Gearing the other way... for highway use

rtking · 11-09-2015, 03:12 PM

I've read the thread regarding changing the stock 14T counter sprocket to a 13T piece with keen interest. Sounds like a solid plan for those who do a good mix of trail riding and pavement.

But in SoCal, it seems that we're a concrete jungle, and there's lots of highway droning to get to any kind of trails. (At least, that's true of where I currently live.) And despite a 65 mph speed limit, riding at 70 - 75 is more often the norm than not.

The RX3 does fine at 70-75 mph, and I'm confident it can do it all day long. But sometimes I need to go a bit faster, and I've noticed that I'm spinning the engine past its power peak (which happens to be the 9,000 rpm redline.) I spoke with Gerry at CSC and he has been using a 42T rear sprocket and loving it, especially since he's got a long highway commute.

The 42T sprocket is about 5% taller than stock, so at my current peak speed, I can expect to drop 200-300 rpm. I thought about it over the weekend and put in the order today for the rear gear. At $35, it's inexpensive enough to try and, if it doesn't work, I can certainly re-install my 44T rear sprocket.

I'll report results after I install the sprocket. And in a few weeks, I hope to receive the windshield from forum member Winyoochanok and see if that makes a difference in top speed.

11-09-2015, 03:12 PM	#1
rtking Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 410	Gearing the other way... for highway use I've read the thread regarding changing the stock 14T counter sprocket to a 13T piece with keen interest. Sounds like a solid plan for those who do a good mix of trail riding and pavement. But in SoCal, it seems that we're a concrete jungle, and there's lots of highway droning to get to any kind of trails. (At least, that's true of where I currently live.) And despite a 65 mph speed limit, riding at 70 - 75 is more often the norm than not. The RX3 does fine at 70-75 mph, and I'm confident it can do it all day long. But sometimes I need to go a bit faster, and I've noticed that I'm spinning the engine past its power peak (which happens to be the 9,000 rpm redline.) I spoke with Gerry at CSC and he has been using a 42T rear sprocket and loving it, especially since he's got a long highway commute. The 42T sprocket is about 5% taller than stock, so at my current peak speed, I can expect to drop 200-300 rpm. I thought about it over the weekend and put in the order today for the rear gear. At $35, it's inexpensive enough to try and, if it doesn't work, I can certainly re-install my 44T rear sprocket. I'll report results after I install the sprocket. And in a few weeks, I hope to receive the windshield from forum member Winyoochanok and see if that makes a difference in top speed.
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