Transalp owners - gearing changes

[Ruralman]

I'm wondering whether any Transalp owners have tried changing the gearing to gear it up a little from standard - I know Oldrider says he has dropped his a tad. I had hoped to get out today to check what revs mine is doing at 100km/hr - I think its 5000 - but it was blowing a bloody gale here all day so I stayed at home.
I often go looking for another gear after an overtaking manoevre etc or after leaving town and getting up to the highway speed again.
MIne is the 650 but looking at the figures for the 600 the shape of the torque and power curves are pretty similar with the 650 just having a bit more. Peak torque is at 5500 revs but the curve is quite flat and most of it is there at 4500. The power curve is certainly more peaky off the 7500rpm peak.
The guts of this is that it feels to me that the bike could stand the gearing a little bit higher, reducing the revs and fuel use (?) at highway speeds and I don't think it would hurt too much off the mark.
Has anyone tried this or have any advice/opinions to offer?

[Motu]

The Transalp motor just loves to rev,why not let it.My XLV750 was doing 5,000rpm at 100kph,and at first I thought it was a bit low,but it just loved to howl.

[Ruralman]

Wish I'd waited to have a ride to check those revs firgures before putting up the post - I used Oldriders figure of 5000 revs at 100km/hr. I took mine for a good ride this morning and the gearing on it has it doing 4500 revs @ 100, 5000 @ 110, and 120 is a shade under 5500 revs - so it doesn't need raising the gearing at all. Seems the times I have felt the need for another gear have been at revs and speeds that probably don't need to go down in writing.
So apart from awarding myself the dick of the month award, I am even more curious to know what Oldrider's fuel consumption has done since lowering his gearing and why you did it John? Maybe you do a lot of 2 up riding with gear?
Best day in ages for a ride down here - warm, blue sky, no wind, no frost/ice but still care needed to look out for grit in a few places.

[XP@]

Wish I'd waited to have a ride to check those revs firgures before putting up the post - I used Oldriders figure of 5000 revs at 100km/hr. I took mine for a good ride this morning and the gearing on it has it doing 4500 revs @ 100, 5000 @ 110, and 120 is a shade under 5500 revs

Na mate, cheers for the post.
Mine (06) is stock and I am +500 rpm on all of your numbers.
I am seriously thinking about swapping the front by a tooth to get your numbers.

After making her sing through a few sets of curvy tings on friday night I was looking for another cog until i looked down and remembered my licence.

But I think 80% of the time I have enough accelleration to spare so I would be gaining a bit of eco (I still have a cat crammed in to my pipe). But I think I would be looking to change down a bit more often.

Going a tooth the other way the other way would be interesting...

[warewolf]

The problem with gearing up in an attempt to create an 'overdrive' for better top-end cruising is the commensurate taller first gear - an issue for a dual-sporter.

I've geared down the KTM to get away from a hole in the power curve at semi-legal cruising speed and a lower first gear for the tight stuff. Seems to work better all round even in the middle gears. I've geared down my Triumph Trophy to get away from a similar hole, plus to reduce the load on the clutch when getting underway fully loaded with a pillion. It is nicer when riding sedately but in GLF mode you top out the gears too quickly. (This with a much improved engine.)

In both cases the fuel economy has not changed. It's common for people to say to gear up for fuel economy, but gearing down can have the same effect if the engine is loaded down in the first place. But note that I try to avoid steady-state riding. I'd rather be in the hills & corners where you are manipulating the throttle. Steady-state I get slightly improved fuel economy no matter the gearing.

[XP@]

Na mate, cheers for the post.
Mine (06) is stock and I am +500 rpm on all of your numbers.
I am seriously thinking about swapping the front by a tooth to get your numbers.

Never post late at night! Never post late at night! Never post late at night!
Never post late at night! Never post late at night! Never post late at night!
Never post late at night! Never post late at night! Never post late at night!

i am talking out of my bum, totally confused and all that.

Mine is the same as yours... Doh!

The question now stands on the fuel economy... If i gear down then surly my economy will improve ? If not why not?

