Kawasaki Ninja 1000 Forum banner
Cancel

Anybody changed gearing

11346 Views 39 Replies 26 Participants Last post by  alang, 
old fart
Any one gone taller on the gearing. I think 1 up on the C/S sproket would be good
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 20 of 40 Posts
M
gearing

What exactly would be the difference? Better top end or acceleration..lower rpm's!
Reply
Save
Like
old fart
My goal would be to lower the rpm in 6th gear.
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
B
mrsand said:
What exactly would be the difference? Better top end or acceleration..lower rpm's!
Click to expand...
depends what you're looking for. You can fiddle it for more top end, or more low end.. all depends on what you need/what you want...
Reply
Save
Like
Warprints
my dealer recommended changing the front sprocket for more relaxed 6th gear - just one tooth. I may go that route in the future, but am content with gearing for right now. My VFR turns about the same RPM in top gear as the Ninja.
Reply
Save
Like
R
Yes, its an ok mod..the one tooth larger. Your looking at a small rpm drop, though. This site is fun to experiment with:

Gearing Commander: Motorcycle Speed, RPM, Chain & Sprockets Calculator

On this bike, you cant sprocket change enough to forget how close the ratio in 3rd, 4th and 5th are...they are more like 3a, 3b and 3c in feel.

Still, gearing commander gives you a good feel for the rpm change. And one tooth is barely noticeable.
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 2
B
rcannon409 said:
Yes, its an ok mod..the one tooth larger. Your looking at a small rpm drop, though. This site is fun to experiment with:

Gearing Commander: Motorcycle Speed, RPM, Chain & Sprockets Calculator

On this bike, you cant sprocket change enough to forget how close the ratio in 3rd, 4th and 5th are...they are more like 3a, 3b and 3c in feel.

Still, gearing commander gives you a good feel for the rpm change. And one tooth is barely noticeable.
Click to expand...
great link, cheers
Reply
Save
Like
K
Motorcyclist magazine for june had a great break down of gearing front and back and how it affected the bike take a look
Reply
Save
Like
M
Very glad to get that Motorcyclist mag article. They've a '14 long termer so it will be interesting to see how they like it & mod it.
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
S
After reading the Motorcyclist article (I get the mag) I plan on replacing the 15 tooth front sprocket with a 16 tooth. Doesn't sound like a big change but with the slightly taller gearing it would true out the speedometer from reading higher than your actual speed which is common practice for Jap bikes. I'm not positive how the bike reads your speed but if it's electronic this should help correct it.
Reply
Save
Like
K
Is there a helme lock on 2012 ninja 1000
Reply
Save
Like
T
Sato Racing sells them for just about any bike. Pricey but very nice.
Reply
Save
Like
A
rcannon409 said:
Yes, its an ok mod..the one tooth larger. Your looking at a small rpm drop, though. This site is fun to experiment with:

Gearing Commander: Motorcycle Speed, RPM, Chain & Sprockets Calculator

On this bike, you cant sprocket change enough to forget how close the ratio in 3rd, 4th and 5th are...they are more like 3a, 3b and 3c in feel.

Still, gearing commander gives you a good feel for the rpm change. And one tooth is barely noticeable.
Click to expand...
I'd also like to lower RPM in 6th. What if we went 1 up and 1 down ?
Reply
Save
Like
Northern Ninja
I went 1 up and 2 down and it's perfect, IMHO. Dropped the RPM's 700 in 6th at cruising speed, and didn't make a noticeable difference around town. The bike has plenty of torque, and seems to love the taller gearing.
Reply
Save
Like
A
Motorcyclist Article on Gearing Changes

Kawasaki Ninja 1000 | Doin' Time
Reply
Save
Like
old fart
I did the same as Northern Ninja. Works great. Should have come from the factory with this gearing.
Reply
Save
Like
A
I have heard that changing to a 16 front caused some rubbing and chain noise. Is this true?
Reply
Save
Like
GaryK
So far the only side effect (besides grinning and thinking kawi should have done this from the factory) is that the healtech gear indicator needs to manually set.

Otherwise this is probably the best thing you can do to the bike... it makes every gear useable and reduces the 7th gear shifts.
Reply
Save
Like
maximus96792
I did the 15 to 16 and it definitely makes the gears more functional. Id go 4 it. And I too think it should have come from the factory this way. Only difference Ive found is more effort is needed when doing 3rd gear wheelies.:eek:
Reply
Save
Like
R
Changing front sprocket

Having some issues installing sprocket from Supersprox. Once installed there is just the slightest bit of in/out play on sprocket leaving washer loose. The sprocket they sent me has been re-tagged and i'm not sure its the correct one. Its and RK and has the number "5041-16" on it. See pic. I measure the thickness of the sprocket at the splines and its almost 1mm thinner than the stock sprocket. Anyone else have this prob?
Could those that have successfully completed this mod please provide the P/N for the sprocket they used??? Is the Z1000 the same fitment?? BTW, I have a 2014 N1.
Thanks for any help/advice.

Attachments

See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 40 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Kawasaki Ninja 1000 Forum
A forum community dedicated to Kawasaki Ninja 1000 motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about superbike performance, racing, modifications, classifieds, riding gear, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Ninja 1000 General Discussion Ninja 1000 Parts & Accessories New Members Introduction Ninja 1000 Appearance & Modifications Ninja 1000 Service and Maintenance
Top