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Yamaha Tech Originally the Yamaha XT600 Tech Forum, due to demand it now includes all Yamaha's technical / mechanical / repair / preparation questions.
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  #1  
Old 22 Nov 2008
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Question xt600e gearing? wot you got/recommend?

My xt has a 39 rear sprocket fitted for some reason and a 15 front? I still think it's lacking a bit of power so what should I go for? 45 std or a 47? I thought before I bought this bike it would at least get some air under the front wheel off the throttle in first?

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  #2  
Old 22 Nov 2008
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gear

Hi, try fitting a smaller gearbox sprocket. It seems as though the xt has rather high gearing as standard.
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  #3  
Old 22 Nov 2008
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You can go for a 14 teeth sprocket but i haven't found any smaller. Also 13 or less seems somehow risky, with a small number of teeth taking the power to the chain.

Get the 14 teeth and if you need to shorten the ratio, go for a 40+ rear sprocket.
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  #4  
Old 22 Nov 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carwyn View Post
My xt has a 39 rear sprocket fitted for some reason and a 15 front? I still think it's lacking a bit of power so what should I go for? 45 std or a 47? I thought before I bought this bike it would at least get some air under the front wheel off the throttle in first?

Cheers,

Carwyn
Forget that!

If you work out the power to weight ratio (and I mean real power, and real weight!) the XT, bless her, is not a powerful bike. Sure, you can lift the front, but not at will with a twist of the grip.

As for gearing, I've had a play with mine, and done the maths. (and it has improved things) If you have Excel, or open office, use the spreadsheets and formula functions to work out the effects you'll have.

In essence, (Rear tooth count / front tooth count) = Drive ratio

((New ratio / Old ratio)-1)*100 = change as a percentage

What this means is change the tooth count, as you think you want to go for, and work out what the new drive ratio is, and then work out the percentage of change this is, by dividing the new ratio by the old, and then converting to a percentage.

Once you have the percentage change (6% or whatever), RPM at a given speed will increase/decrease by the percentage change.

So, if at the moment, 60 mph is 4,000 rpm, and you lower the gearing by 10%, when you are at 60mph, you will be at 10% higher revs, which in this example = 4,400 RPM.

For me, I thought my gearing was standard, and figured losing a tooth at the front would make a big difference. As it turned out, the last owner had added a tooth at the front, so I actualy went down two teeth at the front (roughly equivalent to 6 teeth at the back). I',m glad I didn't know, because even the two front teeth drop didn't give me the increase in acceleration I was hoping for.

I wanted to be able to flick the throttle open in first, and pick the front wheel up, to get up steps, over logs etc. The problem I have now, is the chain isn't long enough to accomodate a bigger back sprocket.

My next changes will come when I need a full new set of chain and sprockets.
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  #5  
Old 23 Nov 2008
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Hi all.. I'm thinking of changing my chain and sprockets off my 90' XT600E. It still has the original gearing 15 / 45

My chain has suffered a little under my hands and with 40K km I think it is time to change.

I'm thinking of going for the TT600 gear ratio so I can get more power out of my engine.

But I got one question, in what ways is the TT600 engine different than the XT600E engine so it has that much power over the XT?


I'm thinking of JT sprockets with DID X-ring chain, any comments?


Vando
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  #6  
Old 23 Nov 2008
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Cheers for that educated reply angustoyou,

I am going to go for (it'll have to be a xmas present) the full extreme possible which I believe is a 14 front 47 rear with as you say a longer chain and will see if it helps when green laning? Will probaly do 30mph in top then!

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Old 23 Nov 2008
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Originally Posted by bacardi23 View Post
I'm thinking of going for the TT600 gear ratio so I can get more power out of my engine.
To be pedantic, the gear ratio doesn't alter the power of the engine, just the way it is delivered to the rear wheel.
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  #8  
Old 23 Nov 2008
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15/39 JEEEEESUS !!!

Im surprised it moves at all... You could probably do 130mph with that gearing (if you were going down hill)...

Standard is 15/45 on the XT600E which is nice n' torquey but you are limited to 65-70mph with the engine reving a little high.

I tried a 15/43 when FULLY loaded but even that was lacking power and couldnt really pull the lower gearing.

I personally think a 15/44 is the PERFECT set up for a laden XT600E.

You can cruise all day at 70-75mph without reving the balls out of it and still have the power for overtaking trucks.


If you want to try a 43, I have brand new JT steel one ill flog you for cheap cheap cheap.

Ted
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Old 23 Nov 2008
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Originally Posted by BlackDogZulu View Post
To be pedantic, the gear ratio doesn't alter the power of the engine, just the way it is delivered to the rear wheel.

What I was trying to say was I could rev it up faster and yes i know it is wheel power, that was just a "generic" EZ way to describe it..
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Old 23 Nov 2008
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What I was trying to say was I could rev it up faster and yes i know it is wheel power, that was just a "generic" EZ way to describe it..
I knew what you meant, but my inner schoolmaster couldn't resist ;-)
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  #11  
Old 23 Nov 2008
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hi there on my xt600 43f 1985 i have a standard rear sprocket but the front 1 one is 1 tooth down on standard. it was like this when i bought it 11 months ago and i have replaced them like for like, the sprockets i always use are JT, ive always found them to be first rate only out classed by the genuine thing. ive read many times on this site about 5th gears going bad , i think if owners over gear a big single it is just asking for the gears / engine to have a hard life . on too high a gearing 5th surely would end up more of a over drive gear and 4th would end up your your normal top gear , so you are not gaining anything. A big 4 cylinder can take this but a big single is a diffarant animal . this is just my way of thinking ,so dont stress that engine take care zigzag .
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  #12  
Old 24 Nov 2008
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Touring Ted , I want that old 43 cog youv'e got knocking about! giz it? how do I contact you to learn about this give-away price? reckon my chain will stretch to this?

Cheers

Carwyn
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Old 24 Nov 2008
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Quote:
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Touring Ted , I want that old 43 cog youv'e got knocking about! giz it? how do I contact you to learn about this give-away price? reckon my chain will stretch to this?

Cheers

Carwyn
Well, it was about £30 new (and it still is) so how does £15 INC P&P (its heavy) sound ??

Hmmm, not sure about your chain. Where is the adjustment marker on the rear spindle ? How much slack is in your chain ??

I "might" have a few "as new" chains knocking about from other projects which i could sort you out with... they are DID 0-rings. Id have to check first though.

either way, you really gotta change your set-up. It sounds absoluteley dreadful to me.. Your really missing out on what a versitile great bike the XT600 is.
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Old 25 Nov 2008
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TouringTed, second thoughts I'm going to wait and get myself a 15/45-14/47? chain sprocket kit as I only use it on green lanes and want as much poke off the throttle as poss. Gunna have to be a xmas pressie as this cheap hobby is costing me more than my old v max did

Cheers,

Green lane Carwyn
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Old 25 Nov 2008
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Originally Posted by carwyn View Post
TouringTed, second thoughts I'm going to wait and get myself a 15/45-14/47? chain sprocket kit as I only use it on green lanes and want as much poke off the throttle as poss. Gunna have to be a xmas pressie as this cheap hobby is costing me more than my old v max did

Cheers,

Green lane Carwyn
If you only use it green laning, then id go even wilder and get a 15/47 for great poke..

14/47 is the almost equilalent to 15/50 .. That wont be nice to ride on the road at all.
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