Ducati Monster Forum

Hi ozmonsters , what should I expect to pay for a 14T front sprocket in nsw and where would I get the best deal?
Who has one and did you find it made the bike less lumpy at low speeds?
any other pro/con comments welcome
cheers
dez

Hey Desmomonster,

I did a 14T on my smart,it's great plenty of down low punch and the bike dosent chug as much at low reves ,you will drop the top speed by a little not by much [thumbsup]

down side shortens the life of your PA chain guide on the swingarm as the chain angle will run steeper to get to the smaller sprocket. It  also will reduce the ability to use the chain to the maximum of its stretch as by reducing to 14T you need to pull the rear wheel back by aprox 15mm :-\

So if you have an old chain with high K's you may have already used up all of the rear adjustment in the swingarm,you may need to go for a complete new set up including a new rear sprocket .some say going 2 tooth higher on the rear is the same as 1 less on the front,which also has  its problems but less  ???

It will also extend your wheel base not so great on the tight twisties but very good on the fast ones  [moto]

Still worth it, I  love it on the smart i bougt a DP (lighter) [roll] one by memory about 80 bucks  [thumbsup]


If there is anyone that can tell you about chain and sprocket  its Big ??? Show him Big  :o

I went from a 43 (I think) to a 41 on the back which was better as far as chain fouling problems and was a good compromise between better pickup and retaining top end.  [thumbsup] [moto]

Then of course is the old argument with a smaller front sprocket about turning the chain through a smaller arc which allegedly costs some small power loss (It does, but minimal, might matter in a competition environment ;) And we arent competitive are we??  :o ). And the greater wear, probably 500k in 20,000k, pfffft read negligible.  [roll]

It depends on what type of riding you do. When I got my bike I resisted the urge to go the the 14T and kept the 15T for about 6 months. They I got one to see the difference knowing I could always go back.

With the 14 its easier to ride at lower speeds. Doesn't chug as much if you know what I mean. The downside is you lose some top end. As I live in Tas, top end is not where its at. But I recently did Turismo in SA and I wished I had put the 15 back on as it would be much better for touring (hours on end at 130km/h or so). Now I'm back in Tas I'm keeping the 14 on it.

I got mine from my local dealer for about $40 from memory. Simple job to swap it out too if you have a rear stand.

Did you notice any difference in gas mileage? I'm guessing that if you did a lot of freeway time you would, what with the shorter 6th...

There is stacks of stuff on this in the main board just type 14t in to the search bar and away you go.
I changed my 15t to a 14t on the s2r800 and found it to be heaps better 2 up and around town, the changeover is so quick and easy it's worth keeping the 15t for when you go touring. I bought mine out of the states (monsterparts) for about $50 but that was when the our dollar was at about parity with the US $.

Awesome thanks guys , my LBS is going to whack one on for me at first service , I think it will benefit the riding I mostly do which is a 16k round trip commute up to Whale Beach in shitty slow traffic.
I know I could of checked the main Forum but I prefer to talk to fellas from the lucky country any day  ;)

Not really. With the 14T I used to get about 200 before the light came on. While I was touring I was riding with some guys on Superbikes. We never got to 200 before they would pull in for fuel so I would fill up as well.

On my usual rides in Tas, I haven't noticed any difference in when I fill up. Still get around 200 before seeing the light.

The Oz gearing is quite often set for the EPA ride by tests and might not be optimum for the bike!! By bringing the RPM up you can sometimes bring the motor into its "sweet" spot and it'll run more efficiently actually giving you the best of all worlds. [thumbsup] [moto]

It worked this way for a couple of my other bikes I had!! (Jap)

*Thought I'd dig up an old thread for a similar topic...

Hi all, I'm thinking of going up 2 or 3 teeth on my rear sprocket.
This will obviously cause me to move the rear wheel forward for it to fit.
What effect will this have on the handling of the bike? Will a shorter wheel base mean better turning, but less stability in a straight line? Will I even notice the difference?

And can anyone tell me how far the axle will move forward? I think my rear axle is pretty far forward as it is.
BTW, my monster is a 2000, double swing arm.

YM, I reckon you'd be pretty hard pressed to notice the difference ... consider how much you move the axle as your chain starts to wear ... do you notice that when riding?

I remember Bigiain (I think) doing a calculation to prove it made bugger all difference to the wheelbase, it went something like:

. a couple of teeth increase the diameter of the rear sprocket by bugger all
. the increase in circumference is next to nothing along the horizontal (wheelbase)
. because it effects both halves of the chain you divide your calculation in half

Basically there was a lot of scientific calculations to say your wheelbase barely moved.

I've been really happy with the mod. First gear is much nicer.  [thumbsup]

well i rekon its the worst mod you can do too a air cooled monster unless you fighting with it around town you loose to much talk i last 2 days got sick of changing gears and you all talk about the sweet spot well 6 grand is the sweet spot on the 1000 any higher does nothing except rev the shit out of it for no benefit , i like too roll on and of the throttle when riding the twisties and it doesent upset the bike through corners like changing gears

Thanks Betty, that explains the wheelbase issue pretty well. And yeah, as you said, I don't reckon I would notice any difference anyway.
But with more teeth, and a larger sprocket diameter, will the old chain actually fit? Or will I need a longer chain?
Or have you already answered this too...  ???


Bugger it, I'm gonna get one anyway.


Bazz: Thanks for your "Fatherly advice". But like a rebellious teenager, I'm gonna do it and find out for myself [laugh]

Yep, I'm doing it as well!

Ordered one today & cant wait to put it on.  I still find that first gear is quite high & where I ride 6th is rarely used.  Hopefully it will make a difference & be a bit snappier off the line.

Well bazz is pretty right about open road riding, it's around town with stopping and starting that you'll find it better. I put my 15t back on when going touring as it's only a 10 minute job and cruising at around 110 is much smoother. (S2R 800)

Sorry it took so long, but I found the thread:

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=30623.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=30623.0)

Thanks Betty, I found that one last night :)

Looks like the axle will move forward 11mm. I'm at work at the moment so I can't measure anything. I've been looking at some photos I have from before and after the new chain went on.
Before - the axle was right at the back of the slot.
After - the axle is now right at the front. Looking at the photos, I reckon I have very little, if any, room to move forward :(
You'd think the mechanic who put it on, would have at least left a little room in front :-\

So the plan is:
                 
Wait till I get home, and take some measurements. I'll also be able to count the teeth on the rear sprocket to confirm what size it actually is.
Then I'll get a new 15 front, new 41 or 43 rear (whichever I decide on), and a new chain.
My existing chain is only 6 months old, but at least I can keep it, and the old sprockets to use if I ever go touring...

A little more costly than I planned.
I don't have a missus to spend money on, so I might as well buy "jewelery" for the bike instead  [laugh]

Have a play with this..........hours of fun

http://www.gearingcommander.com/ (http://www.gearingcommander.com/)