Chain & Sprocket Recommendations

Mine are long over due for a change..

 

D.I.D Sprocket and chain sets are popular. Not the cheapest, but not really expensive either. If yoiu can, I would suggest the X ring instead of the O ring. IMHO, the X ring's design would be better than the O ring in preventing water and crap from getting into the links they are protecting. D.I.D. are readily available and when you order, they should come the right length for your bike. I always change both sprockets with each chain change.

 

I use JT sprockets. Manufactured to OEM specs, if you head to their website you can look up the part #'s / stock tooth count. Link count etc.. Alot cheaper than OEM sprockets.

Chain wise, DID and RK racing are both good. The chain I just put on is RK's top of the line WX ring with the gold plating.

All the mentioned above I've found on Amazon, which is great if you're a Prime member and want them quick.

 

As Randy said DID is popular and very good and definitely go with the X ring. I have run them on street and track bikes with great results. Last sprocket change on the track bike was AFAM, like it a lot.

 

I don't think the brand of sprockets is a big deal unless your converting to a 520 chain. All fronts are steel and I would recommend the stock size. Bigger may not fit and smaller wears the chain faster. I would get sprockets with a rust preventative coating on it. The raw steel ones rust up.

Rear sprockets are more about the size you want. Do your gearing changes here. If stock size, there are plenty of steel ones out there. If you want an oversized one, it's going to be aluminum, so it won't last as long.

The only big decision is on the chain. It seems a proper quality 530 chain from a major company (RK, EK, DID) are going to run at least $130 or so. Cheaper chains tend to stretch more, toss out o-rings and wear out sooner.

I just swapped in a bling chrome chain from EK. Their top of the line, ZZZ replacement called the ThreeD. I hope to get 40K miles out of it with my oiler system.

 

Hmm, might of been good to have your input before I bought them weeks ago...

I went a tooth up in the front, stock in the rear and a Drag Specialties high performance O-ring chain (don't know if it's a good chain or not?) My budget for all of it was just under 200.00 so I had to get what I could afford.

Sprockets are JT and I may have to yet buy a stock size front. (Will be a lesson learned I guess)

Although none of it is installed yet as I don't have a centre stand or anyone to help me lift the bike onto a block..

I've had to remove two links from the old rusty chain to keep riding.

 

Well, it might be of some help to the next guy.

I'm not as familiar with the VF750's as my bike is the next generation. The bigger front sprocket might allow the chain to clear the housing, etc... You'll need to look at the clearance of your current setup. One tooth bigger might still clear fine. As far as gearing is concerned, it's going to have the same effect as going 3 teeth smaller on the rear, so it will drop the rpms on the freeway at the expense of acceleration. Were you going for better mileage?

I didn't even know Drag Specialties made chains. It may be fine. If you maintain it it may last a good long time. If you notice o-rings missing after a while it's a bad sign. If it starts stretching and you have to readjust the tension often, that's a bad sign. Worst case it will need replacing sooner that a high end chain, so no biggie. It's got a decent tensile strength of 9,500 lb, so it isn't likely to snap in 2.

Do you have a chain breaker, riveter? Harbor Freight sells a nice cheap one ($15 USD).

I used to have to use a block to lift my bike as well. I think it was an 8x8 block. I slid it under then leaned the bike to the left and stuck a 2x4" block under that side then leaned it to the right and stuck a 2x4" block under that side until I had the bike in the air. It was tricky, but worked.

Now a days I have a center stand, but my exhaust won't let me permanetly mount it. I can slip it on in 30 seconds and remove it in under 60 seconds when I need to do work on the bike. I see center stands for your model on ebay pretty cheap. It may be worth it to get one.

 

I spent a couple days reading gearing theory before deciding and the info o came across said the vf750f could handle 14-18 tooth in the front just fine.. My biggest issue is normal hwy use I'm running 5000rpm @ 100kph in 5th gear, My only riding friend has a 1100GL that pulls away so fast on the hwy I feel like I'm riding a 250! So im hoping to compensate both these things even just a little.. It's my first sport bike and I don't ride it very hard but I do feel like it's got all low end torque and no go, If that makes sense..

I do have a chain breaker, its meant for lighter chains but it just fits the 530 and handles the task.

I have a centre stand on my eBay watch list actually. I don't take in a regular steady income so those things all depend on random availability of PayPal funds.

