Sprockets for Baja

[r_jackson]

My DRZ 400 currently has 14-47 sprockets on it. I've never rode the baja before and want some advice on gearing. It works good as it is off road and is happy up to about 90 km/h. Faster than that and it revs pretty high. Going down will be mostly dirt, coming back will be on the road.

 

[tomcycle]

You have a problem, its the road. Baja is big, everyday is long, so you have to be prepared to wick it up a notch. I have done the Baja from TJ to Cabo and back about 60-70 percent off road. The stock gearing was no problem. I do find that my speeds are around 110-120 off the pavement where possible but when I hit the pavement I only managed around 100 kph. When you get into the tighter stuff you will not want highway gearing.
If my only choice was the highway back I would ship myself a smaller rear sprocket to my motel and change that. Depending on you destination you might not have much left for tires.

Tom

 

[cactusreid]

r jackson here is another way to do it. set your gearing up so you can do low speed stuff,with the ability to crawl through some gnarly terrain with a say 14-47 frt and rear combo. then pack a 15 frt sprocket with you,and if your going to be slabbing it for the day,or even 1/2 a day,take the 15 minutes it takes to change your frt sprocket and pound off the miles at a much happier rpm. i've always heard that 1 tooth on the frt is about equal to 3 ish on the back. much lighter as well. make sure that your chain is set up to be able to do this ( before you leave for baja,not try it once your there). your probably already packing the tools needed to swap out the frt sprocket with you,so all you need is the spare larger frt sprocket,and maybe a foldover washer,or a spare snap ring or bolt/nut. that's the only thing i miss about riding a husky-snap ring frt sprocket is an excellent idea for quick gearing changes sorry-cheap shot there- but hey it's my post,and i'm not changing it!

 

[scottbc]

cactusreid, that works great on most bikes. The DRZ needs a 30mm socket and breaker bar to get the sprocket nut loose, I think it's torqued to 90 - 100ft pounds, and alot of guys who read Thumpertalk use red Locktite on the nut as well!

r_jackson, I would take Tom's advice and run stock gearing. It's going to be fine on the road up to any speed that you can handle for any length of time and I doubt that your planning on riding single track in Baja. Now if you are riding single track your screwed.

Scott

 

[franhoser]

i had high gearing in baja last year with my 610 and it was very hard on the engine. with the sand and loose stuff it really needs low gearing. if i was you i'd sacrifice the road abilites and go for lower. especially for the drz400, the engine is not the strongest. i'm taking a drz this year and going with 14-47 gearing. it gets around 80-90km/h with resonable rpms.

 

[cactusreid]

30mm and a breaker bar-hmm? that's a bit heavy isn't it?the breaker bar would be handy for the banditos, but your riding baja not abbottsford,so i doubt you'll need that either. 04 klr has taken his klx 400 down there a few times, so i'll ask him what works. we did a bunch of the hard single track in northern baja last winter,and i never saw or heard him having any problems in the tough stuff or on the highway sections. one thing we have noticed,speaking of highway,knobbies seem to last WAY longer if you keep the highway speeds some where around 100 km,not 120/130km. i'm trying a mt 21 rear this year,hoping for more longevity,than full desert knobbies as in years past.

 

[wjm]

r jackson here is another way to do it. set your gearing up so you can do low speed stuff,with the ability to crawl through some gnarly terrain with a say 14-47 frt and rear combo. then pack a 15 frt sprocket with you,and if your going to be slabbing it for the day,or even 1/2 a day,take the 15 minutes it takes to change your frt sprocket and pound off the miles at a much happier rpm. i've always heard that 1 tooth on the frt is about equal to 3 ish on the back. much lighter as well. make sure that your chain is set up to be able to do this ( before you leave for baja,not try it once your there). your probably already packing the tools needed to swap out the frt sprocket with you,so all you need is the spare larger frt sprocket,and maybe a foldover washer,or a spare snap ring or bolt/nut. that's the only thing i miss about riding a husky-snap ring frt sprocket is an excellent idea for quick gearing changes sorry-cheap shot there- but hey it's my post,and i'm not changing it!

This is a good link on sprockets,
Motorcycle Sprocket Ratio Calculator

http://www.qddev.com/demos/sprockets/sprocketratios2.shtml

 

[Bugsinteeth]

I figure you are just about right on track with 14-47.

As Franshoser points out above. Too tall in the tough stuff can be very bad. The top end stuff is easily controlled with throttle control. Can’t really control the nasty terrain Baja can throw at you.

I’ve seen a few bikes with Johnnie Cambell gearing and Joe average pilots that didn’t make the distance.

Depends on what kind of riding you intend to do. Personally I would prefer to be prepared for the nasty stuff and put up with a lower top speed on pavement. It beats sleeping out in the Desert with the critters and Cyotes.

Solid advice from all posters so far.

Hopefully 04klr will chime in as he runs the same bike and has lots of baja experience.

Have a great ride.

Bugs

 

[04klr]

",, DRZ, the engine's not the strongest" why I otta!

