Taller gearing for the freeway 17/38 sprocket ratio change
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 3:51 am
I have installed a 17/38 = 2.24 sprocket setup. I bought a '90 ninja 500 "damper - hub." The ninja 500 has a 38t rear sprocket option. I am using an EN500A rear wheel on my EN500C. There are some fitment issues discussed below with the EN500C rear wheel that could be overcome to make it work with the EN500C wheel.
Here are some pictures showing the Vulcan 500 LTD hub (EN500C) next to the '90 Ninja 500 hub:
All the pertinent dimensions were the same. One minor difference is that the four metal tangs (what the rubber pushes on) on the ninja hub were about 1.5mm shorter. However there is one major problem when it comes to using the EN500C wheel. The rubber dampers shown in the picture above are from the Vulcan 500 LTD. As you can see from the picture below and of the rubber damper above there is a "finger" on the damper that goes down into the recess on the Vulcan 500 LTD hub. As this recess is not on the Ninja 500 hub I would have to either cut off the "finger" and not be able to go back or simply get the rubber dampers for a Ninja 500 (dampers from EN500A also work).
This little spacer from the Vulcan 500's rear hub fits in the ninja rear hub bearing The same.
With all that background investigation out of the way, I installed the dampers:
installed Ninja 500 hub on EN500A wheel and installed on bike.
I did the math and have a spreadsheet here. My new 5th gear is actually slightly taller than stock 6th. So far I've only ridden about 60 miles 80% freeway 20% city and absolutely love it! 6th is now a freeway only gear (mostly used it at about 50mph +). It will be interesting to see if this affects fuel economy too.
Here are some pictures showing the Vulcan 500 LTD hub (EN500C) next to the '90 Ninja 500 hub:
All the pertinent dimensions were the same. One minor difference is that the four metal tangs (what the rubber pushes on) on the ninja hub were about 1.5mm shorter. However there is one major problem when it comes to using the EN500C wheel. The rubber dampers shown in the picture above are from the Vulcan 500 LTD. As you can see from the picture below and of the rubber damper above there is a "finger" on the damper that goes down into the recess on the Vulcan 500 LTD hub. As this recess is not on the Ninja 500 hub I would have to either cut off the "finger" and not be able to go back or simply get the rubber dampers for a Ninja 500 (dampers from EN500A also work).
This little spacer from the Vulcan 500's rear hub fits in the ninja rear hub bearing The same.
With all that background investigation out of the way, I installed the dampers:
installed Ninja 500 hub on EN500A wheel and installed on bike.
I did the math and have a spreadsheet here. My new 5th gear is actually slightly taller than stock 6th. So far I've only ridden about 60 miles 80% freeway 20% city and absolutely love it! 6th is now a freeway only gear (mostly used it at about 50mph +). It will be interesting to see if this affects fuel economy too.