Your method of getting a block under is great advice though and I may be able to scrounge up the block to do it!

 

Wow, that's a big range. The 86-89 VFR's don't have that much room. 15 to maybe 17 I think. So you seem good in that area.

My 86 makes okay power from idle to about 7K then really hauls to 11.5K. So when I was running 5500 rpm on the freeway and wanted to pass, I'd twist the throttle and just didn't go. I needed to downshift a gear or two and bam, I was gone. I was a bit irritating. I've recently been messing with my carb tune and I've picked up a bunch or power from 3K to 7K. My bike feels a lot more peppy and freeway riding doesn't require a downshift. I can twist the throttle and go.

What does your power band feel like? Does it pull strong until a certain rpm and then the power tapers off?
A little carb tuning might fix it. What kind of exhaust and intake changes are on your bike?

 

I don't know what exhaust is on the bike (they are stainless and say Honda on them) The po also stated in his ad that it's got some sort of aftermarket cam? In it...

I make very torquey power from stand still - around 4k. Then it's pretty dull from 5k - about 7k (in 5th gear)
around 7k + she hauls ass and becomes a rocket. (Then I wish it had 6th gear lol)

Maybe it's just my ignorance of a sport bikes performace but I think (and want) it's power curve to be more even from bottom to top..

I do have a slight choppy idle (almost sounds like a ported rotary) so perhaps it does need some carb tweaking.

 

Double post.

 

Yeah, you've got an issue all right. It should pull strong from 3k on up with no dip. The first and easiest thing to check is the exhaust.

A dip in the 5-7k range is common when people reduce exhaust backpressure. Your mufflers look pretty factory to me, but not for your bike. I think the factory pipes are tapered, megaphone shaped.

Does it still have the collector under the bike that the 4 primary tubes go into and then the 2 pipes come out and go to the mufflers? I think it's chambered inside and needs to stay stock. If still there, do you see any welds where it might have been opened and then welded close?

Do the mufflers sound quiet like a stock bike?

The actual exhaust holes in the back of the muffler should still be about 1" in diameter. Have yours been cut or modified larger?

Are there any holes added to the muffler to increase the sound?

If the exhaust checks out, then we'll move on to the intake side.

Below should be a pic of the stock collector. If your not sure about what you have, take some pictures. We can figure it out.

 

Just a side note here: Chains don't stretch. They wear out, along with the sprockets, therefore requiring adjustments.

 

I was just using laymans terms. By "stretch" I mean lengthen. I included a picture below that shows the wear that causes a chain to lengthen. These are the sealed areas. So when you lubricate a sealed chain, your really lubing the rollers that are loose and make contact with the sprockets. Those rollers can't have seals on them and still function. Plus a little lube on the rubber seals and on the exterior surface helps as well.

 

The exhaust system is all stock and untouched (except the mufflers which must be for a different generation or for another model Honda)

I installed the new chain and sprockets today. The larger 18 tooth "just" clears but should be fine. I could not take it for a ride yet as the chain is not ready. I did not have the tools needed to install the riveted link, and a friend will bring me a c-clamp tomorrow so I can finish it.

 

Understood. But we like to bust peoples balls for saying the chain stretches. I believe the wear in the sprockets add as much to the loosening of the chain as does any wear on the chain's links IMHO. I believe that the inside of the chain assembly is factory lubricated during the build of the chain and you are basically lubing the links and keeping the o or x ring supple and doing their job at keeping crap out of the inner portion of the chain. That's why I believe the X ring is better than the O ring. But I have run a couple O ring chains and they have lasted me well, regardless of all the rain, salt grit and shit I used to ride in. Regular application of quality chain lube, and periodic cleaning of chain, goes a very long way to maximize the life and performance of you chain and sprockets.

 

I think just for the hell of it, when I replace my chain next, which is likely to be quite a while now, I am going to take apart a couple links, clean them up really well, photograph and post what a worn chain really looks like up close. What the hell eh? I've been married too long for sex and too fat to fly.

 

Cool, sounds like a great idea. I'd be interested in seeing the results, and how many miles were on the chain, how often it was lubed, what was used, etc. All that minutiae. eaceful:

 

Now you are making me work like my grade three teacher, Mrs. Gillespie. She was a fat old dog who I think really did not like me. Ever since I brought that snake to class.....