[oldrider]

Hi guy's, I concur with you about the feeling of needing another overdrive gear but I also found I needed another lower gear!
This has left me thinking that the TransAlp is a bike that should have been built with a 6 speed box.
My fuel consumption on the original setup was tested from absolutely full tank to dry tank on several different occasions to get good cross sectional riding and conditions.
I also needed to get to grips with the crazy bloody fuel gauge so that it couldn't fool me into running out of gas in some god forsaken place!

360-365 km every time. I don't go over 300km without looking for fuel.

I changed my chain and sprockets at 27K, just because I wanted to, there is still a lot of life in them yet too, I have them as a spare set.
I tried to go from 49 to 50 teeth on the back to gear it down so that I had a lower 1st gear because loaded up touring I had to slip the clutch too much and too often.
It was too high geared for some of the off road tracks as well.
I thought the compromise at the top end wouldn't be a great advantage because we do less of the top end than we do at the bottom.
I was unable to procure a 50 tooth sprocket but did manage to get a 49 tooth.
I may have been lucky because the change has panned out just about right.
I don't have as much bother down low and get just a fraction better response rolling on and passing.
Rev range at set speeds not much different, top speed about the same and fuel yet to be tested on a dry tank run.
I haven't noticed any real change, still can go to Christchurch 300klm and fill up at Rolleston BP but sweating in case they are not open!
She has got 41K on her now and still running the same plugs as when I bought it at 7000km, I just clean them test them and put them back.
She doesn't use any oil between changes and seems to run sweet, is very reliable and easy to start in any weather.
I don't get left behind when riding in groups (so far) and don't get overtaken very often unless by design.
This little T/A has earned our respect. Mrs O/R reckons it is the best bike we have had from her perspective. Cheers John.

[Ruralman]

[QUOTE=oldrider;741728]
I changed my chain and sprockets at 27K, just because I wanted to, there is still a lot of life in them yet too, I have them as a spare set.
I tried to go from 49 to 50 teeth on the back to gear it down so that I had a lower 1st gear because loaded up touring I had to slip the clutch too much and too often.

I was unable to procure a 50 tooth sprocket but did manage to get a 49 tooth.

Sorry John but you're confusing me - you started with a 49, tried to get a 50 but could only get a 49 and it still changed the gearing??????????????

[Ruralman]

Never post late at night! Never post late at night! Never post late at night!
Never post late at night! Never post late at night! Never post late at night!
Never post late at night! Never post late at night! Never post late at night!

i am talking out of my bum, totally confused and all that.

Mine is the same as yours... Doh!

The question now stands on the fuel economy... If i gear down then surly my economy will improve ? If not why not?

OK thats now 2 of us with the dick of the month award!!
Anyway the gearing won't necessarily affect fuel consumption unless the motor requires less fuel/power to hold a certain speed - if it is revving needlessly then gearing it up should improve economy, if it is struggling to hold a speed a certain revs because it is below the revs required to generate enough power/torque (ie you're twisting the throttle more than you would have to at that speed compared to if it was geared a bit lower) then economy would be improved by lowering the gearing. Depending on what you are doing regards load, speed etc there is a band withing which small alterations to gearing look like they'll make bugger all difference to economy but may make the bike a bit easier to ride.
Regarding your exhaust system - I tink I may have mentioned to you that I took mine to an exhaust specialist and got the subchamber in front of the swingarm removed - it breathes easier, sounds better but only a little bit louder and it lost about 3.5kgs

[oldrider]

Sorry guys, typo. I started with a 48 tooth back sprocket must be getting too old. Cheers John.

Edit: Question, what have you guys got on your bikes? The sprockets are stamped with the number.

[Ruralman]

Sorry guys, typo. I started with a 48 tooth back sprocket must be getting too old. Cheers John.

Edit: Question, what have you guys got on your bikes? The sprockets are stamped with the number.

