Has anybody retro-fitted the low first gear option to an Adventure or (1150) I'm thinking of doing this but don't want to pay dealer prices. What parts are needed and approx how much do they cost? Ta. 
Low first gear
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demito
Registered user
I have asked this before on this forum and no useful replies. Highly interested!
If you manage to do it, pls make sure to give feedback on the forum and take pics (pleaaaaaaaase!).
Cheers
Demito
If you manage to do it, pls make sure to give feedback on the forum and take pics (pleaaaaaaaase!).
Cheers
Demito
The reason being that I imagine most people would think that the cost/benefit of doing this is pretty small!demito said:
This was a no-cost option on some new 1150s, and actually cost nothing extra when the bike was going down the track in Spandau. But to retrofit the ratio, you'd have to buy new gear clusters, then rip the bike and the gearbox apart before you could shim up the new gear set. It's be a massive amount of work with substantial cost for very little gain.
It would be altogether easier to find a s/hand box with the ratios you want.
Greg
I would have thought it only needed the 2 gears, ie mainshaft and layshaft?
Demito, if I do it I'll post a detailed thread.
Andy.
Demito, if I do it I'll post a detailed thread.
Andy.
Kropotkin
Registered user
The one thing I would change on my 1150 is to have the lower 1st gear. The other alternative is to find a reconditioned Adventure gearbox (or a gearbox off a crashed Adventure, though the chances of that are tiny, what with us all being riding gods and that), and retrofit that.
What low first gear!!!!
I'm not sure the 'low first gear' isn't all hype anyway?
I've got a normal 1150gs with the standard gearbox.... My two mates have got adventures with the low gear... In our experience it is impossible to tell the difference! If it is lower at all then it's not much lower. We've run the bikes simultaneously in circle round my yard at 1000rpm in first gear... You would expect my bike to catch the lower geared Adventure up... but it doesn't.
My brother has just had a new Adventure, again ordered with the Low gear, and again, there's very little difference to my stanadard one.
For off road nadgery stuff, a lower first would be a real advantage, but I don't think they make one!
Any one else done similar side by side comparisons? It might be worth finding out what the two ratios are before you shell out for an expensive gbox operation.
Will
Will
I'm not sure the 'low first gear' isn't all hype anyway?
I've got a normal 1150gs with the standard gearbox.... My two mates have got adventures with the low gear... In our experience it is impossible to tell the difference! If it is lower at all then it's not much lower. We've run the bikes simultaneously in circle round my yard at 1000rpm in first gear... You would expect my bike to catch the lower geared Adventure up... but it doesn't.
My brother has just had a new Adventure, again ordered with the Low gear, and again, there's very little difference to my stanadard one.
For off road nadgery stuff, a lower first would be a real advantage, but I don't think they make one!
Any one else done similar side by side comparisons? It might be worth finding out what the two ratios are before you shell out for an expensive gbox operation.
Will
Will
Number 6 said:I would have thought it only needed the 2 gears, ie mainshaft and layshaft?
Demito, if I do it I'll post a detailed thread.
Andy.
Be very wary of mixing gear sets together that have different wear patterns, i.e. have come from diferent boxes, or even mixing new with old . - you'll have a fecked box very soon .
Just get a second hand box, and sell your current box, the change over cost shouldn't be to much doing it that way .
Here's a nicely detailed Transmission Ratio Swap (for an R1100GS). http://www.gunsmoke.com/scot/r100gs/tranny_ratio.html
Probably the best way to go but how could you be sure it had the low ratio fitted and just how rare are they? Also my bike is new so I would want a newish box to put in. (I'm not concerned about the warranty issue)Steptoe said:
Jkersh, thanks for the link
jkersh1 said:
It's for a R100GS - not an 1100 .
But this conversion fecks your output bearing very quickly .
willstatt said:
I didn't know whether my secondhand Adv had the low first gear.
Did a comparisson with known low gear at 3000 rpm. I pulled away noticeably.
Not having the low gear hasn't stopped me going up (and down) some stupid trails tho.
pomm001
Registered user
I'm not sure the 'low first gear' isn't all hype anyway?
My adventure has the 'low' first gear, or so the VIN number says, i would have never noticed, and other people who have ridden it didnt either.
My adventure has the 'low' first gear, or so the VIN number says, i would have never noticed, and other people who have ridden it didnt either.
The 'standard' first gear is 2.038:1
The optional 'short' first gear is 2.375:1 (GSAs only)
Second gear is 1.600:1
Third gear is 1.267:1
Fourth gear is 1.034:1
Fifth gear is 0.903:1
Sixth gear is 0.697:1 (regular 1150GSs)
Sixth gear is 0.806:1 (GSA 1150s)
All 1150 GSs use a 2.82:1 final drive
Greg
Greg
The optional 'short' first gear is 2.375:1 (GSAs only)
Second gear is 1.600:1
Third gear is 1.267:1
Fourth gear is 1.034:1
Fifth gear is 0.903:1
Sixth gear is 0.697:1 (regular 1150GSs)
Sixth gear is 0.806:1 (GSA 1150s)
All 1150 GSs use a 2.82:1 final drive
Greg
Greg
Greg, useful info thanks I'd heard that it was about 1/6 lower which your post confirms. So at the same revs 12 mph would become 10 mph. It doesn't sound a big difference but I find the standard 1st gear a bit frantic when picking a route through rocky sections. Stalls very easily too 
I don't suppose anyone knows the ratios for the 1200 as a comparison? they're obviously low enough for the off-road school.
I'd heard that it was about 1/6 lower which your post confirms. So at the same revs 12 mph would become 10 mph. It doesn't sound a big difference but I find the standard 1st gear a bit frantic when picking a route through rocky sections. Stalls very easily too I don't suppose anyone knows the ratios for the 1200 as a comparison? they're obviously low enough for the off-road school.
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