Gearing?

[mhsilverw]

Hi,

I believe my Strada may have 14T/38T sprockets - are there any options and what would the effect be?

A friend has a Suzuki DL650 and she changed the front sproket for 1 tooth more than std (I think) and it seemed to change the bike - less revs for a given speed and improved mpg and rideability was what she reported....moving it I guess further away from the basis of that bike which I guess was/is the more sporty SV650.

Any experience on the 350 of alternate gearing - I think an article in an old Motorcycle International featuring a 'yellow' strada might have mentioned a change in gearing by altering the front sprocket that made first more useful.

Not sure if the Sports and Strada's had different gearing...

Mark

[SupermotoDave]

Same gearing for sport and strada. You cannot fit a bigger front sprocket as there is not space in the cases.
Morinis are not big ploddy engines with heavy flywheels and it ruins them to have them try and pull endlessly high gears. You have to change your mindset and use the engine within its efficient rev range which is not 3000rpm but close to the redline. Good 350s usually only rev out in top in ideal conditions with a tailwind or a gradient and many people find they are faster in 5th than 6th so there is no benefit in raising the gearing, in fact a known mod was to drop the front sprocket to 13T to let it rev out in top and improve acceleration.

[mgelder]

When I bought it my 350 K Sport had been fitted with a 40 tooth rear sprocket instead of the standard 38 tooth.

Logic (and motorcycle lore) suggests that this should have made it a better ride - better acceleration through the gears and more thrust in top gear.

It didn't. It left the bike feeling 'busy' in top gear while cruising, and I was constantly swapping between second and third round town; I seemed to have a wrong gear of every situation.

Going back to standard sprockets front and rear - which I initially did just so that the brand new chain I inherited from the previous owner would fit - made a much bigger difference than I expected. The gears feel slightly more spaced out, top is a little more relaxed, and.. in fact, here's what I wrote at the time:

"Top gear is now a motorway and dual carriageway overdrive, but fifth has become a really useful general gear with enough punch for overtaking without having to scream the engine. And because the spread between the gears has been opened out, the bike actually feels more tractable. I was really surprised how much difference this made, particularly at Cadwell Park where the gearing now seemed "right" for more corners, more of the time. Don't believe people when they tell you that dropping the gearing will make your bike faster; for me and my Morini, the opposite was true."

I'm all in favour of tinkering, but in my view it's just a nicer bike on standard gearing.


Gearing on my Morini: http://www.realclassic.co.uk/morini05101400.html

That yellow Strada that was in Motorcycle International: http://www.realclassic.co.uk/morini030521.html