Re: Which Sprocket Combination?

Posted by LukeM on Mar 16, 2012; 1:43pm
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/Which-Sprocket-Combination-tp3830767p3831884.html

Depends on what you consider "issues".  The load induced by a smaller rear sprocket will mean more stress on the clutch, and possibly engine issues with the lugging.  Same thing applies to driving a car by upshifting at very low RPMs: you can get buildup of fuel and carbon, necessitating some high RPM time to burn that off.

This may not be a problem with this type of bike, as high RPMs are de rigeur during normal operations. I also assume the Honda engineers went through that process, changing sprockets and ratios until they achieved a nice balance of performance, economy, and comfort/noise. A conservative method might be to change the ratio by about 10% and see how that goes.  Beware of More's Law:  If enough's good, then more's better.

Luke M