New Chain and Sprocket- 2013 Glee 650..best one to get?And 16t front sprocket...

[hopefiendboy]

Hi All

Popped the front sprocket cover off and had a look at the sprocket to check the number of teeth on there (15t standard) as I was considering putting a 16t on there. It looks slightly worn I.e. asymmetric and I wondered if I should change out the chain and sprockets now, or wait till I get some more use out of them before changing? Still plenty of adjustment on the sliders and the rear sprocket looks grand.

So, if I don't need to change yet that's fine. But if I was to change, either now or in the future, what spec of chain would you recommend? And where is the best place to buy?

Oh, bike has done just shy of 14k miles :-)

[Mr Nick]

Replacing just one of the three parts only leads to accelerated wear on that part as it conforms to the chain: it's not worth the grief as you'll not get much longer out of the new sprocket as you'd get from the setup as it stands, and it'll cost you more.
It's been a few years since I was in the front sprocket area of a Glee so not sure that changing that is possible without breaking the chain anyway.

[Ianmc]

    It is quite easy to change the front sprocket only on a Glee as I did it just before Christmas, it’s the same sprocket exactly as my old K9 that was getting ready for a change so I had got the sprocket in stock anyway.Just slacken the chain adjustment off, take off the front sprocket guard, unlock the locktab on the sprocket and undo and remove the nut, as the sprocket clears the spline it will move back enough to clear the chain.Just a note, try to get a sprocket with a rubber mounted on it, as its MUCH quieter when running, and they are only about a quid more expensive.

[Lemonwizard]

I've been thinking about changing the sprocket sizes as well next time I need a new chain. I find the first gear to be too "aggressive" for my taste.
For example when accelerating at a green light I ease off the clutch barely half way and I'm already at 20kph and it's time to change into second gear. If I understand correctly, I would have to increase the front sprocket size to achieve this. (Slightly better fuel economy would be welcome too.)

[Ianmc]

   I have a 16 tooth front sprocket for sale,if anyone is interested make me an offer or swap w.h.y.

[Mr Nick]

I'm not sure going up a tooth on the front will help with your problem LW. With the higher gearing, you will probably end up slipping the clutch more to get away cleanly. What is the reason to be hitting 2nd at only 20kph? It should be able to handle much faster than that easily.

As far as being aggressive, I found the Glee to be quite docile and easier to trundle around at lower speed than what I replaced mine with. Going a bit easier on the right hand makes a difference...

[Gert]

A 14T front sprocket would be better, if your riding style is mostly slow / low speed riding. Granted, the 14T front revs a bit more at highway speeds, but it is manageable. The 16T front sprocket does much better at freeway speeds wrt the revs / rpm, but the down side is depending on the gradient, take-off from dead stop on inclines, you do end up slipping the clutch a bit. Same with most fire trail / green lane riding. Have a look at the sprocket ratio info available on https://www.gearingcommander.com, for an idea of the speeds vs rpm for your ride under ideal conditions.

[UK_Vstrom650]

To answer the second part of your question, I always fit D.I.D. chains and JT Sprockets (get the rubber mounted front sprocket). I just bought a set from chainsandsprockets.co.uk after someone on here recommended them. Good price and quick delivery.

[Barbel Mick]

Same as above. I've had three lots from chains&sprockets now and had excellent service. Plus I think there's a better chance of getting genuine parts from them  rather than somewhere like e-bay.
https://chainsandsprockets.co.uk/collections/all/Suzuki_DL650-A-K7-K8-K9-L0-V-Strom-ABS-(07-18)_2013?sort_by=price-ascending

[Ambergnat]

I'm on my 4th set by now (I think) and, as above I always buy DID chains.  They're not cheap, but they're well made and wear consistently. 

As for sprockets - I have messed around with various combinations:15F 47R(stock), 16F 47R, 16F 45R and even tried 15F 43R but that was stupid, 'cos the standard 118 link chain was too long and I had to pop a link out to get it to fit...[doh!]  I'm currently commuting 45 miles a day with the 16F 47R and find it a more relaxing ride at motorway speeds.  Never had a problem pulling away at the lights, but you do use more clutch.

As for make, my first choice is now the Ognibene front sprockets (black with red rubber cushions) When I first started looking they were the only reasonably priced non-oem front sprockets I could find with the rubber doofers attached and I've just stuck with them.  I have now used 3 or 4 and have found them to be way quieter than bare metal. (I even tried a cushioned rear sprocket to see if it would be any quieter - it wasn't, but the sprocket did last twice as long )

One thing though - although it would appear to make sense that you would, you don't get better mileage from a larger front sprocket - in fact it is marginally worse (only marginally though).  There is some science behind it but my brain's on strike so I can't remember - but your speedo will now be within 1% of your true speed (it sits ~1mph higher than my sat-nav) rather than 7% faster on stock sprockets. 

Makes you wonder if the 16 Tooth Front was the original choice for the setup but someone in marketing said "No - we want it more lively than that!" and they went for the 15...

[Lemonwizard]

Well, ideally I would like to end up with the following changes: improved fuel economy, lower engine RPM on the highway (>100kph), a less responsive throttle in the first and second gear.

About the third point, I don't have the smoothes right hand, but it's become fairly smooth. Still, it feels like giving 1% extra throttle (I practiced and tested giving just a tiny itsy bitsy in practice areas) in second gear results in massive speed differences. This is something I'd like to have smoothened out a little, so instead of experiencing massive speed gains I'd prefer, errr, more docile speed gains.

[hopefiendboy]

SO, I've decided to go with a local supplier, DID VX gold chain and rear 47 sprocket from them, and a JT cushioned 16t front sprocket via Amazon marketplace, total cost £91. I'll fit in the summer once I've had a change to use the bike up here in Scotland after the 26th April, fingers crossed!

I will report back once fitted.

[Ambergnat]

Good choice sir!  ...and for £91 all in that's pretty cheap too.    

Full 'kits' sold by some suppliers can get up to £120 odd