kinlon sprocket job ... blimey, i did it!

[jape]

newsprocket.jpg

Woo, what a pain in the arse that was! Mainly because I'm not very mechanically minded I must admit. Not difficult, just fiddly. You need a large circlip/springclip tool, sockets big enough for axle bolt, torque wrench preferably and all the chain breaker and riveting gear. It does have a clip master link on the chain and I reckon it is OK to just keep this but preferably replace the spring clip. I didn't as it wasn't forced or twisted. Many riders swear riveted are safer but hey, its only safer if you know how to do it and have the tools! Lots of MX'ers and racers use clips. Just check it before you ride I reckon, takes a quick glance is all and of course you look at your tyres anyway ...

I only intended to tighten the chain but as I had purchased the sprocket months back thought it couldn't be all that hard ... had lots of difficulty with the hub circlip (17 in the diagram at bottom) as both my sets of circlip pliers were much too small. Finally managed it with a lot of effort and needle-nosed pliers.

The sprocket on this machine has four strange bolts (14 in diag) that have an extended plain shaft that sits in rubber bush collars in the hub. Some suggest it would be best for anyone going to do this to get new bushes and do the swingarm and rear suspension bushes too - but my bike is only 2000km old so I decided not to go to the extra effort of actually identifying and finding the parts and changing them especially as the Kinlon suppliers and dealers are fucking useless, all of them. They are said to be Honda parts or similar so might be a good idea if you have time and energy and skill.

You can find the sprocket specs in my old thread about gearing, thanks to XXX
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...n-rt-200/page2

The 35t sprocket I got didn't sit well on the hub as it is in fact 1.5mm thinner so the large spring clip doesn't hold it back tight - so I have had to place washers between the buffer cushions and the sprocket bolt. This was easier for someone like me than trying to make/find a larger shim. Then it finally tightened well and stopped wobbling, don't know how long that will last but seems safe and solid.

Of course, shortening the chain by two pairs of links wasn't enough, not sure how to work that out properly, I just measured the difference between chain on half of large sprocket against the chain on half of the smaller diameter sprocket. I hadn't really realised that the sprocket with fewer teeth would be smaller ... just me being truly stupid.

The chain is a non 'O' ring 520 and fortunately had a clip I could re-use. but I will replace it soon for safety. So in the end it needed adjusting to more than halfway out, making me think I could have taken off one more pair.

And with much trepidation I took it for a run once I found my lost keys. Remember, it takes the back brake a few pumps to come back up if you use it (I don't, much). Only five miles or so round the local dirt/gravel roads and a mile or so on tarmac, but it told me it is a job well worth doing. You do lose the 'rip' of power most real dirt bikes need, but to be honest, unless you are MXing or doing single track for a hundred miles you DON"T need that rip with an R/T model. The smaller sprocket makes all power use noticeably smoother. The ride feels much more like what I am comfortable with. In fact I would say that on the gravel and loose dirt which I ride just about all the time it is safer as you don't get the sudden 'chop' in gear changes that can lose the back end for you. On the tarmac it seemed it took a fair while to climb through the gears so you do notice that there, but still plenty of right hand if you need it.

Top speed showed only 110 kph and from previous GPS comparison I know that is less than 100 actual. I know the speedo is well out, at least ten percent, so probably now doing only 55 to 60 mph. Needs just a touch more. It just didn't want to go further but was still in a lower rev range, so that could be a need for exhaust/carby changes to peak it even higher. It did not hit the rev limiter, just wouldn't climb further!

All in all, a job I look back on as easy enough but only because it actually got done, a few times I cursed myself for starting it. But it feels and rides so much better. This is certainly the first mod anyone with a Kinlon R/T should do.

