530 Conversion & Skunk Gearing

[salty_monk]

Thinking about getting the kit from Z1 & wondered if I should also change ratio at the same time... any thoughts anyone?

Is there a way to check my 630 chain off the bike? (for example with a mountain bike chain you can measure 12 links & see if it measures 12", the amount over is how much it's stretched).

Cheers,

Dan

[Nessism]

Couldn't find much info but a small blurb on Tsubaki's website states for drive chains the service limit is 1.5% elongation - about .56" over 50 links. Found another blurb about Diamond chains and they say 3% - which seems about right when you think about those swingarm marks have a wear range of about 1 inch, which only measures wear over 1/2 the length of the chain.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Found this in the GS1000 factory manual. Seems pretty extreme, only about 0.6% elongation allowed which does not match the swingarm marks which allow much more.



.

[Joe Nardy]

Thinking about getting the kit from Z1 & wondered if I should also change ratio at the same time... any thoughts anyone?

Is there a way to check my 630 chain off the bike? (for example with a mountain bike chain you can measure 12 links & see if it measures 12", the amount over is how much it's stretched).

Cheers,

Dan

Dan,

Lay the chain on a flat surface. pull it to its longest length then try to compress it to its shortest length. A new chain will compress very little, if at all. A worn chain will compress considerably as the pins have worn into the plates. I've seen a chain that would compress at least an inch. You can also try bending the chain in a sideways arc. A new chain will hardly bend while a worn chain will arc considerably, again due to pin/plate wear.

Joe

[chef1366]

[quote=Joe Nardy;789268]Dan,

Lay the chain on a flat surface. pull it to its longest length then try to compress it to its shortest length. A new chain will compress very little, if at all. A worn chain will compress considerably as the pins have worn into the plates. I've seen a chain that would compress at least an inch. You can also try bending the chain in a sideways arc. A new chain will hardly bend while a worn chain will arc considerably, again due to pin/plate wear.


The "arc" method is how I check mine.

[tkent02]

Thinking about getting the kit from Z1 & wondered if I should also change ratio at the same time... any thoughts anyone?



Dan

Are you unhappy with the ratio it has now?

[kichigai]

Thinking about getting the kit from Z1 & wondered if I should also change ratio at the same time... any thoughts anyone?

Well Dan, I changed my gear ratio when I did my 630 to 530 conversion. I wanted to reduce my RPM when cruising the freeway and stop looking for the non existant 6th gear. Here are a few links worth looking at.

http://www.z1enterprises.com/reference/chain630to530.aspx

http://www.sprocketcenter.com/g/4156/gear-ratio-chart.html

[robertob]

Dan - There are wear marks on the left adjuster - it's a little silver sticker. Check it out. IIRC that bike's chain has life left according to the adjuster.

Now, if you just want to regear, I'd definitely go higher. You should ride my bike sometime - at 80 it turns about 6,000 rpm.

[salty_monk]

Are you unhappy with the ratio it has now?

Dunno, I've never ridden it!!

I often think my 1000G could do with slightly longer legs for freeway work though...

Rob, thanks for that, the chain has come back to life ok with a clean-up, I had to work some oil into it & get the rollers rolling again (they were stuck). It actually looks pretty good but it's an OEM chain I think so could be the 20k original. The sticker was close to the end of the swingarm but was much tighter tolerance than the one mentioned below. The chain was also too tight so I think it probably does have a few miles in it.

I'm going to try measuring later today.... Haynes manual says 1/4" extension per foot is the limit.

I might just stick with it so I can have a try with the stock gearing before I make any decisions.....

Dan

[salty_monk]

Checked the chain this morning, very little "bend" in it & no compression/extension play at all.

Maybe I'm lucky & this is a nearly new chain. I'm going to run it & see what happens

[robertob]

Checked the chain this morning, very little "bend" in it & no compression/extension play at all.

Maybe I'm lucky & this is a nearly new chain. I'm going to run it & see what happens

That's what I'd do - ride it for a while and see how you feel about the gearing. If it loosens up real quick or it has tight spots after a few hundred miles you can always trash it. The 630 chains on these bikes are so much larger than necessary.

[Mark M]

The 630 chains on these bikes are so much larger than necessary.

No kidding. MotoGP and World Superbikes race 200+hp, slick shod monsters with the fastest riders in the world on 520 chains. And very seldom does anybody have a chain jump off or break.

Mark

[Nessism]

No kidding. MotoGP and World Superbikes race 200+hp, slick shod monsters with the fastest riders in the world on 520 chains. And very seldom does anybody have a chain jump off or break.

Mark

My understanding is that 520 chains are the same pitch as 530 but narrower. The narrower sprockets will wear faster. MotoGP guys don't care about sprocket life, but people with a GS might.

[Mark M]

My understanding is that 520 chains are the same pitch as 530 but narrower. The narrower sprockets will wear faster. MotoGP guys don't care about sprocket life, but people with a GS might.

I agree, I was just pointing out that overall strength is not an issue. I would probably stick with a 530 on my 1100E, but I have a 520 conversion kit on the shelf for my 06 GSXR1K this summer.

Mark

[Billyboy]

I just switched to a 530.

I went with a 47 rear and a 17 front for a 2.765 gearing. Just slightly longer legged than stock. 114 links is just a touch long. I bought 116 but had to cut off two links. Get the 6mm spacer.

[Nessism]

I just switched to a 530.

I went with a 47 rear and a 17 front for a 2.765 gearing. Just slightly longer legged than stock. 114 links is just a touch long. I bought 116 but had to cut off two links. Get the 6mm spacer.

Question: if 630 and 530 are the same width, why is a spacer needed and where does it go? I assume to shim the small sprocket outboard to the left but don't understand why.