Chain and sprocket combo

[Steve2723]

Hey, Thanks for reading. I am going to replace my sprockets and chain wanting to make sure i order the right stuff...JT Sprockets JTR269.43 43T Steel Rear Sprocket. JT Sprockets JTF259.17 17T Steel Front Sprocket for the front. And JT Sprockets JTC428HDR128SL 428 HDR 128-Link Heavy Duty Drive Chain. I am 80% on road and 20% off. Any comments appreciated.

[Red Hawk]

You may have to experiment a little. 17/45 is great on road. Marginal off road. You get great top end but the torque is lacking. 16/45 is great off road but you're revved out on road.

I had planned on swapping back to 17/50 or 16/50 to see if it was street passable and more trail acceptable... What this thing needs is 6th gear!! Like my old KLR 250. Don't know what ya got till its gone. Tho this thing is way lighter and simpler to work on.

This link will help you choose what size sprockets.

https://www.gearingcommander.com/?fb...YaaFztoiLooj7I

[Megadan]

the 17/43 is perfect on road, but not great for anything technical off road. It works ok for dirt roads and paths where you don't need to crawl or clutch up the front.

The nice thing about the 43 is that if you want to step down to the same ratio as a 17/45. change to a 16 front. If you want even more off road torque similar to a 17/47, swap to a 15 front.

[Steve2723]

Thanks for the advise Guys!! is the 128 link chain what I need for this combo??

[Megadan]

128 likes worked perfect for a 17 front 43 rear on my Hawk.

[Sochin]

I have 17/50 on my Hawk, it is a happy medium for the Rockies.

[Torgo]

I bought a 45 rear about two years ago and have never gotten around to installing it since the 17/50 is just about perfect for the riding that I do.

With the carb tuned correctly, I can get into the low/mid 60s on a flat straightaway. I don't get out on the interstates or rural highways here, 60mph speed limits is the max for me, so that combo handles those roads, no problem. It'll lag into the high 50s climbing hills.

For the occasional trail riding that comes along every now and then, the 17/50 stretches out 1st/2nd really nicely. With the original 15/50 stock, I was hitting a lot of transitions between 1/2/3 on the type of trail riding around here and in west Texas, and the 17/50 widened out the gears just about perfectly.

Ultimately it's completely dependent on the individual and where/how you're riding, but that's been my experience with the 17/50.

2015 Hawk 250

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Torgo

Ultimately it's completely dependent on the individual and where/how you're riding...

That is it in a nutshell. I prefer taller gearing because, outside of some pretty steep bluffs and hills, I live in the flat lands and low altitude. Since I also use my bike as a errand runner/commuter, I prefer slightly taller gearing. If I were to use this bike primarily off road and I didn't have to contend with 65-75mph highways, then it would be geared much differently.