I'm new to this bike, 04 RSVR "factory", and any advice would be much appreciated, especially gearing suggestions from those with experience. Roebling? Road A? Jennings? Barber? Many Thanks
Stock gearing is 16/40 on a 525 chain. You can drop the front and add to the rear up to about 15/43 on the stock chain. Personally, I went with DID ERV3 520 conversion with AFAM sprockets to to a 16/44 and she runs great. Most guys that run the Ape as a race bike will run a 520 conversion and do the 16/44 and then fine tune the rear with a 43/45/46 .. but the 16/44 seems to work well with the bike. HTH
thanks derrick. i ran a 15/40 Road A practice this past weekend, which equals about 1 tooth less on the rear (16/43) than your gearing. it felt like i could use another tooth so that jibes with what you're saying. are there clearance issues between tire and swingarm when running 190 rears? michelin and b'stone 190 seems to have room with the 15/40 but it looks like it would be tight with 16/44? probably ok but looks tight. thanks again, chris slay
i run the 16/44 with 190/55 pirelli super corse pros and have no clearance issues. The lower part of the chain is a little close to the header when the bike is unlaiden but no biggie once you get on the bike and ride it. the 16/44 is pretty darn good. It will give plenty of top speed (for most tracks) and will spin right up if you ring her neck. good luck.
that's good to know. thanks for the feedback. coming off an sv, i've already discovered that "spin right up" thing :wow: i'm looking fwd to trying her at roebling this weekend. thanks again--
Gear the bike tall. 16/42 and 16/43 works really well and helps to keep the rear end settled. Also all of the newer Aprilia's use close ratio gear boxes so if you gear really short you will be constantly shifting and not grunting the bike since it will be revving really quick. You could even go with a 17 tooth front and a 43 or 44 rear to help minimize chain pull if you raise the rear of the bike.
Dan, thanks, that explains a lot. I've got a friend that races one of these but he doesn't give up much info on set-up (hey Jim ). He likes that high ride height and tall gearing. I like the bike less tall so I think I'll play with your 16/44 suggestion. I spent a weekend at Road A getting comfortable with the bike. It behaved very well but I wasn't pushing hard. The only other time I've really ridden the bike was a race at Jennings and I nearly high-sided myself twice being ham-fisted on the throttle (good old arse in the air, feet off the pegs stuff). After the weekend at Road A with no foul behavior, other than being a little wide on exits and not quite as quick to steer as I'd like, I'm thinking of dropping the front 3-4mm below the owner's manual suggested race setting? Anyway, thanks again for your advice. Slay, wera #61
For the older Aprilia you have to use at least a 16/43 combination for the back straight at Road A or you will run out of gear (and that was if you were slow like me). I don't know what the final gear ratio is on the new motor and why they run a 16/40 but I would not get to far from it. The other nice thing about tall gearing to is you are less likely to get that not so fun "Oh Sh*t" feeling when you ham fist the throttle. The other up to gearing tall is that you can control the rear wheel spinup better so that it does not happen so quickly. Now that I have lit the fire in my new motor I am going to gear to a 17/43 or 42 to help calm wheel spin and let the bike pull.
For the earlier generations 1998 through 2003, 16/44 is an excellent set up, but keep both a 43 and 45 rear handy. You kids on the new stuff (2004 onward) have it easy with less weight and more power...
Thanks fellas. As mentioned, I was running a 15/40, which is the same as 16/43 (2.67 vs 2.69) so the gearing is close to where it needs to be but it sounds like the 16/43 would provide benefit in regards to "chain pull". Going to 16/44 would bring the gearing a bit lower, which may be good. It felt like I was going too far down in the gear box to get a drive out of T7 and T10B at Road A, and I was not whacking the rev limiter thru T9, so I've got a bit to play with. I think I was just under 10k when I crested the hill but then again, I have a hard time looking at the tach and the track at that point! 16/44 may do it. I'll post a progress report after Cycle Jam. Thanks:up:
