fourteen front with an aluminum 42 rear...results in a 3.00 gear ratio...i figure this is good for all purpose riding...am I right?

 

last time i checked that was the stock gearing.

 

12/42 is the stock sprocket sizes.
What size rear tires?
I ran 11/41 with 22" tires for woods racing.

14/42 will give you more top speed, but you will lose accelleration. I would reccomend 11/41 with 22" tires or 12/40 with 20" tires. These will give you more top end speed with out losing as much bottom end.

 

Gearing also depends on what type of riding you do, and what mods you may have. I normally run a 13/42 with 18" tires, but depending on what track, trail, etc you're riding will really be the determining factor. Also, a motor that is modded will be able to pull higher gearing. Remember, 1 tooth up on the countershaft sprocket normally equals to 2 teeth down on the rear sprocket.

 

I run 11/42 with 22" All Traks on the rear. I ride woods trails, small sand tracks, some small hill climbing (all in the sand, I'm in FL BTW). I never see 6th gear, and rarely see 5th or even 4th just because there isn't enough open area where I ride. Most of the time I'm in 2nd and 3rd gear. I've only had up to 50 MPH in 5th until I ran out of road. For me, the gearing suits my general purpose riding. I think you can put in a 11, 12, or 13 front sprocket without changing the chain length. I didn't need to when I put on my 11 tooth. Just had to adjust the chain tension. So get a couple of sprockets and experiment to see which is best for you.