Many were confused when it comes to gearing ratio. To make it simple, it is the ratio of the teeth between the front and rear sprockets. This ratio determines how engine RPM is translated into wheel speed by the bike.
Simply by changing the sprocket size, front or rear, will change this ratio and will change your bike’s acceleration and top speed and aftermarket sprocket will help you lose as much as 70% of your sprocket’s weight.
OEM gear ratio is not always ideal for everyone. While it may be good for beginner, but as when your skills developed, you might need a little more acceleration.
I faced this problem after riding my Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 for more than 3 years. It felt slow and I needed a little more acceleration as I can handle the bike a lot better now through corners. So I contacted RM Mart Sdn Bhd and got myself a SunStar aftermarket sprocket.
The OEM front sprocket has 16 teeth and rear has 43 teeth. It is also about time to change after clocking more than 30,000 km mileage. The ideal replacement or upgrade would be front -1 and rear +2. However, what RM Mart has is only Front -1 and Rear +1. So I took it.
GEAR RATIO
Now what is this -1 +2 all about? Understanding how gear ratio works is the key. Ratio is calculated by taking the Rear sprocket teeth / Front sprocket teeth. The higher the gear ratio is, the faster the acceleration is, and you will lose a little top speed and horse power.
Take my bike for example, Rear 43 / Front 16 equals to 2.6875. And changing it to Rear 44 / Front 15 equals to 2.9333. The new ratio higher. Of course the ideal combo would be Rear 45 / Front 15 which is equals to 3.0. Well, I just have to wait for new stock to arrive.
WEIGHT
My OEM Front and Rear combo weigh a whopping 1.539 kg and after changing it to SunStar, it weighs only 0.451 kg. My bike looses 1.088 kg which is 70% of its weight!
Now the bike looks real good when it couple with the D.I.D. 520 X Ring Chain.
Changing sprocket is one of the cheapest way to upgrades your bike without having to burn a huge hole in your pocket. So how long have you used your OEM? When is the last time you check?
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