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Sprocket/Chain Noob Question

4K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  sparkcycle 
#1 ·
Hi All,

Newer rider here and I'm loving the Ninja 300 ABS so far. It's come time for me to take my first dive into sprocket/chain upgrades, and I want to ensure I'm understanding the gearingcommander website correctly. I'm going for an MPG / lower rev build, and have decided on a 15T front / 41 T rear setup. From what I understand the 106 link chain is still the best bet for me, but someone let me know if I'm misunderstanding, please!

I did a search, but couldn't find the exact match for 15/41 - I know the popular is 14/40 currently, and found a plethora on that, but wasn't sure for my exact request. Thanks for any and all help!
 
#3 ·
The popular consensus is that 15:42 was too tall and made the engine lugg when under load. Your gearing is going to increase this effect. Is there a reason that you don't want to go with the popular 14:40 setup? The setup you want requires both sprockets to change where if you go with 14:39 or 14:38 you get nearly the same ratio while only changing the rear sprocket (I haven't checked to see if 38 or 39 rear sprockets are available).
 

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#4 ·
Thanks both for the response.

The primary reasoning behind going 15/41 is for total MPG/low rev. I don't high rev the bike now, and would like to do what I can to get the MPG higher. Would a 15/41 truly bog the engine down too hard? 90% of my driving is highway at 65-70 mph, or on suburbia streets 35-45 mph. My driving style is to prefer to shift to the highest suitable gear and maintain a constant speed - I'm not a fan of "high RPM, high noise, super acceleration" crowd (I was in my younger days, don't get me wrong!). With that note, I was thinking the 15/41 suited best.

The request to change both sprockets is due to me having a used bike, and the prior owner never did ANY maintenance. The rear sprocket is starting to wear prematurely, and I'm sure the front will need attention soon. I'd rather change all the consumables at one time, and know what I'm riding on was taken care of by me.
 
#5 ·
The possible problem I see is that the N300 doesn't develop significant power until the RPMs are over about 6000. If you don't want to rev the engine, it may feel sluggish. Just a thought. Sprockets aren't too expensive, so you can change your mind later after driving it for a bit.
 
#6 ·
Thanks Spark,

I'm trying to be a little more aggressive than the 14/40, but can't seem to find the right combo. I might start with a 15/42 and see where that takes me. On that note, the 106 chain should still fit (back to the original question), correct?
 
#8 · (Edited)
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