Sprockets *How Many Teeth*??

[longhorn6]

I recently put a 36 tooth sprocket on my MB. I got the 36 tooth because i heard its better?? But then my brother said the bigger the sprocket the faster it is? Does smaller amount of teeth mean more acceleration or something? Whats better Bigger/More teeth OR Smaller/less teeth? Will a 36 tooth sprocket make me less faster? Thanks, Longhorn6

[Board Track Racer]

Sprocket Size Chart.

[Cabinfever1977]

Larger rear sprocket =slower top speed/faster acceleration/pulls more weight/goes up hills better
smaller rear sprocket =Higher top speed/med acceleration/pulls less weight/goes up hills slower

my stock 44t sprocket takes off fast and tops out around 30mph or so and can go up hills good.
a 36t sprocket should give you a higher top speed and lower rpms out of your engine which will make your engine work less and it will make less noise,but will take off slower than with the larger one.

[Venice Motor Bikes]

I'm all about 40T rear sprockets these days!!!

[Nashville Kat]

A smaller rear sprocket is a larger gear
while a smaller front sprocket is a smaller gear
a larger gear means a faster speed but less accelleration getting there
while a smaller gear bogs down less on hills

So there's no set answers- it's all dependent on the total weight it's pulling, the motor's (or riders) power, and the conditions of hilly or flat, smooth or rough

I have a 36 which works pretty well with smooth narrow tires, but I usually give it a little pedal assist when taking off, and it will bog down slightly on a steep very long hill-

I have no problems on the flat- I just got a kit that packed a 41, so I think the trend is going generally a bit smaller than 44.

Big wheels keep on turning!

[Creative Engineering]

Originally Posted by longhorn6

I recently put a 36 tooth sprocket on my MB. I got the 36 tooth because i heard its better?? But then my brother said the bigger the sprocket the faster it is? Does smaller amount of teeth mean more acceleration or something? Whats better Bigger/More teeth OR Smaller/less teeth? Will a 36 tooth sprocket make me less faster? Thanks, Longhorn6

Longhorn,

You'll hear a lot of things...

I get many calls daily for advice on sprocket sizes.

A 40T sprocket is an excellent all-around size for a 26" bike with the Chinese In-frame engine.

I have made sprockets from 28T for the 2-cycle, up to 64T for the 4-cycle guys.

There are the guys who like to hill climb and weigh 200 lbs+ There are the 140 lb- guys who want to see how fast they can go.

Some of these engines are more powerful than others...final drive sprocket selection is part of the tuning process, and not an arbitrary number that can be pulled from a magicians hat. With this said: "Whats better Bigger/More teeth OR Smaller/less teeth?" is a loaded question...there are a number of factors that must be considered in order to arrive at the ideal final ratio.

In general, a larger rear sprocket will offer greater acceleration and a lower top speed...A smaller rear sprocket may give you a higher top speed, (If the engine has enough power to do it), and will definitely result in decreased acceleration.

In this respect our MB's are no different than motorcycles.

Jim

[saetta]

What size sprocket are any of us with 20" rear wheels running? I had a 44T on my Schwinn OCC. Great acceleration and torque, and winding out at 25 MPH. I replaced the 44T with a 36T and have not tested it yet. I like the overall performance of a 44T on my other bike with a 26" wheel. I want to match that performance with the 36T on my 20".

[FileStyle]

I run a 36t on 26x2.2 Maxxis Holy Rollers. Good top end but low acceleration, pedal asisst a little. I believe like others a 40t, maybe a 38t would be nice for all around performance.

[Creative Engineering]

Originally Posted by saetta

What size sprocket are any of us with 20" rear wheels running? I had a 44T on my Schwinn OCC. Great acceleration and torque, and winding out at 25 MPH. I replaced the 44T with a 36T and have not tested it yet. I like the overall performance of a 44T on my other bike with a 26" wheel. I want to match that performance with the 36T on my 20".

Using a large vernier caliper, I measured the "20" Occ to be 21 1/2" in diameter. If yours is the same , a 36T will give you nearly the exact same result as a 44T on a 26".

I've measured a lot of wheels with calipers. I've noticed that the wider the tire, the less accurate the diameter...(they are always larger in diameter than stated).

I have an Electra at the shop with Fatti-O tires sized 24 X 3.0...they actually measure 25 3/4".

The Schwinn Jaguar has 26 X 2.125 tires...they measure 26 1/4" in diameter.

Jim

[momentummotorgroup]

..so if I'm looking for quick acceleration and a good torque for climbing hills, a larger rear sprocket is the answer?
to answer you question:
yes!!!!!!!!