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Gearing change

3K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  DRF64 
#1 ·
Hey everyone, been reading on the forums for a while and finally joined. I just got an 89 tw 200 and started getting it back on the road. It runs great, has good tires, but I need to change the gearing on it. I live in rural washington, and I need to be able to ride the bike to work (55 mph highways) and go off road a little. Right now it will do 55 at full throttle in top gear with a slight tailwind, and I know that can't be good for the motor. What tooth count sprocket should I use? Ive read on hear that a 14/47 combo might work. I'm running the stock 203/204 Bridgestone street tires. I also need a good place to buy the sprocket and chain.
 
#2 ·
A TW laughs in the face of 9,000 RPM day in, day out. Takes some getting used to but it's the nature of the beast.



If your area of rural Washington regularly includes elevation changes of several hundred feet you may want to rethink regearing.
 
#3 ·
With stock gearing I could knock up around 65 on a flat, maybe 67 if I tucked in. It was a bone stock '89 Cali model, and I'm not a small guy. You should be able to wring it out at 55 for hours with stock gearing, but maybe check your jetting out or go for a full tune-up if you're only hitting 55mph. Clean the jets, make sure they're correct, adjust float, valves, compression test maybe, adjust cam chain, and top it off with a color tune of the plug or something. Intake/exhaust leaks even, or a rough air filter. Chain slack might be fighting you as well, or grade. There's a good few variables, but you should be able to roll past 55 surely. If you need help doing any of this, stick around and do some reading.



I'm 5'10" and 230lbs by the way.
 
#4 ·
I changed from a rear 50 tooth to 47 tooth this spring. It makes the bike cruise at 55 much more easily on the flat. I can even keep 50-55 on a fair hill if I get a start. I ride over a mountain each day to work and it will even stay at 50 in 5th gear for quite a bit of elevation change. I live in central PA and I'm small...5'9 165lbs so that might make a difference. The rest of the bike is basically stock...new TW203-204 tires, Jimbo sheild. I'm happy I changed the sprocket. I am certainly no expert, but that is just my opinion and early observations.
 
#5 ·
Hey everyone, been reading on the forums for a while and finally joined. I just got an 89 tw 200 and started getting it back on the road. It runs great, has good tires, but I need to change the gearing on it. I live in rural washington, and I need to be able to ride the bike to work (55 mph highways) and go off road a little. Right now it will do 55 at full throttle in top gear with a slight tailwind, and I know that can't be good for the motor. What tooth count sprocket should I use? Ive read on hear that a 14/47 combo might work. I'm running the stock 203/204 Bridgestone street tires. I also need a good place to buy the sprocket and chain.


JJ, when you top out at 55 is it because the motor is turning max rpm, or is it just struggling to get there? In other words, are you limited to 55 because the motor wont turn more, or because you run out of power?



I agree with ass/20 you should be able to easily cruise 55 on flat ground with stock gears. If the bike is over reving at 55 maybe a PO changed (lowered) the gears already. If you run out of power it could be too tall of gear, or the bike may not be running correctly.



What part of rural WA? I'm in South central WA, If you live close I'd be happy to help you check it out. Shoot me a pm.



Bag
 
#8 ·
To me it feels like the motor is maxed out. I went for a ride today and decided that im going to tune it up and rebuild the carb before the gear change. I also need to put a different muffler on it since it has a supertrapp that is missing all the discs, and it sounded great until i rode it for a day haha.



Bag, I'm in north eastern washington, in a small town called republic, probably a ways away from where youre at. I'm about a half hour from the Canadian border.
 
#6 ·
Yeah, get a tooth count on your current gears. We'd hate to tell you to try a gear combo that you may already have.



You may just have a jetting issue and/or a carb adjustment issue (slide not raising enough). Something to consider, at least. But give us some specs on your altitude and current gearing so we have a little more background.
 
#7 ·
I have the 47 tooth rear sprocket on my 89 tw and like it. Don't have to wind up the motor too much to go 55 and first gear is fine. Have climbed some pretty steep dirt hills and have stock motor and original tires. Make sure you have a good oring chain.
 
#11 ·
And I'll throw in my 2 cents worth here...

since you will be driving at highway speeds a lot, watch your oil level.



Extended high speeds tend to burn off oil.

Check the level often and top-off as necessary.

Follow the factory recommendations on oil changes.



Keep the engine properly lubed, and it's practically bullet proof.

 
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