Topic: Rear sprocket

[dave500]

JT brand sprockets are hobbed and milled/drilled,ive had them last ages and ages,as for big thumpers the KLR should have a rubber damped cush rear hub?my old TT600 had solid driven rear hub,pretty harsh,a mate with the later 660 Tenere has to replace the rear cush rubbers yearly!

[BenelliSEI]

JT brand sprockets are hobbed and milled/drilled,ive had them last ages and ages,as for big thumpers the KLR should have a rubber damped cush rear hub?my old TT600 had solid driven rear hub,pretty harsh,a mate with the later 660 Tenere has to replace the rear cush rubbers yearly!

The KLR has big cush rubbers in the drive side, i’ll Look more closely this time. I think I used JT sprockets the last time and they did last longer then the OEM sets. I’m going to try the “old chain break in”. Sounds smart.

[HondaMan]

A word of advice/experience:
All of the rear sprockets we see today are molded, not cut (if steel). This leaves a fine gritty surface in the teeth, which will wear off in 50 miles and then jam the new chain. This then wrecks the new sprockets, quickly.

To solve this: run the OLD chain on the NEW sprockets for 50-100 miles, first. Then install the new chain. You will get twice as much chain life from that chain if you do this simple 2-step dance.

Thanks for this! Never heard this before but will be trying it very soon!  I do a lot of miles on my 2008 KLR650 and it’s due another set of sprockets and chain this winter. Always surprised they don’t last any longer than they do. I keep them cleaned and lubricatored (most of the time).

Maybe this should be moved to a fresh post so more read it??

John,the strong power pulses of Big Single cylinder engine bikes:Thumpers  are a bit rough on sprockets And chains;I'm sure chain and sprockets last longer on multi-cylinder engine bikes.

I hadn't considered what Mark said in his post before:about modern rear sprockets being manufactured "molded"..
I have some NOS rear sprockets from 30 years ago and I see there is a difference between the look of a sprocket being 'machined' compared to the new "molded" look of the rear sprocket teeth of replacements.
I have ordered quite a few rear sprockets from Sprocket Specialists for a few decades and I'm familiar with the look of machined teeth.

I haven't seen those sprockets: are they machined?

[BenelliSEI]

Are you asking about “Uber’s”? Spellcheck error! I’ve corrected. Oops!

[grcamna2]

A word of advice/experience:
All of the rear sprockets we see today are molded, not cut (if steel). This leaves a fine gritty surface in the teeth, which will wear off in 50 miles and then jam the new chain. This then wrecks the new sprockets, quickly.

To solve this: run the OLD chain on the NEW sprockets for 50-100 miles, first. Then install the new chain. You will get twice as much chain life from that chain if you do this simple 2-step dance.

Thanks for this! Never heard this before but will be trying it very soon!  I do a lot of miles on my 2008 KLR650 and it’s due another set of sprockets and chain this winter. Always surprised they don’t last any longer than they do. I keep them cleaned and lubricatored (most of the time).

Maybe this should be moved to a fresh post so more read it??

John,the strong power pulses of Big Single cylinder engine bikes:Thumpers  are a bit rough on sprockets And chains;I'm sure chain and sprockets last longer on multi-cylinder engine bikes.

I hadn't considered what Mark said in his post before:about modern rear sprockets being manufactured "molded"..
I have some NOS rear sprockets from 30 years ago and I see there is a difference between the look of a sprocket being 'machined' compared to the new "molded" look of the rear sprocket teeth of replacements.
I have ordered quite a few rear sprockets from Sprocket Specialists for a few decades and I'm familiar with the look of machined teeth.

I haven't seen those sprockets: are they machined?

Yes, Sprocket Specialists makes their own sprockets from aircraft aluminum to any tooth range you want and they cut/machine their own sprocket teeth;they used to be out in Oroville,Ca.,began there in 1950? but they moved to Utah because they're under new management I think.    sprocketspecialists.com  They have great quality sprockets