How To :19 tooth front, and now, a 37 tooth rear sprocket on 2013

[ChipBeck_imp]

I have produced many aluminum rear units, some with good and not so good results. If you are a type A person when it comes to chain maintenance, you can expect good wear, I have a number of units that are near the 10k mark. If you're like me and perform chain maintenance when i remember to, or you're hard on the throttle, then I suggest sticking with steel.

Welcome Jim,

I hope you check in here from time to time. I'm looking forward to getting my new steel sprocket from you. Keep those stats on file and I'm sure you'll sell a bunch of them here. Cheers bro.

Chip (Charles Beck)

[7thGearDesigns_imp]

Thanks Chip. Ill pop in now and then to lurk around and see whats going on.
I have the sprocket data stored for both the front and rear units..

[ChipBeck_imp]

Gentlemen,

I took my first ride today with my 7th Gear Designs 19 front and 37 tooth rear sprockets. I thought 1st gear may be too high but taking off was no problem. Out on the road it's so much better. Finally I'm not trying to shift into a nonexistent 6th gear. Smooth, comfortable, and nice. This has killed my desire for the 6 speed. I highly recommend this. Thank you Peking Duck!!!!

Chip

[mustakoira_imp]

I think I'm going to buy these and do this based on what I have read here. I too am often looking for the nonexistent 6th gear.

Chip, did you go with aluminum or steel?

[ChipBeck_imp]

I think I'm going to buy these and do this based on what I have read here. I too am often looking for the nonexistent 6th gear.

Chip, did you go with aluminum or steel?

Must,

Both the front and rear 7th Gear Designs sprockets are steel. The rear has beautifully machined slotted lightening holes so it's about 1/3 lighter than the stock rear. It really is a piece of art. I intentionally did my test rides 2 up to determine if 1st gear would be too high. I weigh 200 and Renea weighs 120 so I had 320 lbs on the bike and I started with a lot of stop & go riding. It only took a couple minutes to get use to launching from a stop with the new gears. Still the old gearing has a slight advantage there. Once underway there is a huge advantage in every gear. The CB1100 has a very wide torque/horsepower spread and the new sprockets have me in each gear longer. Even 2 up the CB pulls the 10.5% taller gearing effortlessly and the maddening high rpm, I gotta shift up, feeling at highway speeds is gone. Now the bike feels like it's in top gear and it feels right.

In 5th gear with the new sprockets your speed is almost exactly double the tach indication. 3000 rpm = 60 mph, 4000 rpm = 80 mph. I cruised on the highway at 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 mph last night and it's so much better (calmer with less vibration) and more comfortable at every speed. But again the biggest benefit is that I wasn't constantly pulling in the clutch and trying to shift up to a higher gear that wasn't there because the engine is spinning way too fast and it felt wrong. Now it feels like it should feel going down the road.

A Honda design goal for this bike was "a relaxed ride". Perhaps in Japan with a maximum speed limit of 62 mph the stock gearing provided that but it never felt that way to me. Even at 60 I was always trying to shift up to calm things down. But at US speeds the stock gearing felt more frantic than relaxed. Honda acknowledged this when they added a 6th gear in 2014 and slowed top gear rpm down 20%.

In any event, this is one of the best mods IMO yet and it's a massive improvement on 2013 CB1100's. All the best.

Chip

[redbirds_imp]

If I may ask, what was the cost Chip?

[mustakoira_imp]

Thanks Chip. I can relate exactly to what you are describing with the stock gears.


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[ChipBeck_imp]

If I may ask, what was the cost Chip?

Red,

I penciled it out and it's about $5000.00 cheaper than trading my '13 for a '14 6-speed and redoing all of my other mods!

For 2 custom made steel sprockets it was pretty cheap. I don't remember exactly but I think about $125 for the pair. Give 7th Gear a call.

Chip

[redbirds_imp]

If I may ask, what was the cost Chip?

Red,

I penciled it out and it's about $5000.00 cheaper than trading my '13 for a '14 6-speed and redoing all of my other mods!

For 2 custom made steel sprockets it was pretty cheap. I don't remember exactly but I think about $125 for the pair. Give 7th Gear a call.

Chip

Thanks, that's reasonable for quality parts.

[ChipBeck_imp]

Gentlemen,

Yesterday I rode over 200 miles from Scottsdale to Payson and small towns beyond. I rode a 3 mile stretch at a steady 90 mph. The bike was smooth as glass with my new gearing. An aside unrelated to this thread was how easy it is to ride at that speed with the Road Comet 1 fairing. It seemed that the faster I went, the less pressure on my body. Like a low pressure zone was forming behind that fairing. At 90 mph I took one hand off the handlebars to scratch my neck and felt very secure. Without that fairing I felt like I was in a hurricane at 70 mph.

Back to the thread topic. After doing just the front sprocket I thought the bike had just a bit more vibration. I have carpo tunnel in my left hand so maybe it was just acting up but I'm not sure. After changing both sprockets it feels smoother than it ever has. Even in the 3500-4000 rpm range where the staggered valve timing intentionally gives these bikes a bit of vibration the bars, pegs, and seat are very smooth.

The more I ride both in town and on the highway with this new gearing the more I like it. So much nicer I wish I'd done it a year ago. I certainly will never go back. All the best.

Chip