HOW TO CALCULATE TOP SPEED FROM YOUR TACH:
Since tachometers are more likely than speedometers to be accurate (since they're electronic, not mechanical) you can calculate your speed at top RPM:
On flat level pavement, mark the tire with a piece of chalk and mark the pavement at that point. Roll the bike forward until the chalk line on the tire comes around again. Measure this distance-it's one tire circumference. It ought to be around 3 times the diameter---With the 150/80-16 on my rear wheel, it's 76.4 inches (6.37 feet).
Then use gear ratio & final drive ratio to get speed.
If you're running 23/61 primary drive ratio (old style ex, I think), a 16/42 final drive (selectable via sprockets), with a 27/23 top gear (again, std. old-ex), you get:
(10,000 engine revolutions/minute)*((27/23)*(16/42)*(23/61) tire revs per engine rev)* (6.37 feet / tire rev)* (1 mile/ 5280 feet)*(60 minutes/hour)= 122 MPH.
SPROCKET INFORMATION
Q:
What effect does going from the stock (16/42)? to a 14/44 ratio make?
A:
The stock ratio is 2.62, so the front sprocket makes 2.62 rotations for each rotation of the rear, alternatively you could say the rear makes 0.38 revs per front sprocket rotation. If you go to 14/44, those ratios go to 3.14 and 0.32 respectively, so the engine is going faster at a given speed, thus can produce more power, thus can pull harder, and feels different.
Q: Are there any other things that have to be modified or replaced by a change like this, what performance differences, any trade offs, like shorter engine life?
A: Theoretically, engine life will be shortened slightly, but these engines are nearly bullet proof, so wind, em up, I say. I spent nearly two hours last weekend with mine hovering between 7K and 11K, and occasionally bouncing off the rev limiter, trying hard to keep it nearer the top. I think other owners were probably as abusive as I am or more so, and it still runs like a champ.
If you get a bigger rear sprocket, you may need a longer chain than you currently have. A chain breaker is a tool you'll need again, so go ahead & buy it, that way you can make the chain whatever length you want.
It will run slightly faster at speed; If you drop the front to a 15, it'll affect RPM's by about 7% (2.62 to 2.8), so changing final drives can adjust your cruising speed, as well. For instance, if you spend a LOT of time running 55 MPH, you can set it up so that at that speed, the engine is running at a frequency which doesn't shake the mirrors as much, or the bars. Experimentation is required for that, though. If you want a wheelie monster, go down in front and up in the rear, but noone on this list would have such hooligan ideas on their minds, would they?
I used to think people who kept extra sprockets around were nuts, but now I have them for both my racer & street bike, so either I'm nuts, or it's not that bad after all. %^)
EMISSIONS CRAP (get it? hahaha...I kill me.)
Q: What do I have to do to remove this emission system completely?
A: For 49-state bikes, I think this will do the trick:
Remove hose from front of airbox, plug the hole with something (hardware stores have really nice little plugs that work well for this), or a big bolt, or leave a little hose in there, and fill it up with a smaller bolt, or whatever works for you.
Remove hoses from valve-cover breather tubes, cap tubes with plastic caps, or use one of the hoses to connect the two together, or do like us wackos and machine your own covers and remove the breather altogether.
Cap the vacuum port on the carbs used to control the ugly car-like valve thing.
Throw away all the leftover bits.
At least that's how I did it. Pictures of my new valve cover caps are on the ex page of this website.
Q: What benefit to you get from removing the emission system?
A: I pulled it off my bike for two moderately-good reasons, and four not so good reasons (by my count):
m/g1: Weight savings is weight savings. That was the easiest two pounds I've lost yet.
m/g2: Easier access to valve covers/top of engine/carburetors/etc...so I'm lazy, ok? ;)
nsg1: It looks nicer plain.
nsg2: I was bored.
nsg3: I hadn't tried it before, and wondered if it would work
nsg4: I wanted an excuse to borrow some machine shop equipment and make chips
One EX-lister reports that Kawasaki makes blanking plates for bikes sold in places other than the US, and their part numbers are as follows:
Cap, cylinder head cover........11012-1212
Gasket..........................11009-1879
The gasket should be identical to the one currently fitted. The Caps are non-handed
GLOVES:
I love my Held gloves, but they were expensive, and they have a funky sizing system that really requires you try them on before buying. They are still the nicest gloves I own, even after several crashes.
The gloves are from Tourmaster, and are called the ROAD RACE ELITE. There
are other similar names, but these are the ones that rated a 10 for
protection and I think an 8 for comfort (slightly lower than Held's), but
they only cost about $85. I have 2 pairs - one for street and rain races
and one for dry races! - Tony Iannarelli
TIRE SIZES
Got this e-mail the other day:
"Wade, Got a question for you if you could give some assistance. Just purchased a 2002 ex 500 last summer, and when taking the corners it feels a little sqirrely, wondering what I can do to fix this, maybe a larger rear tire? what is the largest I can go with out having to change stock? Scott"
My Answer:
I would suggest that you not change tire sizes - you only chance upsetting chassis geometry, and probably add extra unsprung weight. It already comes with a 130-70 on it. If you desperately need fatter tires, the general rule-of-thumb is that you can go up one size in width...which would be a 140 or maybe 150...but there's not much available in that size - the smallest next size commonly available is a 160-60, which I bet will require some heroic efforts at keeping chain length to a maximum to keep it from rubbing inside the swingarm real bad. I never owned one of the newer swingarms, but I was able to squeeze a 150 into the older-style swingarm (I got a newarly new tire that size free, and was too cheap and poor at the time to not use it, and thought it would work ok...I never bothered doing that again)....Even then, I had to shave the edge of the tire tread area and notch the chainguard and make sure the chain was at the full length possible all the time (so the axle was at the rearmost point in the adjustment notches). I was not able to use the full width of the tire tread, even on the track, so it was wasted effort.
If you want better handling - my advice is invest in a NICE rear shock. Penske preferrably (waaaay NOT cheap, but Oh so much better than that P.O.S. Kawi put under the unit new). And then get a set of properly sized front forks, for your weight (these will do you better than progressives, if properly sized) - if you call MaxTraxxion (or any of the good spring suppliers) they can help you figure out what spring rate will suit your riding style and weight best.
Also, your technique will influence the cornering feel quite a bit....Make sure you are rolling on the throttle all the way through the corner, or at the very minimum, keeping a steady throttle - look WAAAAAAY ahead - all the way through the turn, and hold off the hard roll-on (on the street) until you can see your exit....take a trackday on the bike to get a chance to push it to the limits in a safer environment - you'll learn a lot about riding that way. You might also want to check out the "Twist of the Wrist" video with riding tips for racers - not exactly street oriented, but the tips on smoothness and looking well ahead are always helpful.
