696 gearing question

[mrplease]

ok, i'm getting conflicting info here. i've called a few ducati dealerships and talked to the techs and they have all told me different info.

i'm wanting to change the gearing so i was planning on going with a 14t front sprocket. i'm also buying the ducati performance rear sprocket mostly for looks but i was going with the stock size of 45t.

now have also heard it was better to go up in the rear than to go smaller in the front. so i was thinking if it was all the same or better, why not just go up 2 in the rear (since i'm buying a rear sprocket anyway) and keep the front stock. so i'd be changing the gearing to 15T front & 47T rear.

let me know what you guys think!

[Slide Panda]

Some people have issues with the chain rubbing when they change to a 14t.  Ideally you'd go up in back.  But usually going up in back will require a longer chain and the sprockets cost more.  So many many people opt for the 14th for the lower cost and higher DIY factor.

[mrplease]

yeah, of all the tech i talked to they all said going up to a 47t rear would not require a longer chain. you you say its better to go up in the rear correct

[stopintime]

45 -- 47 rear results in 4.44% higher revs at all times.
15 -- 14 front results in 6.67% higher revs at all times.

So, for the same effect as a 15/14 you will have to go 48 rear. If that creates a requirement for a longer chain is beyond my knowledge.

I've heard that a smaller front might wear the chain more due to the sharper turn, but thousands have done it and I believe there is no certain way of telling if it's a problem or not. As stated above, ideally the sprockets should be as large as possible to ensure a smooth action, but I don't think we need to be worried about a 14.

[mrplease]

so in your mind which would be better to do?

go with a 14T front and get a dp 45T rear sprocket (i'm getting a dp rear sprocket no matter)

or

keep the stock 15T front and get a dp 47T rear sprocket

that is the question...

[stopintime]

One way: get the 14 front first - it's affordable and you'll soon know if the 6.67% is good for you.

If it's too much, get the 47 rear and ditch/save/sell the 14.
If it's spot on, keep the 14 and save the $$ for something else.

Getting the 48 DP rear could require (I don't know) a longer chain. I think it's wise to figure out which gearing you like before you spend on the DP and possibly chain. Just my 0.02.

[mrplease]

well its not to much of a price difference. the ducati front sprocket is $71 vs. $93 for the ducati rear sprocket. so i would just, hopefully, get it right the first time and not have to tear the bike down and change sprockets again and again.

but another question is will the stock chain work with a 47T rear?

ducati oklahoma city, advanced motorsports in dallas, saltlake motorsports, & bend euro of portland says it will work no problem, while ducati of santa cruz & ducati beverly hills says i'll need to get a new chain.

that is the problem i'm having. getting conflicting info!

[stopintime]

$71? I think people have gotten theirs for a lot less, like $30. Might have been other bikes than the 696 though.
If you call CA Cycleworks or MotoWheels I think you'll get answers you can rely on.

If they have the 14 at $30, trying it first would make more sense.

How much longer do you expect to run your first chain? If it's not too long, you could wait for that and then go with a new longer chain and the 47/48 rear.

[mrplease]

well see, i'm going to have the dealership install it for me so thats $70 each time i change a sprocket. and like i said if i like the gearing i would have to spend an additional $70 to install the dp rear sprocket. i also think i'm no where near needing a new chain.

i'll give them a call and see what they say about front vs. rear sprocket & whether or not i would need a longer chain...

[mrplease]

well the dude at ca-cycleworks told me going up 2 in the back is a better compromise than going 14T in the front as thats like going 3 up in the back...

and he said that going up 2T in the back should be fine with the stock chain. key word "should"

[NAK3D696]

ducati oklahoma city, advanced motorsports in dallas, saltlake motorsports, & bend euro of portland says it will work no problem, while ducati of santa cruz & ducati beverly hills says i'll need to get a new chain.

that is the problem i'm having. getting conflicting info!

I think its hilarious that the CA dealerships would say new chain     

[mrplease]

they weren't really saying to get a new chain. They were recommending the cheaper 14t front sprocket.

[Slide Panda]

well the dude at ca-cycleworks told me going up 2 in the back is a better compromise than going 14T in the front as thats like going 3 up in the back...

and he said that going up 2T in the back should be fine with the stock chain. key word "should"

Chris, the main dude at ca-cycleworks is pretty encyclopedic when it comes to ducs.  But if you're a 1st to do something... then it's theory, not application (yet)  

if you want to do the gearing math for yourself, here's a tool
http://www.gearingcommander.com/

Why have the dealer do a front sprocket?  If you've got tools, or a buddy with them it's a pretty basic job... least it was on previous generations of monsters.  Couple wrenches and minimal time was all that's needed.  I did 3 in 50 minutes for friends one day.

[peanut_man]

^^^ +1 on that website. 

I have 14T upfront on my 696.  No chain rub issue.  As the matter of fact DP does have 14T front sprocket.  I'm also thinking of running 47T rear with 14T front as 14T x 45T still seem high to me.  However, I don't like DP sprockets as they are expensive and there are much better looking aftermarket option, IMO. 

As for your option, I'm pretty sure you can go 15T front ant 47T rear without changing the chain, but I haven't tested that myself... so use the website and see how the axle distance change w/ stock chain. 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[ungeheuer]

so in your mind which would be better to do?

go with a 14T front and get a dp 45T rear sprocket (i'm getting a dp rear sprocket no matter)
or
keep the stock 15T front and get a dp 47T rear sprocket

that is the question...

Long answer: When I'm due for new chain/sprocket combo I'll be replacing my 14t/45t combo with 15t/47t coz I think it's the better option.  I just went 14 up front coz that was an easy and inexpensive way to lower the gearing from day one.  When its time to pay for a new rear sprocket, I'll buy the bigger one coz I think thats the better "engineering" solution to acheiving the same end result.  

Short Answer: keep the stock 15T front and get a dp 47T rear sprocket.