Ducati Multistrada Quick Change Sprockets and 525 Conversion
’13 Ducati Multistrada GT Sprocket Swap
Let me first start off by saying that this write up talks specifically about changing the stock gearing set up on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 from a 15/40 front and rear tooth sprockets with a 530 chain to a 15/42 set up and a 525 chain conversion. However, the overall information on gearing options can be useful to anyone whose motorcycle has a chain. You will find links to useful information that explain gearing for bikes, calculators to examine anything from RPM changes at a given speed to final drive ratios and top speed calculations. The sprockets and chains for this project came from my go to supplier at http://sprocketcenter.com. Their site has everything you need for just about any bike you are working on but of equal importance to their site is their knowledgeable staff that can answer any question you have related to sprocket and chain changes.
Let’s get started by talking about the basics of gear ratios and the affects that changing either a front or rear sprocket can have. As a reference, much of this information comes from a great site at www.gearingcommander.com. Please check them out and help support them. The stock ratio on my ’13 Ducati Multistrada GT is a 15 tooth front sprocket and a 40 tooth rear sprocket combined with my stock rear tire of 190/55-ZR17 gives the bike a theoretical top speed of 160.1 MPH @ 9250 RPM in 6th gear.
When you are looking at changing gear ratios, you can change the front sprocket, rear sprocket or both to achieve the desired speed, torque or RPM range that you are looking for. First, I we will address changing the front sprocket only. By changing the front sprocket either up or down by one tooth it is approximately equivalent to changing the rear sprocket by about 3 teeth. My goal was to lower my RPM range for smoother low end riding so if I had swapped the front sprocket from a 15T to a 14T my theoretical top speed would be 149.4 MPH in 6th gear. On the other hand if I was looking for a higher top speed and could fit a 16T front sprocket, then the theoretical top speed would be 170.8 MPH. The benefit of a front sprocket only change is that it is cheaper and fast to do. The drawbacks of a front swap are that one tooth is a large jump in overall ratio. In the example of doing a 16T front swap to achieve a higher top speed comes at the cost of having potential problems at the low end of the RPM range as in stop and go traffic. Another point to consider when dropping down one tooth on the front is that the sprocket is a smaller diameter which means that the chain has to make a tighter turn as it goes around it. This will shorten the life of the chain.
I decided to go with a rear sprocket change but also went with a quick change carrier so that I can go between the stock 40T size and the new 42T. I also have two chains that make this a relatively quick process. More on those details later. When we look at using a sprocket with more teeth on the rear, it has the opposite effect as the front. One tooth down in front is about the same as adding three teeth to the rear sprocket. A 42T sprocket on the rear now gives my bike a theoretical top speed of 152.5. The main reason I wanted to change my gear ratio was that the Ducati is a bit sluggish around town and you have to be at the upper end of highway speeds to be in a good power band for 6th gear. As an example, with the stock setup at 65 MPH the RPM’s are at 3756. With the 42T rear sprocket at 65 MPH the RPM’s are 3943, a difference of 187 RPM’s. That can be difference between having to downshift to 5th or not when passing a car without loosing too much on the top end.
Now let’s take a look at my specific set up and the installation overview of it. I went to Sprocketcenter.com and ordered their 525 conversion with 15T/42T and a 40T Superlite steel sprockets, Hyperflex Cush Drives and the EK ZVX3 chains (110 Link for the 42T and a 108 for the 40T) http://sprocketcenter.com/street-sprocket-applications/ducati/1200-multistrada-2010-2015/525-conversion-kit-quick-change-sprocket-set-with-your-choice-of-x-ring-chain-ducati-1200-multistrada.html
Why you might consider a change from the stock 530 chain to a 525. First off, a 525 pitch chain set up is lighter than a 530 pitch set up. This weight saving, although small, can equate into better acceleration due to a lower rotating mass. The bike will spool up faster and feel much more lively. When you look at bang for the buck, many of us have spent much more money with little to no gains in performance.
Let me first start off by saying that this write up talks specifically about changing the stock gearing set up on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 from a 15/40 front and rear tooth sprockets with a 530 chain to a 15/42 set up and a 525 chain conversion. However, the overall information on gearing options can be useful to anyone whose motorcycle has a chain. You will find links to useful information that explain gearing for bikes, calculators to examine anything from RPM changes at a given speed to final drive ratios and top speed calculations. The sprockets and chains for this project came from my go to supplier at http://sprocketcenter.com. Their site has everything you need for just about any bike you are working on but of equal importance to their site is their knowledgeable staff that can answer any question you have related to sprocket and chain changes.
