Gearing for big willow...

[Som]

Gen 1, ~73hp. There was a 14t front on it when I bought the bike. I had heard people were running 15/46, or 3.067. So I bought a 43t for my rear to bring it to 3.071. This should be equivalent, but are there any other downsides to this (other than sprocket longevity)?

Also, I've heard that some people are running 47t in the back... is this for Gen 2s because of the slightly higher redline?

Last question... I come out of turn 9, in 6th gear, at around 7.8-8k RPM. I feel like I'd be too high in the RPM range to come out of it in 5th gear. Is dropping a gear into 9 the "only-way-if-you're-any-sort-of-competent-racer" way of taking 9? Do the 29/30 guys drop to 5th in 9?

Thanks...

- Som

[Kurt'sSV]

So you have a 13 tooth on the front, what do you have on the back? As long as you're close to redline in 6th going into the braking zone for turn one, your gearing should be good.

I ran 15/46 until I got down to the low '33s then put on a 45 in the back. I was hitting the rev limiter in turn 8 and on the front straight running those times with a 46.

Yes, people who run the same lap times as you on a 2nd gen can run lower gearing due to the higher redline.

I always downshifted to 5th for turn nine and I'm positive everyone does. Kevin Jump, on his Kawi 650 would go to 4th gear for turn nine.

[Tom]

I feel like I'd be too high in the RPM range to come out of it in 5th gear.

You mean the range where it makes power. :D

Yeah, I used to think the same thing because downshifting into high rpms can mean bad news if you are already above the governor when you downshift. I got over that pretty quick though because guys and girls that are in a whole different time zone than me don't blow up their motors there.

BTW, I like the stopwatch that Mackie was using. :D:D

[svsrevlis]

Now the next question sort of on topic is what gear are guys taking 1st in. I haven't been to Big Willow in so long I can't remember. I think 4th but are some guys taking it in 5th?

Som, I am sure I will see you out there racing one of these days. I haven't been able to race for sometime but hoping to make it in May and/or June. But still running novice for a few more races before I can play with the other SV's.

[Tom]

Downshift for turn 1, downshift for turn 3, upshift on the top of turn 6, upshift at the kink, try to hold it wide open for turn 8 then puss out, downshift at turn 9, upshift to 6th somewhere on the front straight.

[Som]

I guess you're right... the more I think about it... I'm not at 8k *entering* Turn 9, I'm at 8k *exiting* Turn 9. So, in fact, I should be at 10.5k (redline) sometime soon after exiting Turn 9. I'll have to work on downshifting there.

I've been doing this, which I'd gotten comfortable with, but at the end of the day I think it's been holding me back:

4th gear - Turn 1 to Turn 3
3rd gear - Turn 3 to just after Turn 5
4th gear - Between Turn 5 and Turn 6
5th gear - Between Turn 6 and Turn 7
6th gear - Turn 7 to Turn 1

I have been having a couple problem areas with it though... on my faster laps I'd top out just before Turn 3 and just before Turn 5. Too close to the turn to downshift then upshift, so I'd just let it redline for the 1 second or so until I got to the turn.

- Som

[since413]

You should be able to run a 15/46 all the way into the 29's, but if you are having problems with the rev limmiter into 3 and 5 you have to go to a 45. I shift into 4th down the hill before 5 there is no way to get to turn 5 in 3rd gear. You also may hit the limmiter into 2 in 4th gear but you can float that one in. To get into the 28's I had to swing a 44, and grab 4th gear for a second in the middle of turn 9, but that gets scetchy.

[Kurt'sSV]

You should be able to run a 15/46 all the way into the 29's,

Really? You think everyone's 1st gens could turn those times with that gearing or just yours because it has a modified brain box? My bike totally ran out of revs with that gearing hitting 33 flats (and this is with official timing and scoring, not magic stop watches). I wonder where my revs were at when I was turning mid .30's with 15/45? I never had a tach after that crash in 05 where I got knocked out.

