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Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II
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TOPIC: Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II
#892058
pastornj (User)
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Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing 2 Years, 1 Month ago
OK - I've put enough miles on this setup to feel comfortable discussing it and even recommending it, especially since I now have 15,000+ miles on it.

From the first time I rode my 2001 Roadstar I felt the gearing was too low - Yeah, I know that a bunch of you switched to a 31 tooth front pulley because you wanted to jump off the line, or your bike is so loaded down it bogs, or something like that - My R has never had any of those issues and it was basically stock (motor-wise) when I got it.

One of my earliest posts was about hitting the rev limiter way too early for me - your help was greatly appreciated - Dyna 3000 installed.

My next major post was about top speeds in each gear and how the R seems geared more like an in town bike than a highway bike. That was when I started hearing all the talk about 31 tooth front pulleys - makes no sense to me at all. On my stock setup I was shifting out of 1st around 15-16 mph and 65-75 was downright buzzy.

No more!

I bought a 65 tooth 1 1/2 rear pulley on eBay for $45 - yeah, it was a great deal, brand new too - but there are lots of 1 1/2 & 1 1/8 pulleys available cheap if you're patient. The early HD Soft-tails ran a 65 tooth rear pulley - simply bore the holes out a little and it fits perfectly.

At the same time I bought a new Gates 125 tooth belt on eBay. My thinking was 5 teeth less on pulley = 5 teeth less on belt. I'd recommend going to a 126 or 127 tooth belt if you're going to try this because getting that 125 tooth installed was really hard - adjusters all the way to the front and a helper had to hold the bike while I wrestled the wheel in - not for the feint of heart or weak of arms!

The end result is roughly a 9% reduction in the final drive ratio - yes reduction = higher gearing for the mathematically challenged.

Speedometer error is almost exactly 9% which assures me I got it right. E.G., Speedometer reads 60 = 65; 50 = 54; 40 = 43 - no need for a speedo-healer.

Real world feel is awesome!

Riding casually, 2 up, I don;t even shift into 5th until 50-55 mph. Cruising at 65-75 is smooth and comfortable - the engine no longer feels like it is spinning too fast. Cruising at 55 is just above idle speed - and yes the gas mileage has improved about 8-10% from what I can figure.

All the gears feel far more practically spaced - like the bike was originally designed for this ratio. No bogging off the line, and yes, we tested it 2 up on a steep hill, starting up without any issues.

To sum up: My gearing is 33 tooth front, 65 tooth rear, 125 tooth belt.

Now, for all you doubters, I'll put my gearing where my typing is!

I live in Thomasville, NC and you are welcome to contact me or come visit.

The R* riders and Yamaha mechanics that have ridden it since the change have come back with big smiles on their faces and the same conclusion I've come to about gearing.

Now, to be 100% honest - my Beast (what I call it) also has an HSR45, a ported manifold and modified V&H longshots. The engine internals are stock as far as I know.

These bikes are torque monsters, not high-revvers. Yamaha isn't offering a 6 speed transmission, nor is there an affordable aftermarket alternative transmission.

This mod cost right around $200 - your costs may vary - and I can tell you that my next R will get the same treatment.

NJ
 
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Last Edit: 2015/06/01 19:27 By pastornj. Reason: additional info
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#892060
brianmac (User)
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
the 2004 and later dont need it, am i right, they already have it?
 
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#892061
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
brianmac wrote:
the 2004 and later dont need it, am i right, they already have it?

Nope - they have a 32 tooth front and 70 tooth rear.
 
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#892063
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
brianmac wrote:
the 2004 and later dont need it, am i right, they already have it?

No. Actually they are the opposite direction. They are geared to run a slightly higher RPM. This mod lowers RPM's although it won't do anything for your top speed. Lowers engine speed a little at highway speed for sure
 
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Last Edit: 2015/06/01 19:47 By Deerkiller.
 
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#892064
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
Deerkiller wrote:
brianmac wrote:
the 2004 and later dont need it, am i right, they already have it?

No. Actually they are the opposite direction. They are geared to run a slightly higher RPM. This mod lowers RPM's although it won't do anything for your top speed. Lowers engine speed a little at highway speed for sure


HUH?
 
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#892066
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
waterlogged3261 wrote:
Deerkiller wrote:
brianmac wrote:
the 2004 and later dont need it, am i right, they already have it?