Let’s get started by talking about the basics of gear ratios and the affects that changing either a front or rear sprocket can have. As a reference, much of this information comes from a great site at www.gearingcommander.com. Please check them out and help support them. The stock ratio on my ’13 Ducati Multistrada GT is a 15 tooth front sprocket and a 40 tooth rear sprocket combined with my stock rear tire of 190/55-ZR17 gives the bike a theoretical top speed of 160.1 MPH @ 9250 RPM in 6th gear.
When you are looking at changing gear ratios, you can change the front sprocket, rear sprocket or both to achieve the desired speed, torque or RPM range that you are looking for. First, I we will address changing the front sprocket only. By changing the front sprocket either up or down by one tooth it is approximately equivalent to changing the rear sprocket by about 3 teeth. My goal was to lower my RPM range for smoother low end riding so if I had swapped the front sprocket from a 15T to a 14T my theoretical top speed would be 149.4 MPH in 6th gear. On the other hand if I was looking for a higher top speed and could fit a 16T front sprocket, then the theoretical top speed would be 170.8 MPH. The benefit of a front sprocket only change is that it is cheaper and fast to do. The drawbacks of a front swap are that one tooth is a large jump in overall ratio. In the example of doing a 16T front swap to achieve a higher top speed comes at the cost of having potential problems at the low end of the RPM range as in stop and go traffic. Another point to consider when dropping down one tooth on the front is that the sprocket is a smaller diameter which means that the chain has to make a tighter turn as it goes around it. This will shorten the life of the chain.
I decided to go with a rear sprocket change but also went with a quick change carrier so that I can go between the stock 40T size and the new 42T. I also have two chains that make this a relatively quick process. More on those details later. When we look at using a sprocket with more teeth on the rear, it has the opposite effect as the front. One tooth down in front is about the same as adding three teeth to the rear sprocket. A 42T sprocket on the rear now gives my bike a theoretical top speed of 152.5. The main reason I wanted to change my gear ratio was that the Ducati is a bit sluggish around town and you have to be at the upper end of highway speeds to be in a good power band for 6th gear. As an example, with the stock setup at 65 MPH the RPM’s are at 3756. With the 42T rear sprocket at 65 MPH the RPM’s are 3943, a difference of 187 RPM’s. That can be difference between having to downshift to 5th or not when passing a car without loosing too much on the top end.
Now let’s take a look at my specific set up and the installation overview of it. I went to Sprocketcenter.com and ordered their 525 conversion with 15T/42T and a 40T Superlite steel sprockets, Hyperflex Cush Drives and the EK ZVX3 chains (110 Link for the 42T and a 108 for the 40T) http://sprocketcenter.com/street-sprocket-applications/ducati/1200-multistrada-2010-2015/525-conversion-kit-quick-change-sprocket-set-with-your-choice-of-x-ring-chain-ducati-1200-multistrada.html
Why you might consider a change from the stock 530 chain to a 525. First off, a 525 pitch chain set up is lighter than a 530 pitch set up. This weight saving, although small, can equate into better acceleration due to a lower rotating mass. The bike will spool up faster and feel much more lively. When you look at bang for the buck, many of us have spent much more money with little to no gains in performance.
Stock 530 40T Set Up
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Quick Change 525 42T Set Up
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Second, there are more sprocket options available in the 525 than in the 530. Keep in mind that the Ducati Monster 1200 comes with a 525 chain and sprockets from the factory and 525 chains are rated up to 1300cc bikes. The downside is with a lighter chain comes some increased wear and you should check your chain tension more often.
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Next, why you might consider Polyurethane Cush Drives. The stock rubber cush drives are more prone to breaking down with chemicals, age and weather. The Poly Cush Drives are 25% lighter than stock and have a much more positive feel under hard acceleration than the stock units.
To get this install started, it is helpful to have a Ducati manual and you will need hex wrenches, torque wrenches, chain breaker/press/riveting tool, impact gun or a big breaker bar, thread locker (red) and a Ducati rear wheel socket among a few other items. First off, I put the bike on my center stand and loosened the upper chain guard and removed the rear with mud guard. |
Polyurethane Cush Drives
Loosen upper chain guard and remove rear.
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*** If changing from the stock 530 pitch*** Remove the front sprocket guard and pry up the locking washer to gain access to the sprocket nut. With the bikes rear brake applied, use an impact gun if available to loosen the front sprocket nut.
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Stock front sprocket lock washer
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Remove the rear wheel nut clip and using the impact gun and Ducati nut socket, loosen the rear nut.
