17 Tooth 530 Front Sprocket

[RichDesmond]

I don't understand why you want to go 17 instead of 18. Why?

Check post #1.

On the 17 vs 18 wear rates, while I agree with you in theory, I wouldn't be too concerned about it in the real world. Lots of modern liter bikes with vastly more HP than a GS have 16 or even 15 tooth countershaft sprockets. And with modern chains often get over 20k miles.

[KiwiAlfa156]

I don't understand why you want to go 17 instead of 18. Why?

RichDesmond kinda hit the nail on the head.

If I can find 18T 520 sprocket with the correct spline I may very well use it. However, so far I haven't found one. I'm sure they exist. 17s are easy.

It seems the experience of folk (some on other sites) that have actually run 530/520 17T front sprockets on their GSs, is that the disadvantages don't seem of any great significance. Chewing the swing arm is my biggest concern and clearance it seems isn't a problem. Any accelerated wear rate seems to be negligible in real life.

[KiwiAlfa156]

Hi Darryl, I found these in the parts box, thought the diameter of OEM 1100 Kat sprockets may be of interest regarding swinger clearance while you are comparing 520 sprocket diameter for your 750. The 750 and 1100 have different tooth count but pretty close.

630 42 T = 263 mm diameter.

630 15 T = 98 mm diameter.

Cheers.

Thanks for the sprocket measurements, Glenn. Love your work

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Glad to help.

Cheers.

[KiwiAlfa156]

So the sprockets arrived and this the comparison between the 17/47 in 520, and the standard 15/41 in 630





Not much in it.

[GregT]

Some years back I had a customer who changed his GSX1100 to a 17T front. After I'd dialled the cams and set it up properly his wife complained she was close to being lost off the pillion under acceleration - so he put the 17 on to soften the hit.
I made up an 18T 520 front for the race GS1000. OE Suzuki splined center machined to take a ring of teeth from another brand front - and TIG welded. At that time I couldn't find an 18 in the Suzuki/Kawasaki spline.

[bobtail84]

Just for info I have been running 17/46 530 on my GS1000 for over a year with no clearance issues or noticeable extra wear on the chain or sprockets, I have a GSX aluminium swinging arm as well.

[llew.virtue]

Apart from choice range,I would never remove the bigger chain for a smaller.
All three of my bikes all 1100 plus run 63.
Always for the last fourty years used sybaki chains, early years on all my triples and Z9 not even O ring,never had a problem

[KiwiAlfa156]

Apart from choice range,I would never remove the bigger chain for a smaller.
All three of my bikes all 1100 plus run 63.
Always for the last fourty years used sybaki chains, early years on all my triples and Z9 not even O ring,never had a problem

Good for you, but you'd be surprised at the tensile strength and life-span of modern chain compared to 630. The Kawasaki 1000 H2R delivers 200bhp and 137.3Nm of torque through a 525 x-ring

Here's the size comparison. 630 to 520.

[rphillips]

The Honda 750's used 530 thru "76" then changed to 630 because of the 530 breaking, Remember the old after mkt. dual row chains & sprockets made for the CB750's? In "77" the 630 fixed the chain problem. Today the 530's are stronger than the old 630's of the "70's & 80's, so going from an old 630 to a new 530 gives extra strength plus lot less rotating wgt. Hard to imagine not changing.

[GregT]

In the last 10 years the research money has gone into 520 chain. Everyone wants lighter, narrower chain which lasts. A good modern 520 will outperform your old 630.

[Rob S.]

But nothing has the visual impact of a 630.

[GregT]

If that was a factor, we'd all be using chromed triplex.

[rphillips]

Seems I'm not the only one jealous cause I don't have a 520.