Well, I ordered a 15 and a 16 front sprocket for the bike to try out the two different configurations. I was going to go straight to the 15, but since it would leave my chain a little short for the 16, I decided to try the 16 first. I replaced the rear with the stock size of 48 and put on a new chain.
When I say "stretched the wheelbase" I mean I made sure that when I cut the chain it left the rear wheel as far back as possible. All the other CB's i've own had the chain so the wheel would sit as far foward as possible. Since I was doing this myself, I wanted to try the opposite.
Road test:
Pros:
Wow! this bike is sooo much fun again!!!! Acceleration has improved dramatically and at higher speeds the bike feels more stable. Although I was tired and it was getting late last night, I wanted to keep riding it! It pulls so much nicer out of corners and even in 5th gear at highway speeds it accelerates without trouble at all.
Cons:
At 65mph the engine is buzzing away at 5,000rpms. The motor seems happy at that rpm and without looking, she seemed to settle into the 62mph range nicely. I haven't really noticed any slower-speed stability issues due to the 2" longer wheelbase, but I will report again later tonight.
I am going to stick with this configuration for a while. It is just too much fun! I don't travel on the highways much, but when I do, it doesn't seem like it'll be a problem.
I'd recommend doing this for anyone who wants neck-snapping acceleration and doesn't mind losing a little top-end speed. Perfect for the guys and gals who live in a metropolitan area.