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Rear nut removal
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Locate the chains master link and grind off one of the rivet heads. This will make it easier to remove the link pin and extend the life of your chain breaker.
Using your chain breaker, press the master link pin out and remove the stock chain. |
Grind rivet head on master link
Chain breaker
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Remove the rear sprocket and put a hex wrench into a vise to hold the stock cush drives in place allowing you to remove the stock hub. A 3/8” extension may work in place of the hex wrench. The stock carrier will be reused.
Assemble the new sprocket onto the quick change carrier, apply red locktite and torque the nuts to 16ftlb. If you are reusing the stock cush drives, you will need to press them out and into the new carrier. Now install the stock hub onto the quick change assembly, apply red thread locker and using a hex wrench in the vise to hold the Cush Drives, torque the nuts to 35ftlb |
Remove stock hub
Stock hub on new carrier
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Put the new front sprocket on (if converting to a different pitch than stock) Install the rear sprocket carrier onto the bike and put your new chain on. Install a new master link, press and rivet it into place. ***Note on chain length*** The stock chain is 108 links*** As a rule of thumb, when you go up additional teeth on a rear sprocket you will add the same number to the length of the chain. If you try to put a 42T sprocket and a 108 link chain on the bike, the wheelbase will be shorter. This is why I have a new 108 chain for when I change to a 40T and a 110 for the 42T.
With the bike in gear and the rear brake applied, torque the front sprocket nut to 137ftlb and bend the lock washer down over one of the flat spots on the nut. Torque the rear sprocket carrier nut to 170ftlb and install the locking pin for the nut. (You might have to adjust the nut slightly to align the hole for the locking pin)
With the bike in gear and the rear brake applied, torque the front sprocket nut to 137ftlb and bend the lock washer down over one of the flat spots on the nut. Torque the rear sprocket carrier nut to 170ftlb and install the locking pin for the nut. (You might have to adjust the nut slightly to align the hole for the locking pin)
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Loosen the two pinch bolts holding the eccentric wheel adjustment. Using your factory chain gauge and spanner wrench, adjust the spanner nut behind the sprocket to tighten the chain. A small amount of adjustment on the spanner nut will move the rear tire toward the front of the bike or away.
Adjust until the center of one of the chains links aligns in the center of the factory chain gauge. |
Eccentric pinch bolts
Factory chain guage
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Tighten the eccentric pinch bolts to 26ftlb each alternating between the two. Do not tighten one all the way and then the other.
Go back over everything that you have done and make sure everything in installed correctly, the rear tire spins freely and install the front sprocket cover, rear mud and chain guard with upper chain guard. Wipe off the excess chain lube and go for a ride!
My first impressions are that I really notice a mellowing of the bikes engine at lower speeds. With the stock set up, the bike tended to surge at low RPM and now 6th gear is much more usable. Mid range power has also a very noticeable improvement. The Poly Cush Drives have a very positive feel when you are hard on the throttle. The bike still has plenty of top end but the improvements in where you actually do your riding, the power to the ground when pulling out of a curve, passing and pulling away from a stop sign awesome!
Thanks to http://sprocketcenter.com and www.gearingcommander.com for all they do to help us better enjoy our bikes. This is a project that anyone with some basic knowledge and some tools can do themselves. The Ducati dealer quoted me $190 plus tax to install this kit if I provided it. If you have everything ready ahead of time, you can install this kit in about 2 hours or less. Once you have the tools to do this job, you have them for life and you can save additional money over the years by taking off your own tires and changing your own chain.
Go back over everything that you have done and make sure everything in installed correctly, the rear tire spins freely and install the front sprocket cover, rear mud and chain guard with upper chain guard. Wipe off the excess chain lube and go for a ride!
My first impressions are that I really notice a mellowing of the bikes engine at lower speeds. With the stock set up, the bike tended to surge at low RPM and now 6th gear is much more usable. Mid range power has also a very noticeable improvement. The Poly Cush Drives have a very positive feel when you are hard on the throttle. The bike still has plenty of top end but the improvements in where you actually do your riding, the power to the ground when pulling out of a curve, passing and pulling away from a stop sign awesome!
Thanks to http://sprocketcenter.com and www.gearingcommander.com for all they do to help us better enjoy our bikes. This is a project that anyone with some basic knowledge and some tools can do themselves. The Ducati dealer quoted me $190 plus tax to install this kit if I provided it. If you have everything ready ahead of time, you can install this kit in about 2 hours or less. Once you have the tools to do this job, you have them for life and you can save additional money over the years by taking off your own tires and changing your own chain.
Before
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After
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