I decided to change to sprocket/chain since when oiling the chain with the bike on the center stand, engine idling, I noted that the chain was not running smoothly. Not jumping sprockets but rather grabbing and then whipping as if links were stiff. I bought this used 04this spring and not sure of service history. The guide decal is not much help but it looked like I was past the recommended point so I ordered replacement parts. Now that the old chain is off it is a bit stiff but not that much longer (maybe at best quarter inch) and the sprocket profiles look good to me. There is 17k on the bike and I felt comfortable it came from a good home when I bought it. The old front sproket is OEM with the rubber shoulders on both sides of the sprocker. I read that these reduce chain noise. I am quite surprised by the amount of little details this bike has incorporated into the design. My question is regarding edge surface of the rubber shoulder that contacts the chain side links. In the valley between two teeth there is a indent in the rubber shoulder. They measure about a quarter inch long and maybe a sixteenth deep. They look very uniform in size and pattern. Does a new OEM sprocket have these same indents or is this a sign of wear (finally my question). As stated, I stacked the sprockets on top of each other and can`t see any difference. All is 530 from what I can see. I am thinking I will install the old sprockets and the new chain and go from there.
At 17k ... When you use a new chain on old sprockets you can get premature wear on the chain. If ypu feel confident go ahead. The oem sprockets are good. It made me feel better to swap the entire set both sprockets and new chain. At 16k my chain was binding in spots. It was time for a change. Good luck with you project.
