14t front sprocket

[ungeheuer]

So why would Ducati sell 2 different front sprockets?...a solid front sprocket, and one with 8 or so ~3/8 inch holes drilled all around the sprocket?  Im not saying it makes a huge difference, but they do sell two 14t front sprockets and they do label one of them lightweight.

Truth and Marketing..... 
It's true: The sprocket with the holes really is gonna be lighter than the solid steel one. 
Its marketing: You could save the same amount of weight by carring 98 cents less change in your pocket each time you ride. 

[Raux]

but that's rotational weight. any mathmeticians want  to take a stab at what are the benefits of a lighter sprocket?

[DucatiTorrey]

then clean the dirt of your tires.

[Darth Paul]

I went to a 14T sprocket on an S2R800 and took it off about 2 weeks later.  Sure it made coming off from a stop smoother, but when I was up riding twisties in the Santa Cruz mountains I found my self having to shift before and after just about every turn.  15T gives me a range wide enough to do just about everything in 3rd / 2nd gear, instead of having to go all the way up to 5th sometimes with the 14T.

I now run 15 front 42 rear and I'm really happy with that configuration.  I also have an AFAM 14T sprocket with only a few hundred miles on it for sale if anyone wants one cheap

[tcspeedfreak]

gotta pull the bike out of storage and check the chain and sprockets before i really do anything along with all the other preseason stuff, before i get to creative with the mods

[CraigD426]

Ok, so I have about 8500 miles on the bike, original chain and sprockets. Is it a bad idea to put a new 14T sprocket on without changing anything else?

[LA]

but that's rotational weight. any mathmeticians want  to take a stab at what are the benefits of a lighter sprocket?

Rotating mass does make a difference.  In the right circumstance, a big difference.  It's a physics thing - moment of inertia or something like that. In this case the dia. of the front sprocket is so small relative to say the rear sprocket, the difference rate of acceleration of the rotating assemble due to the weight front sprocket is immeasurably small.  And when you are taking weight off a rotating wheel, whether it's an internal engine part or a rear wheel and tire of the bike, taking off the weight at a point closest to the outside diameter of the wheel make the most difference.

If you were talking about unsprung weight and control by the suspension, it doesn't matter where the weight comes off - just total weight.

The moment of inertia of an object about a given axis describes how difficult it is to change its angular motion about that axis. For example, consider two discs, A and B, made of the same material and of equal mass. Disc A has a larger radius than B (therefore is thinner). Disc B is thicker and smaller in diameter. It requires more effort to accelerate disc A (change its angular velocity) because its mass is distributed farther from its axis of rotation: mass that is farther out from that axis must, for a given angular velocity, move more quickly than mass closer in. In this case, disc A has a larger moment of inertia than disc B.

LA

[DucatiTorrey]

In this case the dia. of the front sprocket is so small relative to say the rear sprocket, the difference rate of acceleration of the rotating assemble due to the weight front sprocket is immeasurably small.

thank you

[killerniceguy]

I went for a ride today (first of the season, still snow around here ) with my newly installed 14t sprocket. What an incredible difference.  I had thought about installing one last season but put it off for whatever reason.  I should have listened and done it the second I got the bike.  It makes the bike much more rideable.  Totally recommended.

[DucatiTorrey]

is thsi something i can do on my own at home? what kind of tools? there is a tutorial right? ill do a search.

[hillbillypolack]

You can do it at home, but have a torque wrench and a friend when you're ready to re-install the sprocket. 

You will want your friend to hold the rear brake when you're torquing the sprocket nut, and it's pretty easy.  Do a search for the correct torque.  Stripping out the countershaft would not be a cheap or easy fix.

Don't know where you guys get your sprockets, but mine was $23 at the local Ducati shop.  $53 as mentioned earlier is just flat out price gouging.

Back to the physics stuff.  Someone had posted here that a 15T front is optimal for chainrun clearances, and better leverage at the shaft.  You would of course then need to increase the rear sprocket (and or carrier) to obtain your lower final drive.  I'm looking at a 15T front, and either a 43 or 44T rear.  Either way, it's better accellerating than the tall stock.

[Paegelow]

If you were talking about unsprung weight and control by the suspension, it doesn't matter where the weight comes off - just total weight.

It does make a difference, at least on the rear suspension.  Since a swingarm is a big lever, weight reduction in parts way out at the end (wheel, axle, sprocket, brake caliper/rotor, etc.) will have a much greater effect than weight reduction near the swingarm pivot (fender, shock, and so on)!

 

[LA]

It does make a difference, at least on the rear suspension.  Since a swingarm is a big lever, weight reduction in parts way out at the end (wheel, axle, sprocket, brake caliper/rotor, etc.) will have a much greater effect than weight reduction near the swingarm pivot (fender, shock, and so on)!

I didn't mean it makes no difference where the weight comes off the swing arm assembly. I meant so far as the suspension controlling the total unsprung weight that it has to manage it doesn't matter if the weight comes off at the axcle/center of the sprocket or wheel, just the total weight taken off. The moment of inertia thing concerns rotational weight in this case.

I agree, taking weight off at the end of the swing arm at the outside radius certainly makes a bigger difference than takeing weight off at the swing arm pivot.  We are in agreement on that.

LA

[duccarlos]

Don't know where you guys get your sprockets, but mine was $23 at the local Ducati shop.  $53 as mentioned earlier is just flat out price gouging.

+1

[ungeheuer]

Don't know where you guys get your sprockets, but mine was $23 at the local Ducati shop.  $53 as mentioned earlier is just flat out price gouging.

+1 too