[BkKcaliKLR]

Yeah I have concluded that for technical stuff off-road we need every advantage we can muster! My problem is that when I am going down long downhill stretches with turns and questionable traction off-road my second gear gets me going just a touch too fast for stand-up riding (area I am trying to improve) and I sit down like a puss!

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

60/62mph

Yeah I am not going to like the RPM at higher speeds I bet! Luckily I live about 25 miles from my SVRA (Hollister Hills) and that’s the only place I ever travel to with the bike hahaa

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Riding safely, without falling and in control is the mark I shoot for, and I don’t care if I’m standing or sitting. In my opinion, the idea of “standing at all times off-road” is a little too black and white. I understand the concepts-better vision ahead, more leverage etc, but I’m just ALLOT more confident seated, because I learned that way (didn’t know any better). Perhaps I need more practice at standing, but all the riding/creek crossings/hills climbed and descended over the last year I’ve stayed upright. And I’d probably have fallen if I’d tried to stand in all those situations.

Ride the way that makes you smile, and keeps you on two wheels (unless your doing wheelies, but c’mon, it’s a KLR!) I certainly won’t “stance shame” you😉

+1 haha yes I feel the same about riding with a smile and that happens every time although I have dropped the bike 3 times now and went with it once. To me it feels like I would be way better after the sprocket swap for off-road use so why not! Yes the leverage to quickly move the bike with the arms (around rocks and such) while upright is much improved for off-road which is critical and that’s why I “stance shame” myself.

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

On a serious note about stand-up riding... I went to ride off-road yesterday and stayed upright as much as I could on the technical stuff and there was one section that had a deep track to follow and by standing I could make the small adjustments to my steering to hold a good line... without standing I would of maybe been stuck with the bikes path and not the path of the trail.

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Got a set of Motoz Rallz tires front and back (em route) and was thinking... is the larger diameter of the tire going to equal out the new 14 tooth gearing? It will be a 1/2” taller? Will I hate the 80% off road tread on the front and be buying a replacement? Thinking the front would be a good “winter” tire for off-road and could swap in late spring...

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Ok thanks and the delivery status just got sent and it’s a 130 80 17 so it has the smaller circumference... gear difference will be more pronounced than if it was a 90? Going all out with cogent suspension soon(hopefully not back ordered to much) front and back, new tires and few other things... got a serious ride next month and trying to get it to “frankentractor” status by then

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Ah, NO.
Changing the rear tire or sprockets does Not affect the Front wheel driven Speedometer accuracy of Gen 1 or Gen 2 bikes in any manner.

Those changes will affect the Speedometer accuracy of the Rear Driven electronic speedometer of the Gen 3.

The front tire may be a “90” that will make speedo different?

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

The front tire may be a “90” that will make speedo different?

Just checked it’s a 90 90 21 will that make it feel more back weighted by a frog hair I think?!? Make it feel like I’m doing a wheelie? Worried and was gonna go with what has worked for everyone else (Shinko 606) back w 50/50 front but went against the norm... hope I ain’t cussing myself later:/

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

It'll have some effect, but it'll be fairly negligable. Since circumference is in direct 1:1 ratio with diameter, it'll add about 2% to your actual speed. If you're interested (and apparently even if you're not, because here goes 😉), the math is as follows: the 130 in the standard '130/80' tire side refers to a tire cross section that's 130mm (5.18in) wide. The 80 refers to a sidewall height that's 80% of the cross sectional width, or 104mm (4.09in). The total diameter would be:

17.00in (rim diameter)
plus 4.09in (sidewall height)
plus 4.09in (sidewall height
= 25.18in (total diameter)

If your tire is ½in taller, the percentage difference between the two would be:

25.68in (new tire diameter)
÷ 25.18in (standard tire diameter)
= 0.01985...in (which in a practical sense, rounds up to .02in). Because diameter 1:1 correlates with circumference, the percentage difference in distance traveled/rotation would be that same 2%. It will actually help correct your factory speedometer, while giving you 2% more speed at the same RPM (assuming the front wheel is the same size (for Gen 1&2). The 14t cs sprocket has made your speedo read faster by 7%, so a taller rear tire corrects that somewhat.

