Forum

[Dennis O]

Some time ago I asked for advice or feedback on using a 20 tooth gearbox sprocket on my 06 Electra 500 Bullet. At the moment I have a 19 tooth one which I fitted some time ago. No one had come forward with any information for or against this change. What I find is the bike is still in a vibration range at 60 mph which I wish to tour at.

[Norm]

Dennis can't help with the 20 but I do know a 21 is too tall, great around town but runs out of puff on long slow climbs on highways and a 4 speed Bullet could pull away from me, short of going back into third and revving it harder than I was happy with.Easy to round him up once over the hill so 20 is probably ok

[Alan R]

Hi guys------ I think the real question is will the existing Air filter/Carb/Silencer set-up fuel the engine enough to pull the 20T ??? My gut feeling is that, combined with your 5-speed box then it probably will---- but only just ie. you might find the need to drop into 4th more often than you do at the moment. In other words the 20T will make the current set-up more "sensitive" to changing road conditions. Having said that, as the actual sprocket change is a fairly lengthy job (compared to carb. re-jetting etc.)then I would be inclined to go ahead and do it as a "once-only" scenario giving you just the carb settings to play with.... Incidentally I'm in the same situation with my "Iron" 500. A 19T with a fully jetted and modded VM28 carb, Tea Caddy and free-flow silencer. Like yourself I'm finding the eng. rpm still too high for my liking at 60MPH.... When you get onto a "EuroBahn" you might find cruising at 60 still on the slow side.

[Norm]

Sorry, my mistake there, should have said dropping back to fourth not third

[Leon Novello]

Hi Norm: A simple test is to ride the bike on a flat straight road in top gear, the engine should be able to reach peak revs; if it strains to reach them or never reaches them, the gearing is too high, if it revs to much, the gearing is too low.

[Dennis O]

Thanks for your replies and have decided to go ahead with the 20 tooth sprocket and will try our host to obtain one today. According to their spares list these are not available but I am hoping this was listed as out of stock at the time of printing. I have the tools to do the job as I needed them when I changed from the standard 18 tooth sprocket to a 19 tooth one. Bike is otherwise near standard and pulls well on the steepest of hills and I do not mind changing down a gear if the higher gearing requires this from time to time. Bike at the moment returning 90mpg which makes it perfect for touring. Will give report how the bike responds to the higher gearing fully loaded with camping gear ect. All I require is to cruise at around 60mph and outside the vibration range.

[John N]

I've been using a 20 tooth sprocket for a couple of years now with no problems, however I do have all the conversion bits including free flow pipe, goldie silencer, 932 concentric, "S" cams and ported head and it goes like stink! Just use the gears as they were intended and you can take on motorways and chug around the countryside alike.

[neddy]

If you have no pillion then 20 will be ok