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Going up teeth on the rear sprocket '04 wr450

By Luigic81,
in WR400F/426F/450F

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Grand Master

Luigic81

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Hello,

I bought a '04 wr450 a couple months ago, and I think it still has the stock gearing ..50t in the rear.? Maybe someone can confirm that, but anywho, I was wondering has anyone gone up 2-4T in the rear or down 1 on the front, what would you recomend, I ride 80%trail, 20%mx track but I'm pretty slow. I just like torque, and doing wheelies ? thanks

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Grand Master

SJMC_DON

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Hello,

I bought a '04 wr450 a couple months ago, and I think it still has the stock gearing ..50t in the rear.? Maybe someone can confirm that, but anywho, I was wondering has anyone gone up 2-4T in the rear or down 1 on the front, what would you recomend, I ride 80%trail, 20%mx track but I'm pretty slow. I just like torque, and doing wheelies ? thanks

I tpyically ran a 13T C/S sprocket on my 04' year round except for trips to the Desert. I would recommend dropping a tooth to the 13T in the front, it's cheaper and easier / quicker to do versus changing the rear sprocket... I think losing 1 tooth in the front is equal to adding 2.5 - 3 teeth in the rear:ride:

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HollywoodMX

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I tpyically ran a 13T C/S sprocket on my 04' year round except for trips to the Desert. I would recommend dropping a tooth to the 13T in the front, it's cheaper and easier / quicker to do versus changing the rear sprocket... I think losing 1 tooth in the front is equal to adding 2.5 - 3 teeth in the rear:ride:

I think its 1 tooth front = 4 tooth rear.

I was actually thinking going the opposite for trail riding 15T up front.

Stock is 3.57, 15T 3.33 final drive.

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Grand Master

SJMC_DON

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I was actually thinking going the opposite for trail riding 15T up front.

I thought Canada was the land of gnarly single track? A WR 450 (04') will do 100mph+ with a 15T up front.... if you have an 07' that's even scarier it comes stock with a 13T C/S ?

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HollywoodMX

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I thought Canada was the land of gnarly single track? A WR 450 (04') will do 100mph+ with a 15T up front.... if you have an 07' that's even scarier it comes stock with a 13T C/S ?

13T50 = 3.84

14T50 = 3.57 My stock.

15T50 = 3.33

I was think 15T to spread out my 2nd gear for the trails for hill climbing. The 450 definately has the power to spread it out. "Rick Sieman" proved positive results going the opposite way tooth wise for trail riding on a TTR230 and CRF230.

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Grand Master

SJMC_DON

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Ok thanks that helps knowing what the stock gearing is, From my experience with street bikes and roadracing 1 tooth up front = 2.5 in the rear.

Could you explain how much and in what ways it felt different with the 13 tooth front? Thanks

With the 13T C/S sprocket I rarely used first gear. It made slow technical riding much more achievable with some runout in 2nd gear, (similar to what Hollywood is talking about). Typical single track can be ridden in 3rd gear most of the time with again, some runout meanining you have a longer more useable 3rd gear in my opinion because you can lug it and wick it up, (reality is 3rd gear is shorter but you can lug it lower)... probably clear as mud right now ?

Hollywood, the gear ratio's you are listing do not make any kind of sense to me which means nothing because I am admittedly ignorant in such matters but I had ran a 15T on my 04' in the desert and I am convinced I would not use the 15/50 combo in the woods.... in the desert? you betchya!

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Grand Master

SJMC_DON

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Ok that sounds good, Beacuse I find that I am in 1st gear too often in the woods, and a lower 2nd would help alot. Did it make the bike more "jumpy"? Did it help with the wheelies in higher gears? ?

Roll on wheelies in 3rd.... 4th with just a little help:busted:

The bike was only noticeably jumpy in 1st gear

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HollywoodMX

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With the 13T C/S sprocket I rarely used first gear. It made slow technical riding much more achievable with some runout in 2nd gear, (similar to what Hollywood is talking about). Typical single track can be ridden in 3rd gear most of the time with again, some runout meanining you have a longer more useable 3rd gear in my opinion because you can lug it and wick it up, (reality is 3rd gear is shorter but you can lug it lower)... probably clear as mud right now ?

Hollywood, the gear ratio's you are listing do not make any kind of sense to me which means nothing because I am admittedly ignorant in such matters but I had ran a 15T on my 04' in the desert and I am convinced I would not use the 15/50 combo in the woods.... in the desert? you betchya!

I will explain.

I use it as I used to race cars, swapped out diff's etc. Basicaly my decimal numbers represent final drive ratios, it makes it easy to see the differences in changing sprockets when its represented in a numerical value. A 15T would stretches out the gears, giving you more time in each gear, more top speed, better gas milage, less acceleration, a little faster down hill on tranni decel. A 13T would be the opposite, less top speed, worse milage, more acceleration, the need to shift more through the gears, and slower down hills on tranni decel.

Basically for trail 1st and 2nd are the main gears to use I have found on this bike. In stock form 14/50 the bike will truck up a hill no problem in 1st gear. It will also climb very well in 2nd, but you have to be going a bit faster. In tight tree's, with twists and climing, I find Im in first gear. A 15T would give me more time in first gear without hitting the limiter. On the flip side a 13T might need to have to switch to second mid way going up the hill cause you ran out of first gear earlier.

Niether options is right. Both have advantages and disadvantages, more of rider preference but people always think the lowering the teeth is the way to go as it is "typical". With the power of this bike there is definately room to stretch the gearing out.

Take this example, the 07 KTM 450exc uses 15/45. Now this is where final drive comes into play "the weird numbers". This shows the happy medium of going with a 15T.

13T50 = 3.84

14T50 = 3.57 (My stock.)

15T50 = 3.33

15T45 = 3.0 (07 KTM 450EXC)

I Should add I have a full titanium exhaust (it's kick ass), re-jet carb, 19" rear. No grey wire, yz trottle stop (canadian specs.). So to say I have room to stretch the power might be different compared to stock. But I am dirt bike newb but I am very technical with cars, that's why I referenced "Rick Sieman", so perhaps my advise is poor but if you look at the numbers and Rick Sieman's articles on the web it makes sence and the numbers cannot lie.

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adrenalinejunkie

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I run the 13T in the front in Alberta and would never go back to the higher gearing. Tight single track around here can kill you if you are geared to high. My old yz 426 I had to drop 2 teeth off the front sprocket to make it manageable. HollywoodMX could be riding a different type of terrain than what I ride though which is mud/muskeg, mountain single track and tight trails though.

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Grand Master

CORider63

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14T Front with 50T Rear = 50/14 = 3.571 Final Drive Gear Ratio

13T Front with 50T Rear = 50/13 = 3.846 Final Drive Gear Ratio

To obtain the same 3.846 Final Drive Gear Ratio with a 14T Front Sprocket:

14 x 3.846 = 53.844 Teeth on the rear sprocket; or rounded to a 54T Rear Sprocket.

It's not a universal correlation of front teeth to rear teeth, it just happens to be 4 teeth at this particular 14T/50T starting point.

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