I see who is the mathematician genius on this site! Thank you and I guess it will be barely noticeable but the back is a 80 w the front a 90... confucious says I am

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

I run a 14 tooth on the front and 47 tooth on the rear and love it. Super torquey - a real improvement off road. On road it is terrible. I also run Tusk D-Sport knobbies which REALLY suck on pavement. This set up has worked really great for me as I ride 95% in dirt.

I am figuring with new Motoz Rallz tires on the way I had better keep my speeds down anyway! Gonna tackle everything when everything gets here... I have the supersprox 43 tooth gold sprocket but I imagine the 47 would be a trip. Probably a tractor going uphill I am jealous!

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Just be careful especially when on wet pavement with those more aggressive treaded tires. I had more than one scary experience in the rain. And get some ear plugs they will probably be loud.

The company is claiming that the silica blend in the tire makes it better on wet roads and pavement in general but I’m a nonbeliever. As far as sound yes it’s gonna be more noisy than my Kenda 270s.

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Hey now, I like my Kendas. Or maybe I’ve just gotten accustomed to them. My new rear tire doesn’t seem as loud as the last one I had for about 3k miles. View attachment 40530

I had no probs with the Kenda’s (front and back) personally but they catch a lotta flack! The Motoz Rallz is claimed to not have to adjust air pressures which i like. I am sure to purchase some 50/50 tires for summer/fall

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Wear earplugs 😆
Anything is better than those god awful Kenda K270’s…minus those Duncrap K750’s.
Both those tires SUCK!

You’ll be happy with the Motoz tires.
No need to worry about traction or higher speeds with em.
BTW…It’s hard to beat the stock gearing on a KLR.

I may get back to 15 tooth sprocket front for summer/fall but don’t think I will ever go to the 16 as I am a bit of a big guy and like going up steep inclines off-road

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

My bike is gonna be finished tomorrow night... kinda billsy to have done at a shop but rather that than some rookie(me) change sprockets, new offroad chain, bleed brakes/new fluid, change oils in front suspension, new tires installed w new tubes/liners... will keep posted on the feel of the 14 tooth tomm after ride home.

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

My bike is gonna be finished tomorrow night... kinda billsy to have done at a shop but rather that than some rookie(me) change sprockets, new offroad chain, bleed brakes/new fluid, change oils in front suspension, new tires installed w new tubes/liners... will keep posted on the feel of the 14 tooth tomm after ride home.

To continue throwing money at a Pig I just had my rear suspension sent to Top Gun today and seems reasonable for a total rear shock rebuild... $250! Maybe Cogent suspension better but I didn’t have the coin or time for it. Will keep posted upon bike retrieval next week!

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Gettin her back tomm 🤞

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

Ok so here goes the list of what got done... it went WAY beyond a sprocket swap as I found a good mechanic and hey... I get paid good why not have it done by a pro!
New 14 tooth front sprocket, new supersprox 43 tooth rear sprocket, new (expensive too btw) off-road chain, all my fluids emptied/flushed/replaced, new fork oil in front w/ new racetech seals, top gun refurbishment of rear shock w/ new 7.4 spring, new front Motoz DV tire and new rear Motoz Rallz tire... cruising home this eve I couldn’t believe it was the same bike! STOKED

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

I’ve used a 14/15 and 16.
Went back to stock gearing.
You’ll like the 14 off road.

Cruising home this eve I only realized I was going a little slower with barely more rpm... the front tire kept me about 60mph for safety.

 

[BkKcaliKLR]

I agree the KLR needs a lower gear more than top end.
What speed are you running at 5k revolutions with the 14 tooth?

At speedometer showing 60 I was at 4500 rpm approx