overdrive pullys

Hi all
Im thinking about changing my final drive ratio.
Has any body done that ? and is it worth doing ?

Thanx
Toey

Check this previous thread for some information that may help.

https://sydneyvulcanriders.forumotion.com/t106-belt-pulleys

Many people in the USA have changes the rear and some the front pulleys!!!

Noticable drop in revs on the hwy and better economy. The guys I have spoken too all reccomend rear pulley only!

Beware that many people that have changes either pulley have since had dramas with the nut/bolt on trhefront coming lose
as it is believed it over stresses the front pully. this is unproven but has been noted by many!!

Now considering this also.

Whether to change the front only, back only, one at a time and see how it goes or both at the same time is undecided atm. Check this thread for some feedback from others:

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/kawasaki-cruisers/49183-scootworks-900-pully.html

Glad you posted this Ed, it made me re read my post and I realised i said rear only which is incorrect!!!
Front pulley only is the reccomendations from the people I have spoken too!!

Cheers AJ, seems like a relatively inexpensive mod with benefits, particularly if I want to do longer rides, more often. The $ is good atm also.

Recommendation from SCM is to replace the rear only, at least initially. His only comment against it was that it will vary my speedo reading. Research suggests if anything it corrects it to some degree. I can cope with that. I will do distance and GPS tests immediately before the change and compare them after the change.

Replacing the rear can be a nice visual improvement too!
Something I have been thinking about for a while. Its in the 'get it done with the wheels' bucket since I also want to polish / chrome my wheels.

http://www.vulcanforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13821
http://www.vulcanforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13831
http://www.vulcanforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1110
https://2img.net/h/i355.photobucket.com/albums/r467/breganze99/IMAG0254.jpg

I have ordered the rear pulley in polished style (about AUD $402.00 landed) and will keep everyone posted re changes to speedo and performance. Will replace at my 60,000 km service along with a rear tyre, scheduled for just before the next FarRide.

Prior to installing, and re the speedo, I thought I'd take a ride along the M4 for a predetermined distance and note my odomoter and GPS distances, then repeat the ride after installing the pulley. If I wasn't happy, I could always install a speedohealer which corrects any anomaly. It's important to have a correct speedo/odomoter reading as you may clock up more km than you are actually riding ie affects resale and may encourage you to overservice.

Purchased from http://www.scootworks.com/shop.cgi/page=parts.htm/SID=PUT_SID_HERE

Will be interested to hear your opinions Ed, lots of debate in both directions.

Interesting Ed, i have been thinking about doing that since i got the bike. I bet it will look awesome as well/ No doubt will see it soon enough

Well, as you can see the pulley has arrived. Quality finish. Gets installed tomorrow and I will give an update on any change in performance and speedo variations in due course.

I really like those tiles. The pulley is ok as well.
Truly interested in hearing the outcome on this one.
During my recent trip up north (which I will get to writing about one day - honest) I found that the bike does vibrate a little at higher speeds over very prolonged periods and lower revs at highway speeds sounds like a winner to me.

Addition of the Scootworks rear pulley makes it a different bike. No apparent loss of torque. Smoother, a marked difference at highway speeds. Cruising to Newcastle yesterday was a pleasure.

My speedo, when compared to my GPS is pretty much spot on, perhaps a fraction shy of the GPS result, which is a good thing. I usually use my GPS to check speed, but with glare etc, it's not always easy. It's good to know my speedo is close enough to accurate to rely on.

Stew and I swapped bikes for a while. Would be interesting to hear from Stew also.

If anyone was considering the pulley, would be happy to share bikes during a ride sometime. Just let me know.

Very happy with the change.

Ed I thought the difference was amazing. To me it felt like the overdrive these bikes hae always needed. I didn't think it affect acceleration either.
Definitely a mod worth doing I think

OK I am sold. Time to start counting penny's I think.
I swear this bike will be the financial death of me.

Ok so it has been a few weeks now Ed and I was wondering if you had any further comments to make about the pulley.
Are you as impressed now as when you first put it on? Still recommend it?

Definately Verna. It's the gearing the bike should have had in the first place. Interestingly, my speedo is now accurate when compared to my GPS. Over a 400 km trip though, and when compared to my GPS odomoter, the bike odomoter is about 16 km less than the GPS. Not a big deal and far better than clocking up more km than you actually do. If the GPS is accurate, a rough calculation suggests my bike odomoter has clocked up about 2640 km more than I have actually ridden. This affects resale and may cause overservicing. Would be interesting to compare odometers with another rider on a long trip where km ridden was identical.

hi ED have only heard great things about rear pulley ...the standard gearing ...always feels you need an extra gear when on the hwy
...is there anything else you have to change when changing the pulley ?

No. The pulley is just a swap over with the old one. Keep your old one. Just bear in mind, and this includes you Verna, the new Pulley may reduce the play you have in the drive belt ie adjustment. I don't consider it an issue though.

OK so educate me on what the implications of that are.
Does this translate to belts wearing out more often?

No expert but here goes. With 4 less teeth, the diameter of the pulley is smaller. This means, I believe, that the wheel would have to be pushed back marginally, reducing, albeit slightly, the ability to take up any slack in a stretched pulley belt. I will confirm that with my mechanic, others are welcome to comment.

Yeah ok that makes sense.
I did know it sat slightly further back - reducing the gap under the fender which is a good thing aesthetically.

I didnt really connect with the idea that it takes up the play you have with the belt.
I am also unsure just how much a belt does stretch over time.