Triumphrat

Maxacon600 · 09-15-2012, 02:07 PM

EK, RK, or DID? Driven or Renthal? 520, 525, or 530? Going to go with 15/45 though. 15/47 is hardly an increase in acceleration on paper.

I'm thinking Renthal rear, something steel front probably Driven, and a D.I.D. VX2 108 link chain. Also thinking of doing the 520 pitch since searching forums has led me to believe that chains are "so awesome" nowadays that 520 will last 50k mi "if properly maintained". I am also led to believe that Renthal is so "hard anodized" that I won't need to worry about replacing it for a long time. What do ya'll think?

D41 · 09-15-2012, 03:02 PM

525 is stock pitch, so you can't go wrong with that....any name brand chain & sprockets will be WAAY better quality-wise than the OEM equipment, which quite frankly is pretty poor.....having said that, my stock chain & sprockets lasted 13K miles before the chain was at the end of it's adjustment - I switched to a 520-pitch XSO DID chain with a Vortex rear sprocket and an Action-Tec front with 14/46 gearing...another 11K & approx. 20 trackdays later (similar mileage with that gearing) and the chain has yet to need any adjustment whatsoever.....I think that's actually more than impressive, it's outstanding....and the increase in acceleration with the different gearing is very noticeable.

Hope that helps.

Maxacon600 · 09-15-2012, 07:59 PM

Thank you very much for the reply! So I was pretty sure I wanted D.I.D and I think that's what I'll go with. Was your stock front sprocket a 14t? And another problem I have is I do quite a bit of freeway travel and at 70mph I'm at around 6k rpm where it gets kind of... grindy? Now I'm assuming that is because of the chain being garbage and it will be silky smooth with new components. In other words, I'm loathe to get a set-up with greater acceleration when it is already choppy with the stock gearing. But again I think it is just my chain. So 14/46 is your preference; have you tried other combinations before you arrived at that?

D41 · 09-15-2012, 10:09 PM

My stock gearing was 15/45, I replaced it initially with the stuff I mentioned (front sprocket may have been Vortex) in the same gearing but 520-pitch...the higher efficiency of the better quality drivetrain was immediately noticeable, but not by much, I could just "tell" it was better...after about 1K miles I switched to 15/46...very slight lowering of the gearing, and at the same time I installed a PC-III....improvement in acceleration from the gearing was just noticeable, but the improvement in mid-range acceleration was pretty good, which I put down to the PC-III....difficult for me to gauge the mods separately as they were both done at the same time, but I reckon the PC-III was the main improvement there....two trackdays later (250 miles-ish) and I dropped the front down to a 14-tooth.....wow!! - what an improvement!....bike just hauls under full throttle, but like most things it's a trade-off....1st gear becomes a bit useless for anything other than getting the bike rolling or very slow-speed tight turns & trolling through traffic at running pace.
Your 6K rpm at 70mph remark is spot-on for a D600/650 with stock gearing...with 14/46 gearing, expect it to jump up by about 500rpm at the same speed...you get used to it fairly quickly, but if I were commuting I'd say the stock ratio's are just fine as your MPG will also suffer.

Maxacon600 · 09-16-2012, 01:13 AM

Well I might just try 14/46 then. I can use my stock front sprocket (14t) as a test with a new rear and chain. Then if I don't like it, I'll just purchase a 15t front. Thank you for helping me decide! The most difficult decision for 3 parts I've ever had to compare for! 3 parts that make a world of difference though. As for the EFI..... I just need a dyno tune or somebody that knows what they're doing haha.

Oh and 520... worth it? You're saying yours is holding up well? Is the negative that it is more likely to break or stretch compared to 525, or what is the negative? Looking at chain prices I have gathered that 520 is actually cheaper by $30 or so for the chain (sprockets seem to be same price regardless of teeth and pitch). So am I really saving money or will it break sooner meaning more money in the long run?

D41 · 09-16-2012, 11:13 AM

As I said, it's been on for 11K miles now and hasn't even needed one adjustment...as well as around 20 trackdays where the bike not only sees a lot more aggressive throttle input from yours truly, but also has the chain checked as part of the technical inspection...TBH I'm beginning to wonder if it will ever start to wear??....no doubt much of it is due to me cleaning and lubing the chain very regularly and riding in a fairly clean environment.

Seems to be that 520-pitch chains are recommended for bikes up to 750cc IIRC, so I think you'll be fine.

Maxacon600 · 09-16-2012, 07:46 PM

Based on good deals and what eBay has, It's looking like this:

Chain $100- EK MVXZ 520 pre-cut (supposedly) to 108 links in Gold
Front Sprocket $35- Vortex 15t 520 steel silver part number 3275-15-5 for 2003 TT600 (after thinking for a long while the 14 would be too much for communting for me)
Rear Sprocket $45- Driven 47t steel black part number 5017-520-47 for 2001-2010 GSXR-600 (this will give me slightly more acceleration)

Now the question is do I want the $15 screw type master link or the rivet type that requires kit or mechanic ($65) or redneck (free with C clamps and hammers)?

Yak · 09-16-2012, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxacon600

Based on good deals and what eBay has, It's looking like this:

Chain $100- EK MVXZ 520 pre-cut (supposedly) to 108 links in Gold
Front Sprocket $35- Vortex 15t 520 steel silver part number 3275-15-5 for 2003 TT600 (after thinking for a long while the 14 would be too much for communting for me)
Rear Sprocket $45- Driven 47t steel black part number 5017-520-47 for 2001-2010 GSXR-600 (this will give me slightly more acceleration)

Now the question is do I want the $15 screw type master link or the rivet type that requires kit or mechanic ($65) or redneck (free with C clamps and hammers)?

Clip style links work fine, IMO. One trick I have used for some piece of mind is to CA glue the clip down once on the link, then go over top with some RTV silicone so its encased on the link. It's not going anywhere after that. I actually trust that more then some rivet jobs I have seen.

Also, the triumph OEM sprocket has the rubber damper which helps eliminate noise. I once tried a front sprocket without it and it make a "ringy" sound. The Triumph OEM front sprocket is the better option if noise is a concern.

Maxacon600 · 09-17-2012, 12:55 AM

Thank you for the reply Yak! I have not heard of sprockets making noise, anything will be better than my chain right now though haha. It is so stretched out it's ridiculous. Turning the wheel on the paddock stand reveals an area where the rollers are too far apart for the teeth making a grinding sound which is louder than the TOR can, Yikes!

Looking at Bike Bandit I only see 14t for $44 plus their $9 shipping so the Vortex would be what I want and cheaper. Thank you again for your reply!

Varment · 09-18-2012, 11:07 PM

From what I understand, the only difference between the 520,525, and 530 pitch is the width of the chain... I'm not sure how one could be stronger than the other when the links themselves are the same... the shorter rivets resist bending maybe?