[joezr2]

1999 ZR 500 efi.

I've read a bunch on gearing in general and from what I gather, sleds are geared for a wide open run across a lake in -20degree weather. Since we have no lake running nor temps that get lower than about -5 around here, I think I'm safe with a gearing change.

It seems that dropping to a 2 teeth smaller top gear allows me to use the same chain.

According to brown's website, the stock gear is a 20 tooth, 13 wide gear. This means I should locate an 18 tooth 13 wide gear, right? Anyone know what sleds that may have come on stock?

I;ve heard of people actually picking up a few mph on top end with a gear down change since the sleds are geared for almost unattainable conditions (at least for us.)

The problem with everything I've read is that I saw not one post from anyone with gearing experience on a 500. I want more snap and have little concern for top end much over 80mph.

Anyone gear a 500?

 

[alwaysinfront]

1999 ZR 500 efi.

I've read a bunch on gearing in general and from what I gather, sleds are geared for a wide open run across a lake in -20degree weather. Since we have no lake running nor temps that get lower than about -5 around here, I think I'm safe with a gearing change.

It seems that dropping to a 2 teeth smaller top gear allows me to use the same chain.

According to brown's website, the stock gear is a 20 tooth, 13 wide gear. This means I should locate an 18 tooth 13 wide gear, right? Anyone know what sleds that may have come on stock?

I;ve heard of people actually picking up a few mph on top end with a gear down change since the sleds are geared for almost unattainable conditions (at least for us.)

The problem with everything I've read is that I saw not one post from anyone with gearing experience on a 500. I want more snap and have little concern for top end much over 80mph.

Anyone gear a 500?[/b]

you won't gain mph by going with a smaller top sprocket. you will lose speed. the only benefit this change will have is you will be able to get to top speed quicker.


if you don't have any lakes to hit top speed, and you are doing mostly trail riding/ditch banging
then this is an excellent way to gain bottom/mid range power.

you don't necessarily have to put a smaller top sprocket on, you can also look for a larger bottom sprocket.

i have 2 sets of gears for my 580 that i interchange as follows.
racing is 20/41 (95mph)
lake ripping is 23/39 (106mph) or 23/41 (100mph)

if you are going to put a bigger/smaller sprocket on, you can use the same chain as long as you are going with a difference of a couple teeth. any more and you will have to get a longer or shorter chain, and they aren't cheap

 

[joezr2]

I did some more searching around and if I went from a 20 to a 19 on top and a 39 to a 40 on the bottom, that should have the desired effect, no?

I checked out the gearing calculator. I'm not sure if I had all of the input perameters correct but I think I got the idea. Does my arctic cat secondary have an overdrive ratio?

I'd figure the above ratio would put less stress on the drivetrain. (The smaller top gear would have the stress spread over a smaller area- this might not make any difference on my little 500 though.)