No. Actually they are the opposite direction. They are geared to run a slightly higher RPM. This mod lowers RPM's although it won't do anything for your top speed. Lowers engine speed a little at highway speed for sure


HUH?


Yamaha actually lowered the final drive ratio on the newer bikes - following HD's move to a 70 tooth rear pulley - when Yamaha changed the 33 tooth front pulley for a 32 tooth - lower gear - on the newer bikes.

Deerkiller is correct - the older models, 1600s, had higher gearing that the 1700s.

NJ
 
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#892068
Deerkiller (User)
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
Right. Final drive ratio for a 1600 is 2.12

Final drive ratio for a 1700 is 2.19

Not much difference, but the 1700 will run slightly higher RPM's than 1600's at the same speed/gear combo
 
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#892071
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
I would like to add my .02 I actually went to a 61T rear pulley since nobody else had just to see if it made a substantial difference over the 65T, this is what I found.

09 1700

Not much difference on the bottom end as far as pulling but these things are torque monsters.

The gears are really long which is fun when all of your riding buddies are Kool Aid drinkers (I kid)

The really long gears are fun and all but they are also the downfall of the 61T, the 61T relegates 5th gear to only useful above 85 mph and by useful I mean maintaining speed and SLOWLY increasing speed, not much pull left at that point. Also, it messes with common cruising speeds at a comfortable rpm, seems to either lug the engine or run a little high in the rpm range.

Along with making 5th gear barely useful it also brings back the downshift to pass move in the 40 to 65 mph range, you know, the part of the powerband that you use to pass farm equipment and the Amish while chasing your friend to Celina

I didn't notice a real gain in mpg, this is probably due to being too far out of a comfortable rpm range at common cruising speeds, there is just too much difference in engine speed for a fuel economy gain to be had.

I will be going back to stock gearing in the next couple of days and at some point I will go to the 65T but tunes on the bike are taking priority over gearing right now. Hope this helps someone from wasting money. We all like a nice pair of long legs but this time I fell for the "50 yard fake out" and that's never a good thing.
 
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#892074
pastornj (User)
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
kozaturf wrote:
I would like to add my .02 I actually went to a 61T rear pulley since nobody else had just to see if it made a substantial difference over the 65T, this is what I found.

09 1700

Not much difference on the bottom end as far as pulling but these things are torque monsters.

The gears are really long which is fun when all of your riding buddies are Kool Aid drinkers (I kid)

The really long gears are fun and all but they are also the downfall of the 61T, the 61T relegates 5th gear to only useful above 85 mph and by useful I mean maintaining speed and SLOWLY increasing speed, not much pull left at that point. Also, it messes with common cruising speeds at a comfortable rpm, seems to either lug the engine or run a little high in the rpm range.

Along with making 5th gear barely useful it also brings back the downshift to pass move in the 40 to 65 mph range, you know, the part of the powerband that you use to pass farm equipment and the Amish while chasing your friend to Celina

I didn't notice a real gain in mpg, this is probably due to being too far out of a comfortable rpm range at common cruising speeds, there is just too much difference in engine speed for a fuel economy gain to be had.

I will be going back to stock gearing in the next couple of days and at some point I will go to the 65T but tunes on the bike are taking priority over gearing right now. Hope this helps someone from wasting money. We all like a nice pair of long legs but this time I fell for the "50 yard fake out" and that's never a good thing.


Thanks Koza!

Now I can get rid of the 61T I bought on eBay and stick with my 33x65 setup

NJ
 
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#892076
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Re:Giving the Roadstar Legs - Highway Gearing pt II 2 Years, 8 Months ago  
Good writeup Kozaturf. I must say, I didn't see a difference in MPG with the 65t rear pulley vs the stock 70t. I was out to reduce vibrations at highway speed, and it did just that. Unfortunately, the d-bags who shipped my 126t belt creased it and it only lasted a couple thousand miles, resulting in me pushing my Roadie about a mile back home and having a near heart attack doing so (it's kinda heavy).

At least it didn't happen in the mountains of WV with my wife on the back and loaded down with a weeks worth of luggage. It literally happend the day I got home from that trip. Unpacked, went to make a beer run 15 minutes after getting home from that trip, and the belt breaks a mile from home So, back to stock gearing for me. Still have the 65t pulley, not sure if I'm gonna try to use it again though.
 
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