I am going to down gear my Firestorm, partly due to the crap 1st gear and awfull 1st to 2nd gear change (so I can skip them all together!) and also because I'd like the bike to be a bit more lively!!!!
I was thinking either 1 down on the front and 3 up on the rear or just 3 up on the rear... I went just 3 up on the rear on my Hornet and it didn't make much difference which is why I am thinking off taking 1 from the front too buuuuuuuut I'm worried it'll be a bit much? (I also have a QA throttle)
One down front only made a big difference on my first VTR (as greater differential to teeth etc) so with a three up rear the chain should stay about right length. Use a 'Speedo Healer' to sort out the error correction 100% OK!
LSM
"Only ride as fast as your guardian angel can fly" !!!
I've been using 15/44 (one down on the front and 3 up on the back) for a couple of years now. I find it good, it makes the bike a bit more sprightly and no worse if not slightly better on fuel (mileage corrected of course). I use a sigma to keep track of my speed as it does throw the std speedo out by about 20% once you allow for the in built std exaggeration as well. You do of course lose top end speed but at the red line in top she should be doing approx 148. The std chain fits as well. I have been to Northern Spain touring twice on this gearing.
this is what you should get speed wise from 15/44:
and this is standard:
So, you can see that speed wise the comparison is pretty much 1 gear higher for 15/44 at the same speed, same revs, with about 20mph off the max top end (though I doubt a stock Storm will hit 162, maybe 155.) That'll be why your fuel and normal speed riding seem unaffected, because you just use 1 gear higher as you adapt to riding it.
Voted most likely to be found dead in park bushes following an act of autoerotic asphyxiation.
My 148 was using the measurement of the circumference of my back tyre rather than a calculated value, just goes to show how a few mm can make a little difference. I used the kamware software.
My 148 was using the measurement of the circumference of my back tyre rather than a calculated value, just goes to show how a few mm can make a little difference. I used the kamware software.