Gear selection also depends on how your bike makes power. Palmer and West Coast GP bikes down shifted more than I did or Zoran built bikes did. My gear selection would be:

5th for T1
Hold that gear through T2
4th for T3 and hold that through the Omega (I can't remember if I ran that high a gear through there before I got flat slides or not because I used to go down to 3rd gear for T3 then up to 4th for T5)
Short Shift coming out of T5 to 5th
6th at the T7 kink
5th for T9

This is the same shift patter Zoran and Kurt Spencer would run at Willow, too.

[since413]

Yeah, fair enough, but Rogers also went 29xx on the shorter gear, we are running the 180 rear tire though which accounts for some gear. The 160 rear tire would definately run the 45.

[twf]

you guys are in 29's,that is problem :)

[Kurt'sSV]

you guys are in 29's,that is problem :)

Yeah, for you if you come race a 650 again at the big track!

(taunts the guy who doesn't race anymore and never did a 29 :) )

[svsrevlis]

Well now that I have finally ridden Big Willow again here is the shift pattern I was using yesterday. Running 15/46 last time I checked.

T1 - T3 - 4th
T3 - T5 - 3rd (but sometimes up to 4th down the hill and back to 3rd for T5 as I usually redline down the hill)
T5 - 3rd and usually short shift up to 4th before the crest of T6 and then up to 6th for T8
wussing out into T8 and getting off the gas a bit to turn in... :hog:

I shift down to 4th for T9. Perhaps as I get up to speed I can take it in 5th.

My lap times weren't anything to brag about yesterday, but it is nice to see what other guys are doing with the gear box.

I remember reading an article about the 848 in RRW not long ago. Chris Ulrich drastically increased his laps times in the testing when Xaus told him he could use the torque of the twin more and stay in a higher gear through a few sections. I wonder if that is applicable to the SV..? If I could still get a good drive out of T1 and T2 I would like only having to shift down once off the front straight.

[codzilla70]

Matt,

With 15/46 I would be on the limiter most of the way through 8, depending on the wind. With 15/45 it was just about perfect for 8 only just touch the limiter. T1 would be in 5th gear, you gotta carry some good corner speed through 1. I suck at T2 so take it for what its worth but I would carry 5th all the way to T3. If some one was in front of me sometimes I would downshift to 3rd to try and out drive them out of T4 but if not I would only downshift to 4th gear and carry that to T5. I would up shift to 5th on the exit of T5 and shift to 6th just before the cone on the outside exit of T6.

You better have a damper to up shift on T6 though. WFO from T6 to T9. I would down shift as late as possible for T9 but usualy still to early. Sp8s was allways good in T9 so you might ask him for some pointers on that one, or Andy. I wanted to try 15/44 but never got around to it, I wanted to carry more speed through T8.

Strange enough though the only time I got into the 29s was following Wiwi and it was realy easy, I wasn't even breathing hard! So that says alot about how much the rider matters cause it was with 15/45.

[svsrevlis]

Thank for the input Cody.

I definitely have plenty of speed to gain through T8. I am gradually getting there. The last thought running through my big T8 crash last year was, "everybody says you can take this WFO" and I kept the gas on. Then things got nasty. This time around I am going to use some common sense and work up to it. A wise man with long flowing hair and a penchant for tuning SV's once told me something to the effect of "you should never do something on a motorcycle just because someone says you can". I figure those are good words for a 33 y.o. racer with a wife and a kid to live by.

I will experiment with using 5th gear through T1 and T2 and 4th through T5. You must be going a lot faster than me through T5 if you are able to shift into 5th on the exit.

What kind of tires are you running? I have always run 'stones but thought about trying something else just to see if I like them better.

I guess I won't see you out at the track until the next SOW event in October?

[codzilla70]

Very true what that long haired guy said, WFO is just what worked for me.
I tried a lot of tires before settling on Bridgestones. The main reason was money, they payed well and Rich and JM(RIP) worked with me a lot too. I did like Dunlops but they didn't pay.

I would suggest trying every brand you can get your hands on and pick the one you like best, yeah typical answer but its true.
I may come up on Sat cause that Ninja race looks like it'll be good to watch. If not good luck you guys.

[svsrevlis]

WFO is just what worked for me.

My hope is that in the next few months it will work for me too!