gearing. Do you feel like it's too short now?

If you're really hammering on it, I wouldn't go smaller than a 525 chain. I have no great authority in saying that, I just wouldn't be confident with a 520 unless I found a very reputable place saying I'd get good life out of it.

 

[C&VZ1000]

See the bike is stout now... it has no problem just powering up and front tire coming up. thanks to a good tune on programmer, exhaust, air box mod, and filter. I do tend to take alot of weekend trips like here lately I put about 700 miles a weekend on it... but I love the feeling of front end coming up when its time to play... I am also looking to improve my et's at the track. Also planning on hitting up a roadcourse or two next season after all I didnt buy a bike to watch it sit in garage lol... so I am really just looking for a step up from stock... so If I could get alittle better acceleration with not to much of a increase in rpm going town highway that would be perfect..or looks like I might have to buy a new z1000 for trips and use old one for playing hahahaha !!!!

 

[jrick56]

i've got a 2010 and like to bring the front up alot. have 4000 miles on mine lube chain every 400-500 miles. have adjusted it three times. no burn outs just lots of wheelies waiting for muzzy full exhaust. will know more then. am running a 200 rear tire right now, but will go to a 190/50 next time. have a 16 tooth front sprocket in case the muzzy has too much low end power, have traction problems now. i use mine all year for main transportation and 60mph rpm's are too high for me but don't want to lose the instant wheelies on demand. what year is yours?

 

[Bikeazoid]

Dam this 10 is short legged. I plan on adding one on the front and 5 or six on the rear.

 

[jrick56]

what are you going to do run a marathon. HA!HA! haven't put my 16 front on yet don't want to lose the rush. 70 mph cruising is better with 200/50 rear tire but it's too wide for the wheel. misread tire size thought i had a 190/55 must have been the other guys cbr that had the 190/55 went to the shop that changed my tire and sure enough it was a 190/50. duh will be ordering the right size next week.

 

[BeastIncarnate]

so If I could get alittle better acceleration with not to much of a increase in rpm going town highway that would be perfect..or looks like I might have to buy a new z1000 for trips and use old one for playing hahahaha !!!!

Just to be clear, 16:44 (2.75 ratio) is longer gearing than 15:42 (2.80 ratio). Acceleration will be slightly slower than stock with a small decrease in RPM.

 

[jrick56]

when i wentfrom 17 to 16 on my rex i lost 4mph at 4000rpm. seems with 2 on rear would be 8 to 10 mph dfference. seems like a lot. really woke up the rex with just one tooth difference. if my exhaust doesn;t come soon i may try the 16 by itself just to see what happens to low end.

 

[C&VZ1000]

Hmmmmm all good info... yeah I got that ratio from a seller on ebay... so if his ratio is not right I got my questions about his parts being right for my bike..... The more I search around the more I see more people with the 16t up front... mine is a 2003 and it only has a 15t up front.... I thought that was stock??? I think with the dyno tune the exhaust and air box mod and filter I am going to definitily go with the 16t up front and to bring ratio up a bit so I dont loose to much where I can gain some accelertion maybe go to a 46t out back.... my friends that stunt bikes say its tricky. They claim that 1 down in front is same as 2 up in rear but yet a bike that has a one down only runs completely different then one that just has a 2 up in rear..hmmmmm decisions decisions..... with the setup I currently have 150mph is no problem for bike but I dont know when I get out with buddies and we go for those highway runs so I like having top end tooo..jeezzzz any other way to add top end without loosing bottom?????

 

[jrick56]

BIGBORE kit!!!!!!

 

[BeastIncarnate]

Do some research, don't trust a seller.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=motorcycle+gear+ratios

Going down one on front is like going up THREE on the rear.

 

[Bridgebuster]

This is most informative. Curious, though, can anyone explain the #s assigned to the chains themselves? I know there are 520s, 525s, and 530s. Which is stock and what do the #s mean. Are they interchangeable?
Thanks,
Phil

 

[C&VZ1000]

LoL its funny you mention that.... the latest discousion with the Misses is I love the Z but it should be your toy not our toy..... why not just get a cruiser and keep the Z as your toy so you dont have to worry about Highway or trips you just have to have fun on it.... so big bore kit and looks like Im going with a quick acceleration sprockets with gold chain.... So no matter what I am keeping the Z.... I believe the exact words you are not selling the Z ever!!!!!!! I say yes ma'am =-)

 

[BeastIncarnate]

The # (520, 525, 530) refers to the width of the chain. A thinner chain is lighter, but less durable than a heavier chain. It also requires sprockets in matching size. Off the top of my head, I don't know the width of the stock chain, but it's definitely not a 520.

 

[jrick56]

service manual says 525.

 

[Bikeazoid]

in town it's fun, but I do shift two at a time. I plan on on up on the countershaft, then two up on the sprocket, then maybee one down after that. I'm going 520 gold or black, I hope this setup gives me another 5k or so, I'm at 3,500 now, I think.

 

[So-Crates]

I have been having a problem with chain adjustments..seems I have to adjust my chain every 600-1000 miles....Today durning my adjustment I noticed something strange. My chain was loose to point where it was touching exhaust but if I spun wheel around it got to a tight spot where it tightened up.. what causes this???? I am a aggressive rider and I read that factory front sprocket is 15t rear is 42t. I have also read that best setup is a 16t 44t which changes over all ration from 2:63 to 2:93... does anyone have this setup? how do you like it? hows it cruising down highway at 80mph? and with the aggressive riding should I got 530, 520, or stay with the 525 chain... all opinions are greatly appreciated!!!!

Your chain is definitely spent and you need to replace it. What causes that is all those wheelies you are enjoying! It stretches the chain and causes loose spots and tight spots.

Stock chain size is 525. You dont want to go down to a 520 - it is lighter, but also less strong than the 525 or 530 - so it will stretch even easier than the 525 you have on it.

If you change your gear ratio, you will have more low end acceleration, but your top end will suffer - that means that, on the freeway at 80mph, you are going to have higher rpms than you already have at 80mph, causing more vibrations. And if there was anything I remember about my 03, it vibrated enough at 80mph! But, if you dont mind the vibes, you will get better acceleration...

 

[BeastIncarnate]

C&VZ1000 - You may want to consider going to a 530 chain if you're hammering on your current one that hard. Clutched wheelies and other sudden stresses on the chain (not rev matching when you shift) will stretch the crap out of it in no time.

You're mistaken on your ratios. The ratio tells you how many revolutions of the countershaft are required to turn the rear sprocket. More revolutions equals shorter gearing and thus higher RPM at a given speed. The ratio on 15/42 is 2.80. 16/44 is 2.75. That's even less than a one-tooth change on the rear, which is hardly noticeable. 16/42 would hit 2.63 and ought to be somewhat significant. You could probably go 16/40 (2.5) and still have a heck of a time.

All that said, it doesn't matter what ratio you're at if you're giving sudden power to the rear wheel. Imagine a power wheelie. With a power wheelie, you're getting on the throttle hard, but it's basically starting at 0 torque and building up from there. It's certainly a stress, but then think about a clutch up wheelie. You're starting at 0 and suddenly hitting it with 65-70 lbs/ft of torque. That's a major stress. On a 600cc bike, clutch up wheelies don't hurt a chain too bad, but those bikes have less than half the torque at the middle of the rev range.

 

[jrick56]

i don't have to clutch mine, just twist and hold on. chain is holding up well.

 

[BeastIncarnate]

i don't have to clutch mine, just twist and hold on. chain is holding up well.

Yep. It's not needed with the Z1000, but I'm sure a lot of people clutch 'em out of habit from the 600s.