I've just been up and scraped the crud off the sprocket and it has 45 stamped on it - are you sure your 48 tooth was an original?
Just out of interest what tyres do you use on the back of yours and how many kms do you expect. I've done about 5000km since I bought mine (second hand). When it arrived it looked like it had never been around many corners as it was pretty flat in the middle but heaps of tread on the sides. I'm not sure how many Kms it had done but probably not more than 1500-2000.
Now the centre has very little tread depth left but there's still heaps on the sides. Its a Michelin SIRAC. I reckon maybe another 1000 km max will see it finish the tread in the middle and I'll have to change it. I had hoped to get 10,000 kms but maybe thats unlikely??

[Transalper]

well, i got a 49 tooth put on about 3 months after getting the bike, think it had more like 47 when i bought it. The front is the smallest listed for transalps that i could get... (behind that chain guard so maybe sometime i pull off the guard and have a look but not tonight.)
I pull 5000rpm at 100km/hr and am very happy with that setup. I love the way it rolls along in the tight or slippery stuff or when i am headding down a steep hill.
Lastly i don't reckon there was and fuel economy change. At least i do not believe it got worse, but then i didn't do any full to dry tests to be sure either way.
I was running the Mitas E07. Cost me $105 front, $120 rear and looked to be going to go 16,000km to 18,000 km out of rear. It's off at 13,000km because i went more knobblie (mitas E09) for the muddy season and will put them back on to finish em off in summer. The E07 is the best wet (buller gorge pissing down rain), and pea-gravel covered (various places) road tyre i've ever had too... on any of my bikes. Better than the Tourance's or Trailwings i had on the F650. Last as long with better all round grip on and off road (IMO) at half the price.
The E09's are same price as the E07's. Still very good on all sealed road conditions but better than the E07's in the mud and look like they may only be good for 6 or 7,000km (still riding on em so waiting to see)

[Transalper]

.... The front is the smallest listed for transalps that i could get... (behind that chain guard so maybe sometime i pull off the guard and have a look but not tonight.)......

Ok, the front is a 15 tooth.

Maybe if i find time, i'll be able to dig up a recording of a Transalp on a track with the sweeping needles latter for you. Something like a top gear roll on, 50 to 100km/hr+ on a Transalp with same gearing as mine.

[oldrider]

Ok, the front is a 15 tooth.

I have just been out to the shed and checked the chain set and sprockets that were on the bike when I bought it.
Front 15 tooth, back 48 tooth.
I went to a Ulysses club meeting last night and asked a friend, who has just bought a brand new TransAlp 650, to check his back sprocket size and he has just rang and said it is a 48 tooth.
He hasn't checked the front but we guess it will be a 15 tooth (probably standard size)
I had a fantastic ride into Oamaru and back last night, just wished it could go on forever, quite disappointed when I arrived home, felt like going on over the Lindis and back just for the hell of it! (Was eleven o'clock and her indoors would not have appreciated that!)
I am very happy with the current gearing of 15/49, to go to 50 at the back might be a tweak too much but I would like to try it some time.
I just have to get the tyre combo right and get my windscreen just how I want it and this bike will be perfect for our needs, I still like it more every time I ride it. Cheers John.
PS: Sorry about the confusing post above.

[Ruralman]

I was running the Mitas E07. Cost me $105 front, $120 rear and looked to be going to go 16,000km to 18,000 km out of rear. It's off at 13,000km because i went more knobblie (mitas E09) for the muddy season and will put them back on to finish em off in summer. The E07 is the best wet (buller gorge pissing down rain), and pea-gravel covered (various places) road tyre i've ever had too... on any of my bikes. Better than the Tourance's or Trailwings i had on the F650. Last as long with better all round grip on and off road (IMO) at half the price.
The E09's are same price as the E07's. Still very good on all sealed road conditions but better than the E07's in the mud and look like they may only be good for 6 or 7,000km (still riding on em so waiting to see)

Is that Mitas a tyre brand or a type of tyre made by pirelli or someone?? I have been looking at a tyre catalogue at my local today - they recommended a Pirelli ST something. Waiting to hear back on what price but he expected them to be high 200's. These E07's sound like they would be worth a look for me.
cheers