i see alot of people go to 15 tooth with 22's, what does this do as far
as performance low and top end. i get the ground clearance part
but why drop a tooth why not stay stock sprocket..

i am thinking of 22"xct holeshots but not sure
what to do with the front sprocket.

i ride mostly trails and small pits

 

When you change the rear tire size, it changes the gear ratio. Changing the front sprocket keeps the ratio the same. Bigger rear tire=smaller front sprocket.

 

so going with a 15 tooth with 22"s is the same set up as stock gearing
..there is no performance benifits only clearance

 

I don't have a gear chart handy, but it should be pretty close to stock gearing. And a 15 tooth front is the smallest sprocket offered. Now if your still looking for more bottom end, you'll have to go larger on the rear sprocket, but I don't think you'll need it!

 

there is a web site that has a gear chart(cant post it) that you plug in numbers and rpm's

and gives you speed in every gear. the 22'S with a

16 tooth at 8500 rpm's shows 92mph top speed but

with a 15 tooth it is 86...i dont car about top speed

just low end and i dont want to have to shift alot in

the trails so what does anybody suggest?

15 or 16

 

For sake of argument you are correct.. The stock sprocket W/ 20" rears would be close to a 15 tooth W/ 22" rears ...... Remeber I said "close"!

Yes you gain the ground clearance BUT you also gain a larger patch of tire that contacts the ground.
This is a plus when drag racing , ( have you ever seen a dragster with small rear wheels ??? makes you wonder eh ? ) More tire on the ground means more HP to the ground.
A taller tire also is smoother on rough terrain....
A taller tire with also raise your center of gravity...
Taller tires also have more sidewall and will allow the tire to "roll over" on its side when in a turn... but can be cured by getting a taller rim.

I hope that might have filled in the blanks somewhat as to why some people may choose to run a 22" tire....



Ill still keep my 20" on
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i guess what i am wondering is why not leave the stock
16 in ..it shows better performance..

 

The gearing thing has too many different combos to type about. The “Gearing Calculator” Is a good representation of what to expect BUT its not 100% correct.

The best advice I can give you is get a 17 tooth AND a 15 tooth and try them both out. It will cost you 12.00 to 18.00 for each and you shouldn’t have to do anything else except re-adjust your chain. That’s the most cost effective way to understand the difference. Don’t bother with the rear sprocket yet because they are 50.00 and up.

I have a small fortune in sprockets in my garage and have tried tons of combos with the stock length of chain and a few with minus one link too.

JP

 

How are you measing performance? A 15T will give you better acceleration, low end torque, and less shifting. The only advantage to keeping the 16T would be a few MPH on the top end. Even then, a relatively stock bike is going to have a hard time turning 5th gear with 22"s and stock gearing.

I have run both 16T and 15T with 22's and my vote if for the 15T hands down. I even run the 15T with my stock 20"s.

 

DSenginneer.... Where / what kind of riding are you doing and what combo do you prefer ??