i have a 2001 raptor and wanted to change the sprockets. i want a little more top end without sacrificing the low end. would this cure the "chugging" in second gear? the machine is all stock, and id like to start the mods soon. i have thought about a speedometer too. have any of you out there seen these? and how difficult would it be to hook it up? any help would be appreciated.

 

By changing the sprockets, you are going to get either more top end speed or more low end power. You can't get both just by changing the sprockets. If you want both, you will need to modify the engine. You said it is all stock. If that is the case, open up the air box, put on a Pro Design Pro-Flow filter kit, pipe it, and re-jet it. The stock airbox and filter setup is very restrictive. Check out the Feb. issue of Dirtwheels for more info on pipes. Some people feel that the results are flawed, I think it is useful, if for no other factor than to show how much power is available with simple bolt-ons. There is a big debate about full system vs. slip-on that constantly rages on in this forum. All I will tell you is this, research it and make up your own decision.

 

I thought 2nd gear was too high as well. To start, I put a 12 tooth front sprocket on and liked it except for the fact that it wound the hell out of the motor at top speed. To cure this I then went back to the 13 front and went to a 43 rear. I put 2 washers on my skid plate and did not have to add links to my chain. This setup is perfect for me. I now have lower gearing without robbing engine horesepower. Do a search on this subject.

 

I run a 12T countershaft on mine, but it definatly cuts the top end, but cured that 2nd gear "chugging" as you called it. as cbus660r mentioned the controversial DW article, if you read closely you will the pattern is not just a pipe but the entire intake exhaust system. the ct system does so well because they do the whole system from open airbox and filter to exhaust, this approach works very well with any of the exhaust systems, and may be what you are looking for instead of gearing

 

I have both the 12 tooth sprocket and the engine mods noted above. Top speed is down slightly, but it accelerates to top speed very, very quickly. And since the engine mods boost the hi RPM horsepower and the low RPM torque, the gap between 1st and 2nd gears is less noticeable. But be aware: ON firm surfaces, this is a wheelie machine, even when you don't expect or desire it.

My engine mods: K&N air filter, back two-thirds of the air box lid cut off, K&N re-jet kit (by dynojet), and a White brothers e-series muffler with 14 discs. The muffler alone yielded almost no gain, but when coupled with the other mods, it screams.

A friend has the speedo on his warrior. The pickup was easy to install and wire. Be sure to get one that has a large display. Vibration and bumps make it impossible to read otherwise.

Good luck.

 

The easiest cure to your wants and wishes is to:

1) open up the airbox with a few holes in the lid and cut the baffle from the snorkle
2) install your favorite air filter (I like foam so I use a White Brothers Powerfilter)
3) rejet with a Dynojet/K&N kit

If this doesn't do it for you and believe me this might be all you want, then

4) install aftermarket exhaust (I have the GYTR tip with the stock headpipe)
5) rejet

If you are paying someone to do your carb work then I recommend biting the bullet and doing it all at once.

Forget the gear changing scenarios, they will not do it for you. You can still play around with gearing after the mods and you will have the engine to pull it.

/NotuRaptor

 

I've never understood why all you guys think adding more HP (like a pipe and airbox mod) fixes 'chugging' on the 2nd gear. I can see how it would help get out of this chugging point better when accelerating. Maybe the chugging point shifts a little, but must still be there.

There is a certain speed on a stock raptor where 1st gear is starting to wind out and instinct is telling you it's time to shift to 2nd. But if you shift, it is too slow for the gearing and the engine protests until you speed up. The slow speed is causing the RPMs in the engine to slow to the point that the engine is trying to stall.

So, you put on a pipe, silencer and airbox mod. What happens to the stall point? At some point in 2nd gear, you can slow down until it starts chugging. Has this point really change from stock? The HP mods allow the bike to idle at lower RPMs? I wonder. Either way, the problem is still there - just might be at a slightly different RPM level, right?

Changing sprockets doesn't really fix it either. I run the 12T up front and it really helped. But that's because it lowers 2nd gear to the point that you almost don't even need 1st gear (unless your crawling slowly).

 

scramblr,

The idea isn't to add horsepower per se (which helps on the top end to obtain more speed) but to add torque. Although often confused, horsepower and torque are not the same. Torque is more a measure of how much resistance can be overcome. Adding low end torque overcomes the bogging problem in 2nd gear because in stock form, the Raptor doesn't have enough torque in the lower RPM range to overcome the resistance. The only way to overcome it is to feather the clutch to keep the engine in an RPM where it does have the torque. Of course, you will burn the clutch plates out doing this. A stronger motor can always pull taller gearing. That is what everyone is basically suggesting...increase the torque so you can effectively pull 2nd gear. Making the mods, you will be increasing torque even at a lower RPM range.

/NotuRaptor

 

I would be careful with changing sprockets around with the 01's. If you put more stress on the tranny the sooner it will go out on you. Not to say that it will go out but the reliability of the 01 tranny's is not good right now. If it does go and you don't know how to fix it yourself your looking at at least a grand. Yamaha hasn't been to cooperative with the 01 tranny's yet and warrenty or not, they say it's caused by rider abuse which is bulls**t and we all know it. Just be cautious.

 

Lowering the gearing ratio will probably not increase the tranny stress, unless you jamb the rear tires onto something, preventing their movement completely.

But regardless, I believe low serial # owners should baby their tranny, or go get the extended warranty, if yamaha will sell it to em.

And adding more upper rpm h-p means that I'm winding my engine out further in first gear, and starting out in 2nd at a higher rpm than stock. But even if I do shift at the stock shift point, 2nd gear is now more capable of accelerating smoothly, since low end torque is increased (as noto said).