#1- I just recently realized how much torque was needed for the big friggin contershaft nut, apparently the channel locks and folding washer I done for years isn't adequate , though with 100k on KLR's and many miles on others with no issues, so do as you will, but, (knock woody) I've never had an issue with "get er tight and fold the washer", the though of red loctite on there makes my spring loaded head shake (as in, not going to happen) .
#2- first Baja trip with the KLX was 15/45 good for a 160k blast and a relaxed 110 cruise (fun, but tooo fast for most stuff)
#3- 2nd trip with 13/45 (2 rear teeth taller than stock on the rear, front as stock), good for a "try and be first to Gonzaga" blasts up around 130, with a reasonable cruise @ 100k (less is a bit better) and quite reasonable everywhere else.
#4- 2010 baja trip will be 14/45 which should allow plenty of silly speed and "do-able" when off-road, I'll carry a 13 with me though I think this trip will overall be more roadish than last year
#5- Reid couldn't see my grimacing hungover face, when on the rock trail, it could of been a good place to leave me, just bury me in the rocks, oh my aching everything.
#6- Lev, please go with the 14/47, that'll put one more bike behind me :}
thx. WJM, thatsa good calculator.
Bugs, now how did that sleep in the desert story go again? (apply shi#-disturbing emotethingy here)

 

[cactusreid]

ok i'll play as well- come on bugs, spill the beans on the over nighter in the desert in baja! snows on the ground here,bike is torn apart, humor me/us a bit with some dangerous/dastardly/hero takes all kind of tales! don't be afraid to make up some chit,just to spice up the story a bit/lot ok?

 

[franhoser]

last time bugs lead me astray in baja i got some laundry done:

 

[cactusreid]

oh that's a good start. come on lev,i'm sure you got more photos than that. that looks like the photo was taken mid afternoon, what up with that? you guy's are all showered up,in your robes,and sipping brandy by a campfire??

 

[04klr]

"last time Bugs lead me astray in baja i got some laundry done", "the photo was taken mid afternoon, with guy's all showered up, in your robes, sipping brandy by a campfire"
WHAT THE HELL KIND OF "BAJA EXPERIENCE WE GOT GOIN ON HERE! " lalalalalalalaalalala!" (said with hands over ears with eyes closed)
is this some kinda Maria Muldar midnight at the friggin oasis kind of thing??
coming sooon to a theatre near you, the epic story of an adventure gone sideways, Watch! as the intrepid riders cross raging rivers,, edge along like goats on perilous cliffs, battle scary night critters, all, can be found, in,,
"Brokeback Baja"
no?

 

[wjm]

This is a good link on sprockets,
Motorcycle Sprocket Ratio Calculator

http://www.qddev.com/demos/sprockets/sprocketratios2.shtml

This is a link that has more on ratios.
http://www.gearingcommander.com/

 

[tomcycle]

Look what I found on the front page this morning

Memories of Baja

 

[04klr]

see the intrepid riders crossing a raging river.
the pic. must have been taking before doing the laundry, or rather, as it was getting done.

 

[Mad Max]

Wouldn't it be alot easier to RIDE the bike across the river??

 

[cactusreid]

max: that's probably one of those you had to be there pic's.

 

[franhoser]

Here’s the story,

hurricane’s comes trough the baja a few months ago. roads are washed out, there are rivers, where there were none before. some bridges go missing. anyway, i look at this river and see el bugs and el bob walk across it and say to myself, "i've crossed deeper and faster current rivers before". So i proceed to cross. Three seconds in my bike is totally submerged and floating down stream. Finally el grego come and we pull it out and walk it across.
I should pause here and explain that crossing a river in the dessert is different then crossing a river in bc. The base is sand and you get no traction. Slightest current will knock you off. This thing was only two feet deep maybe three at some sections. Current was pretty fast. My first clue should’ve been that el bugs and el bob had trouble just walking across it.

Anyway it was getting dark. We walk all the bikes across the river. My bike is dead, piston head and the exhaust is totally full of water. With instructions from el gordo, I began dismantling my bike. We do the normal procedure to get the water out of everywhere. Luckily no water on the bottom end. Finally get it started. Pitch black dark. El bugs thinks he know the way. So we go bush whacking in the dark. Get nowhere fast. El gordo is trying to tell el bugs that we should stop cause were going no where fast. El bug is getting pissed. Tempers are flying. El bob start shouting at everyone to relax. We finally came to the conclusion that we are f-ed and spending the night in the bush. It’s cold in the dessert at night.

We had a fire, it was mostly smoke. El gordo and el grego spooned. We all got about a few hours of sleep. In daylight we see that we have to cross the river few one more times. I think we crossed two more times criss crossing in the valley. I was going the ride across again and el bugs gave me the look of “don’t even try it”. So we hauled the bikes across the river a few more times. Hence the second picture posted.
We finally get out that f-ing valley and spend the day at el rosarito.

Lesson learned. Don’t be the first to cross a river in mexico. Let some else go first.

 

[Mad Max]

That is a valuable point worth remembering. On the bright side you did not bend the con-rod and end your ride in that river.

Thanx for the tip

Max