[slabo]

Thanks for the post. I have to do the same to my bike before the engine rattles it's self to bits when I try to get past 60 km/h. Both mechanics i saw said it can't be done. Probably because they don't know what replacement parts to get. The dealers in China aren't much better.
The dealer i got my bike says "Oh, it's an offroad bike, dangerous to go fast with this. Also, you're a foreigner, better go slow, not safe for you to go faster than 60."
Again, thanks for the post, as soon as I get back to China i'll get some tools and start this. First i should get the bike to start, i had to push it the last 2 km to the garage. Lost power and won't start again for some reason...

[jape]

Hi mate. I can't remember if yours is the SM or the RT? Both have been done by forum members but I think on the SM you can also change the front sprocket, more room somehow. I certainly didn't see enough room in the front of the RT for a front change. If you want further measurements other than the details and specs XXX gave us in my other thread, just holler.

[jape]

Today I went for a twenty mile trip - all well. Maybe it is the tighter chain but gear changing up is felt more, sort of kicks the bike along. I used to feel it on down changes and had expected less with the new sprocket ratio. I would feel better on the Freeways now but I still want another ten kph at least so I can cruise instead of pushing it, the rev limiter just started to kick in at 120+ kph on clock, (a true 110 kph).

I had GF following me for ten miles, she said that on her car speedo, which is now GPS checked, I was doing just under 95 kph to just a fraction over 105 kph over that distance while my dial showed 110 to 120+. The variation was on slight slopes and when the wind changed! Because these bikes are tall, and the rider is upright, the wind does make a difference. Coming back, same road, with the wind gusting toward me slowed me down by at least 10 kph.

So it certainly does feel better and it does give a usable top speed. The ratio at 2.77 is still OK for the power train with a fair pull through all the gears and quite forgiving when in third instead of second (for example) round a curve, and still throttled up to speed quickly as I came upright and gave her some gas.

[humanbeing]

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=7562172156 | 4 curve | Max = 18000 rpm

[jape]

I do not know ignition much.
This gives me 4 timing choices? (4 curve)
Does it replace or stop the rev limiter?
Would CDI be better?

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=7562172156 | 4 curve | Max = 18000 rpm

[slabo]

Hi Jape,
I have neither SM nor RT. I have a Shineray XY200GY-7, commonly known as the "Long March". But the job is not going to be very different from what you did on bike. I understand from this and your other post "Sporoket Problems" that the issue is to find a matching sproket. The sprokets must be aligned; i.e. chain must be straight with the front and rear sprokets. Hence the possible need for shims. Also I need the correct width sproket for the chain i'm using.
Anyway, i need all the luck I can get on taobao and the local market.

One question though, were you able todo this without taking off the wheel?

[jape]

Ok, understood, glad the thread helped you (or made you laugh )

I reckon there's a few knowledgeable Shineray guys here that would aim you straight at a correct fit sprocket if you start a thread called 'shineray rear sprocket'! They probably don't bother with my posts. Did you get to sort out the ignition yet on yours?

Not really able to do it without taking wheel off Slabo. You could maybe do it without taking the wheel right out, but you have to release the axle nut and slide the shaft out of the frame at least as far as the hub to get the sprocket over the shaft, so it is easy to slide the wheel forward and get the chain off so you can work with that on the bench, so why not put the wheel on the bench or ground to work on the sprocket nuts etc? It is also a chance to clean all the fine dust away.

[humanbeing]

I do not know ignition much.
This gives me 4 timing choices? (4 curve)
Does it replace or stop the rev limiter?
Would CDI be better?

Google translate this : http://www.flytimer.net/gscp/dgdhq.asp It's not the like AC-cdi, more like Suzuki 's Ignitior.
Watch out similar thingy in Ebay , some of them are fancy looking "rubbish" only.

[slabo]

That's what i was afraid of, need to take off the wheel, or at least the wheel must be stable and off the ground. Hence the need for a center stand. If it's loaded, the shaft probably won't budge. Maybe that's why the mechanics i met here refuse to do the job. As for ignition, i just got back to China this morning, so I'll do that as soon as i get a chance..