Hitchcocks Forum

Greetings all
I have a 500 4 speed classic bullet with 535 conversion, close ratio gearbox free flowing exhaust and air filter and 18 tooth gearbox sprocket, anyone running a similar set up but with a 19 tooth sprocket, if so does it pull the 19 tooth ok as mine feels like I need another gear at 60mph. Also I would like to fit some straigter handlebars but with the same rise anyone any idea what may fit from another bike.

many thanks for any replies.

Yes it will take a 19 tooth sprocket without any problem, infact the 19 tooth should have been fitted as standard on 500s I have a 20 tooth on my sportsman 500 and it still pulls very well.

Johnny.
what year bike have you got, mines a 2006 and the book says a 17 tooth gearbox sprocket is standard for a 500 4 speed classic.

Hi Badger man. I have a yr2000 500 classic with free flowing exhaust and conical air filter, and re-jetted carb. I also have the close-ratio gear conversion. I'm running a 19 tooth gearbox sprocket and find that the bike pulls it very well. I'd say that it is just about spot on for general road work as it still pulls ok in top on medium gradients, and third gear is now close enough to change down if the engine starts to labour. I can cruise quite happily at 60mph, and I reckon the top speed is now around 80ish. In the case of my own bike I think a 20 tooth sprocket would tip things over the edge, but maybe your extra cc,s might cope. Good luck!

Badger man, what I ment was that they should have made the 19 tooth standard as the 17 tooth that is fitted is so undergearing the bike.

Oh mine is a 2004 with a mikuni carb, this carb is the business.

Hi Riggers,
As a matter of interest, what jetting are you using for your carb?

Ahh the jetting! How well I remember those endless evenings of f.....g (fiddling) about taking the carb off, changing this or that setting/jet, refitting the carb, road testing only to find it was worse etc etc ad infinitum. Anyway the final solution (for the Mikcarb) ended up as Slide - Standard 3. Pilot jet 30. Needle Jet P2 centre notch. Main Jet 150 (manually drilled) (i.e. 1.5mm). Cheers.

I'm running sports cams that have a midrange power band that needs close ratio , I'm running an 18 for a the sprint nature of inner city Sydney , I would go 19 for the long inter city runs , with that I could cruise the Aussie freeways for many hours with out a double B's trying to pass me all the time in clouds of dust and the rear wheel death vortex