Chain/gearing question....

[Geof3]

Bought and recieved a 44 for my S3 but it is a 520... The stock chain is a 530... can a 520 rear sprocket run with a 530 chain? Is a 520 chain conversion worth it? Seems to be "lighter" as it would be narrower?

[Chinookmark]

While a 530 chain will fit on a 520 wheel, don't do it. The 530 gears are thicker, so the 530 chain will have too much side to side play on the 520. You would be asking for trouble in terms of excessive chain/sprocket wear, and I imagine a risk of throwing a chain.

I did a 520 conversion on my ZX-6R (525 stock) and my ZX-7 (530 stock). Even keeping the same gearing, there was a noticeable increase in ... well, um ... spriteliness, for lack of a better word. The bikes seemed more revvy and playful, maybe even more flickable, but not really faster or more powerful. It might have been the placebo effect, though.

I swapped to a 44T rear on my S3, but I am keeping it a 530. I'm not willing to sacrifice strength or longevity on a bike so playful already.

That's my $.02

[kuhlka]

If you're looking to whack gnarly wheelies left and right, I wouldn't recommend a 520, but otherwise it should be fine. Just get a 520 chain to match. Don't want to have any excessive slop on a chain that could rip your foot off.