Drive chain sprocket teeth phasing

Sad to admit I've more mileage on my SuVee last decade than both my Combats combined, though about to break even this year as lost interest in the ole buzzy corner cripple. But did learn about chain and sprockets mix and matching on 70 hp/365 lb girlie cycle. For extra spunk reduced chain to 520 size and one tooth lower in front and one more on rear 14/48 vs 15/47. This allowed SuVee to match Peel, up to 70's mph then it whimped out compared to Peel with 20 more mph left in 2nd, leaving SV feeling like a peddle bike to stay in torque band. The odd even sprocket combo eat chain and front steel sprocket up in couple seasons 8-9 1000 miles, then stumbled on the chain teeth/link phasing principles and went back to stock combo as the extra spunk was just not worth while. Would of been better if Norton drum had 43 Teeth.


http://sheldonbrown.com/chain-life.html
Two type links in chains that wear differently to compensate for in T count matching.

http://www.fbchain.com/news/70-why-havi ... -you-money
“A sprocket with an odd number of teeth will offer at least double the service life of a sprocket with even teeth.

See if this one don't confuse ya to look into this more
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/ind ... pic=4655.0

Gee whiz hobot, you suppose the accelerated wear could be linked to the switch to #520 chain/sprockets? :idea: :wink:

I sense you just being silly but others may really be interested. It was not the alloy 520 rear teeth I tried on SuVee that wore out first it was the even T count front steel sprocket. Same thing with 19T vs 20T Norton steel 530 sprockets, even count wore out till teeth bent over sooner than the odd one. The Altas 520 20T sprocket wore out faster than the 530 Commando ones to point I've given up on 520 unless for some record making attempt's short term use. Its extra tough on chains and teeth off road here and last decade I'd returned to cycles so was exploring limits on every cycle almost constantly, which accelerated wear enough to definitely notice cost vs benefit factors. I had no concept of any of this till spending most a $1000 on chains and sprocket and pitch combos for the reality to sink in and now bring up for others to begin observing.

There is more to it than just even and odd, chain length is a big factor too.....before I knew better I installed a 14t cog on a Ducati not realizing that was a terrible combo with a 42t rear sprocket (14x3) and a 102 link chain (34x3) and got noise, vibration, and rapid wear. You can check out various combos easily at gearing commander.com to see if the repeat contact number are bad. The picture below shows the big differences between 15/42/102, 14/42/102, and 15/44/104 (what I eventually used)

hobot said:

Would of been better if Norton drum had 43 Teeth.

Click to expand...

Back in the 1950s, Norton rear sprockets did go to 43 teeth.
The engine/clutch sprockets didn't have direct mutiples of teeth either,
so distributed wear right around the teeth AND the chain.

Beats me why they moved away from that arrangement.
Probably to improve the gearing, which was becoming a little low ?

Why thankyour Rohan for taking notice of this and filling me in on the historic reality check. For a while I while living on cycles so it added up sooner to notice. Hope this don't make anyone pensive on efficiency choices.

Thinner teeth as mentioned do matter more though, so go for the gusto and fit what ever feels right, just no more living with 520 for me. Slack chain may matter most of all as allows links to ride up near weak wearing tips.

I'm being attentive to every oz on Peel which now sports a 520 alloy sprocket for her mock up but not for real life, resigned to all steel one, then saw they offer an alloy sprocket with a replaceable steel ring of teeth, though would have to get both to change ratio. All the real stunters have huge sprockets so want to see find out what that's like.

Ok for the vampire ceiling speck or bean counters, do not open these links- pun intended. Seems Norton knew something about 99 links benefits.

http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/ar ... -5037.html

http://www.gearingcommander.com/base/gc_howto27.htm

Ermm, wibble

Help me out here please. Are you saying that my Commando gearing at 21 teeth front and 42 teeth rear is going to cause premature chain wear, or that if I also have a chain with the number of links being a multiple of 21 or 42, this is bad?

Peter

Old Bloke said:

Ermm, wibble

Help me out here please. Are you saying that my Commando gearing at 21 teeth front and 42 teeth rear is going to cause premature chain wear, or that if I also have a chain with the number of links being a multiple of 21 or 42, this is bad?

Peter

Click to expand...

Nah, just obsessing over drivle. Gazillions of mechanical drives (industrial, automotive) are a compromise. Clean, aligned, properly tensioned, moly chain lube... Last a long time.

Thanks Concours, I'll not worry then and get on with riding.

Ugh only takes one event of too tight a primary to bend tanny shafts so keep that in mind for a look in some time, especially if the sleeve bushes don't seem to hole basket satable after a while which can be revealed by all the belt piled up around the front pulley. I've had my own learn curve belt traumas and quizzed top fueler drag bike builder to find that cold belts need to be easy to twist 90' which also means can slip [ with some fairly mild shoving] , on and off w/o touching tranny adjusters. Square teeth are considered moderate load belt while HTD = High Torque Drive with rounded teeth profile is now more common for good reason. Put on the upgraded square pants belt and leave loosey goosey and likely run a long time w/o leaks and chain flop that can be felt in isolastic if a Princess on a Pea like me.