14 tooth or 13 tooth front sprocket for X Challenge

[ONYERBIKE]

Just put an order in for a 14 tooth front sprocket, been told that it sharpens the X Challenge up a little bit, gives it a bit more low down grunt but sacrifices a bit of top end, anyway, just followed a link to "wemoto" and see that they sell a 13 tooth front sprocket for the XC, will this make much more difference? Will it turn it into a wheelying monster? Will it lose all of the top end? I do use the bike on the road as well as off, mainly around town with the occasional blast up the motorway. Any advise?

 

[PaulXC]

Just put an order in for a 14 tooth front sprocket, been told that it sharpens the X Challenge up a little bit, gives it a bit more low down grunt but sacrifices a bit of top end, anyway, just followed a link to "wemoto" and see that they sell a 13 tooth front sprocket for the XC, will this make much more difference? Will it turn it into a wheelying monster? Will it lose all of the top end? I do use the bike on the road as well as off, mainly around town with the occasional blast up the motorway. Any advise?

I put a 14t on mine on Timpo's recommendation and it does make it noticeably more controllable on slow downhill and muddy sections.

Its alright on the road, you notice a bit of top end missing but only 5mph or so but I reckon you'd really feel it if you bung a 13t on.

Paul

 

[ONYERBIKE]

Cheers PaulXC, did you change the sprocket yourself, if so how long does it take? I'm just thinking that as the sprocket is cheap and it looks pretty simple to change, it may be worth having one in the box for when you fancy a change.

 

[PaulXC]

Yeah, dead easy to change,

Remove the sprocket cover, undo the big bolt, loosen the chain and off it pops.

I've swopped mine back and forth a couple of times,- 10 minute job.

Cheers

Paul

 

[Daithi]

I went 13 on the front and increased the back by two, the bike pulls very well in first.

 

[ONYERBIKE]

I went 13 on the front and increased the back by two, the bike pulls very well in first.

cheers, made me smile that did!

 

[ONYERBIKE]

cheers, made me smile that did!

Made me smile so much I just put the order in for a 13 tooth and a 14 tooth, just to be sure, to be sure!

 

[Daithi]

Made me smile so much I just put the order in for a 13 tooth and a 14 tooth, just to be sure, to be sure!

Well, when you put the 13 on be ready for another smile.

 

[Stickleback]

Following the jist of this thread, I ordered a 14t front sprocket from Wemoto on Saturday night.

It arrived today!!

Great service, I have no connection to the company but would use them again/recommend them to anyone

All I've to do now is to find time to fit the thing

 

[ONYERBIKE]

I also used wemoto for my 13 tooth sprocket, turned up here in France within a week at half the price quoted for the 14 tooth sprocket by my local BMW dealer, the 14 tooth hadn't turned up after a week so popped in and was told that they hadn't gone ahead and ordered the part as it was 3 euros more than they quoted.
Will be getting my 14 tooth from www.wemoto.com great service

 

[ONYERBIKE]

Following the jist of this thread, I ordered a 14t front sprocket from Wemoto on Saturday night.

It arrived today!!

Great service, I have no connection to the company but would use them again/recommend them to anyone

All I've to do now is to find time to fit the thing

Follow PaulXC's advise, the sprocket goes on in minutes, even a cackhanded twat like me managed to fit it in under 30 minutes.

 

[ONYERBIKE]

Well, when you put the 13 on be ready for another smile.

I put the 13 tooth front sprocket on and straight away the bike is transformed, round town where the bike was struggling to pull 4th gear from low revs it is now accelerating pretty hard.
Took the bike off road this weekend and the sprocket has made a huge difference, pulling alot harder through all the gears, not having to change down to 1st and 2nd so much, alot easier to ride.
Where would I get a 2 tooth bigger rear cog, which model fits on? Is it a 49 tooth you put on your bike?

 

[PaulXC]

Might have to get me one of these 13T's ... 14T seems so last year

 

[Daithi]

I put the 13 tooth front sprocket on and straight away the bike is transformed, round town where the bike was struggling to pull 4th gear from low revs it is now accelerating pretty hard.
Took the bike off road this weekend and the sprocket has made a huge difference, pulling alot harder through all the gears, not having to change down to 1st and 2nd so much, alot easier to ride.
Where would I get a 2 tooth bigger rear cog, which model fits on? Is it a 49 tooth you put on your bike?

I ordered mine from Talon, I think they made the to order, 13t and 14t for the front and standard and 49t sprocket for the rear.

I have the 49t and 13t on at present.

 

[ONYERBIKE]

Might have to get me one of these 13T's ... 14T seems so last year

I'm also going to get a 14 tooth as the 13 tooth is great off road and around town but like you said you may find long distance a bit tiring. Although the bike held 70mph on the motorway no problem and I didn't notice any difference in fuel consumption ( I always zero the mileometer thingy) it did feel like the engine was revving quite a bit more. As the front cogs are so quick to change I'll probably get a box load and follow yer man Daithi's lead.

 

[Adventure Stu]

I've just fitted a 14 to the front and kept the standard rear. Not had a chance to trial it off road yet but it certainly made a difference riding it round the yard in 1st/2nd.

 

[Stickleback]

Enthused by "how easy it is to do" in this thread, I ventured out to the garage the other night to do the job..

However - it seems that to loosen the chain the rear wheel axle has to be loosened by udoing a large nut.

OK I thought, no problem I'll get the bikes tool kit out.

How innocent was I expecting to find enough equipment in the standard toolkit to be able to adjust the chain

So I need to get the right sized spanner to loosen the back wheel - looks like either a 25 or 26mm (biggest I have is a 24..) - and so I don't buy the wrong one, could someone let me know please the right size to buy.

Hopefully then I can fit the new front sprocket sometime over Easter

 

[Deleted account 190117001]

Enthused by "how easy it is to do" in this thread, I ventured out to the garage the other night to do the job..

However - it seems that to loosen the chain the rear wheel axle has to be loosened by udoing a large nut.

OK I thought, no problem I'll get the bikes tool kit out.

How innocent was I expecting to find enough equipment in the standard toolkit to be able to adjust the chain

So I need to get the right sized spanner to loosen the back wheel - looks like either a 25 or 26mm (biggest I have is a 24..) - and so I don't buy the wrong one, could someone let me know please the right size to buy.

Hopefully then I can fit the new front sprocket sometime over Easter

It's 26mm.

 

[Stickleback]

Cheers Bez

 

[ONYERBIKE]

Just received the Touratech France catalogue, see that they have a lot of rear sprockets listed for both the 650 XC and the 450. Does anyone know if you can put a rear sprocket for the 450 onto the XC? On the pictures they look like they have the same mounting holes, anyone got any ideas?