I enjoy trail riding and was considering improving the rear ground clearance of my 400EX. I thought about getting larger rear tires, however I do not want to lose any low end. Should I also change sprockets?

Any advise will be appreciated.

 

Drop one tooth on the counter sprocket, then get 22" tires. Works great.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

yes, a 14 tooth front sprocket is about stock gearing with 22 inch rear tires. by the way, i have a 14 tooth renthal for sale if your interested.

 

yep!!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

also,,,,

welcome to the forums!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Here is my experience. Holeshot XCT's (23" front/22" rear) are supposed to be the hot setup for desert racing. On the 400EX they give the bike a little bit of a tall and tippy feel, but it isn't so terrible that I couldn't live with it, as long as I run rims with a greater offset so that widens the bike some. I went down a tooth in front to compensate for the gearing change, and I have to say that it was way to much! Any slight blip of the throtle would have the front end up in the air. It would wheelie powering out of turns, and I would lose steering control.

I know everybody likes to do the easy fix and just change out the front sprocket (because you don't need a longer chain and a sprocket is cheap!), but in my experience it was to much. A better fix is to go one or maybe two teeth bigger in back (one tooth in front = three in back). I can go one tooth without a longer chain, and depending on what swingarm skid plate you have, you may not have clearance for two teeth.

 

I have 22's on the back and a 14 tooth up front and I have absolutely no top end. I'm putting a 15 on come spring. And then I will decide whether or not to put 20's on or keep 22's.

 

Thanks for the input Honda400rider. Can you elaborate on "absolutely no top end"? About how fast do you think it goes?

 

22's with a 14 tooth sprocket is what I run. It's close to stock gearing.

 

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