Hawk 17t front with 43t rear /40t rear????

[Omar]

Hi guys just wondering Which setup of sprockets yall think runs better and with what chain i dont do hard off roading but i still want to be able to pop a wheelie

[JerryHawk250]

17/43 Will probably be better for on and off road. 17/40 is a good highway gearing but not for off road. I run a 40 rear and use a 15 on front for off road.

[ChipToothy]

I’m on the 17/40 the past week and.. you lose a noticeable amount of tourqe and I don’t mean for off road persay but think about zipping around town, merging etc.. you lose enough of that useful snap that it’s not worth it IMO. I’d go with the 17/43 or 42 to be 100% honest unless you’re doing 65-70mph roads frequently. I will try the 42 next month probably.

[Megadan]

17/43 on a Hawk with intake/exhaust and a properly jetted carb will see 65mph with ease and top out around 70 for even the largest of riders (like me). With a smaller and lighter rider, 75 is possible, but that is just about maxed in ideal conditions.

The 17/43 is what I consider the ultimate compromise between highway capable gearing that can still do some light trails without issue. It doesn't have a good crawl speed and it lacks the easy ability to throttle the front wheel over obstacles, so it isn't good for more technical riding. I loved that combo when I mainly used my bike for commuting.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by Omar

Hi guys just wondering Which setup of sprockets yall think runs better and with what chain i dont do hard off roading but i still want to be able to pop a wheelie

I, and others on here reccomend Uni-Bear H-28 chain. It is much better than what comes with the bike...ARH

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by ChipToothy

I’m on the 17/40 the past week and.. you lose a noticeable amount of tourqe and I don’t mean for off road persay but think about zipping around town, merging etc.. you lose enough of that useful snap that it’s not worth it IMO. I’d go with the 17/43 or 42 to be 100% honest unless you’re doing 65-70mph roads frequently. I will try the 42 next month probably.

On the Storm with the smaller rear wheel a 17/40 is about equal to the 17/43 on the Hawk. Megadan and I are not running a stock head and compression ratio so with the little extra HP these higher gear ratios aren't as much of a strain on the engine. You can always swap out the front to a 16 or 15 tooth.

[ChipToothy]

Originally Posted by JerryHawk250

On the Storm with the smaller rear wheel a 17/40 is about equal to the 17/42 on the Hawk. Megadan and I are not running a stock head and compression ratio so with the little extra HP these higher gear ratios aren't as much of a strain on the engine.

Aye, lots of different factors come in to play I reckon. I was thinking of trying the shorter valve cover mod to see if I can feel a difference.