The performance of a bike depends on various factors. It does not always depend on the engine capacity or the fuel injection system and definitely not due to the aerodynamics of the bike. Do not get me wrong here, these factors do matter in a huge way, but then there is something much more important here and that is the gearing of the bike. If the gearing of the bike is not done properly, the power transmission to the rear wheel is going to get hampered compared to the actual production capability of the engine. Hence it will adverse the bike’s performance in a huge way.
This is why there is a need for proper sprocket use is of utmost importance. In majority of the bikes, the power transmission to the rear wheel is done via a chain drive. This means the chain runs on spiked wheels which are called as sprockets. The rotation of the sprockets gives the rear wheel the power and hence it transmits into speed for a particular gear.
The sprockets are not fitted just randomly as it pleases to oneself. There is a lot of research and calculation that goes into the sprocket design to bring out the maximum power output with ultimate efficiency for a bike. Here there is the front sprocket which is smaller in size connected to the engine gearbox drivetrain. The rear bigger sprocket is connected to the rear wheel to convert it into speed.
Now the front and rear sprockets are always connected in a certain ratio. The ratio of the teeth on the front sprocket to the teeth on the rear sprocket is what determines the optimum drive. Generally the ratio of the teeth is in the ratio of 3:1 which means the teeth on the rear sprocket are three times the teeth on the front sprocket. This allows for optimum performance with efficiency with proper balance of power and torque on the rear wheel. Hence 3 is the sweet number majority of the times.
Now just consider that the rear sprocket is replaced with an even bigger one with more number of teeth. Here the ratio now increases and hence this results in less number of revolutions of the rear wheel for the same engine speed resulting in less top speed but the acceleration increases due to the increase in the torque on the rear wheel. This is why you can find drag racers and stunters have bikes with bigger rear sprocket so that they get the insane acceleration to beat the opponent of get the wheelies right, but then they lose out on the top speed which they don’t really need it anyways.
The exact inverse is true when the rear sprocket is replaced with a smaller one, the ratio decreases which gives lesser torque to the wheel giving a decrease of acceleration off the mark, but the wheel now has more number of rotations on the given rear wheel which is why the bike is able to achieve a much higher top speed. It is all about fiddling with the ratio and getting it right. It might not work in all the cases and all the times, but it is about finding that right fit for your bike and its engine power.
So if you are planning to pimp your ride with some sprocket changes to increase the performance, keep the above pointers in mind and accordingly with proper study go for the change. You do not want to end up hampering the performance of your bike.
By: Pratik Patole
This is why there is a need for proper sprocket use is of utmost importance. In majority of the bikes, the power transmission to the rear wheel is done via a chain drive. This means the chain runs on spiked wheels which are called as sprockets. The rotation of the sprockets gives the rear wheel the power and hence it transmits into speed for a particular gear.The sprockets are not fitted just randomly as it pleases to oneself. There is a lot of research and calculation that goes into the sprocket design to bring out the maximum power output with ultimate efficiency for a bike. Here there is the front sprocket which is smaller in size connected to the engine gearbox drivetrain. The rear bigger sprocket is connected to the rear wheel to convert it into speed.
Now the front and rear sprockets are always connected in a certain ratio. The ratio of the teeth on the front sprocket to the teeth on the rear sprocket is what determines the optimum drive. Generally the ratio of the teeth is in the ratio of 3:1 which means the teeth on the rear sprocket are three times the teeth on the front sprocket. This allows for optimum performance with efficiency with proper balance of power and torque on the rear wheel. Hence 3 is the sweet number majority of the times.
Now just consider that the rear sprocket is replaced with an even bigger one with more number of teeth. Here the ratio now increases and hence this results in less number of revolutions of the rear wheel for the same engine speed resulting in less top speed but the acceleration increases due to the increase in the torque on the rear wheel. This is why you can find drag racers and stunters have bikes with bigger rear sprocket so that they get the insane acceleration to beat the opponent of get the wheelies right, but then they lose out on the top speed which they don’t really need it anyways.The exact inverse is true when the rear sprocket is replaced with a smaller one, the ratio decreases which gives lesser torque to the wheel giving a decrease of acceleration off the mark, but the wheel now has more number of rotations on the given rear wheel which is why the bike is able to achieve a much higher top speed. It is all about fiddling with the ratio and getting it right. It might not work in all the cases and all the times, but it is about finding that right fit for your bike and its engine power.
So if you are planning to pimp your ride with some sprocket changes to increase the performance, keep the above pointers in mind and accordingly with proper study go for the change. You do not want to end up hampering the performance of your bike.
By: Pratik Patole