my 530 conversion info (FYI)

[Jethro]

The previous owner of my 83 1100E did a 530 conversion. He said it only had a few hundred miles on it when he sold it to me, and I believe it. He kept the stock gearing, a 15 tooth up front and a 42 in the rear.

It has been said that when doing a 530 conversion, you should stay away from a 15 tooth front sprocket, becasue of the smaller size, it will wear out quickly. Well, I'm here to tell you they are right. If it only had a couple hundred miles on it when it was turned over to me, that means the chain and sprockets have gone south in under 5000 miles. I've had to adjust it more and more lately, then last night I decided to take a good look and sure enough, shark tooths on the rear sprocket- can't wait to see what the front looks like.

I told you all I'd let you know, and here it is.

Stay away from 15t front 530 sprockets!

[beby99]

Jethro....what brand of chain and sprockets you got?

[fastpakr]

Same question here... There are too many bikes running around today with 530 sets for it to be reasonable to wear that quickly, regardless of sprocket. I really hope that turns out to be a cheap chain (or badly aligned rear axle).

[Jethro]

I believe the issue here isn't the quality guys, it's the size of the front sprocket. I have been warned that using a 15t front cog is too small, that you should move up to a 16t and adjsut the rear cog to get the ratio. The chain is an EK, and the sprockets are JT. Sprockets are both steel, chain is an o-ring.

[HiSPL]

Just FYI....

I just ordered a set of chain/sprockets and wanted to change gearing a little. What I found out was that the '97 to '05 Bandit 1200 uses the same sprockets front and rear that you need. I went with a 17/50 combo for a 3.0 ratio. Stock is 2.77. That's like going up 2 teeth on the rear.

This should work for all GS's that came stock with a 630 size chain. It is MUCH easier to search for Bandit sprockets than it is to find a 530 conversion for the dinosaur. Plus you can choose from all the cool new chains and fancy aluminum sprockets if you wish....


HTH....

[fastpakr]

I understand the theory, but how small are the front sprockets on the newer bikes? Or am I confused about the modern liter bikes using 530's?

[HiSPL]

One other thing.

The 17/50 combo still gets you to 135 mph at redline on an 1100. Just in case you were wondering...

[HiSPL]

I understand the theory, but how small are the front sprockets on the newer bikes? Or am I confused about the modern liter bikes using 530's?

Most new bikes (even the liter bikes) are using 525's or 520's....

[fastpakr]

So the sprockets are just as small, correct?

[HiSPL]

Yes, but the chain is smaller and lighter too. The reason that you should not use a small sprocket on a GS is the possibility of the chain rubbing the swingarm. Newer bikes have a rubber or delrin chain bumper attached to the swingarm near the pivot point. We don't.

[fastpakr]

Interesting... The R1 uses a 17 tooth front and the R6 a 16 tooth (both with 530's). On the other hand, that's only 600cc's of torque riding on the R6's 16 tooth sprocket. So basically none of the newer large displacement bikes running 530's use sprockets smaller than 16 or 17 teeth to avoid this problem?

[Jethro]

Interesting... The R1 uses a 17 tooth front and the R6 a 16 tooth (both with 530's). On the other hand, that's only 600cc's of torque riding on the R6's 16 tooth sprocket. So basically none of the newer large displacement bikes running 530's use sprockets smaller than 16 or 17 teeth to avoid this problem?

Exactly. I was the guinna pig for the 15 tooth sprocket. I can't be 100% sure that was the cause of my chain stretch, but I can tell you that I had really good quality chain and sprockets, I had string aligned the rear wheel, and the tension was set properly. And it's worn out bad in under 5000 miles. Bummer.

Speaking of that, how many links did you need on your chain for that combo HiSPL?

[HiSPL]

I calculated 114 links. I bought a 120 link chain just in case. I'll let you know how it turns out when it's installed....

[fastpakr]

That sounds about right. I think I was at 107 or so with my 17/43 combo.

[Jethro]

Obviously you still need the spacer too, right? I'm trying to get these parts ordered today while at work. Shhhh, don't tell the boss...