14t opinions om HMT - Ducati.ms

SquireSCA · Sep 12th, 2008, 10:56 pm

Ok, I have a Tard, and before I picked up the bike from the dealer, I had them slap on the 14t front sprocket.

I had them do that because the three Ducs I had prior, were all geared very tall. An S2R1000, an S4RS and a 999s, all 2007 models.

I like how it feels, but cruising on the interstate at 5000rpm, or having first gear be pretty much useless, makes me wonder if the Motard is not geared as tall as most other Ducati's.

I am wondering if the slightly more grunt, is offset by running out of gear so much faster and having to shift sooner.

On the 4 vavle motors that redline at 10,500rpm, and especially on my Inline 4 japanese bikes that rev anywhere from 12000rpm to 16000rpm, shortening the gears slightly may not have as much of an effect on your shift patterns.

But on a bike that redlines at 8000rpm, but the power pretty much sings off at 7000rpm...

I dunno, I just wonder if I should try going back to stock and see if getting back first gear as a usable gear and having a little more time to rev before shifting, might not be better overall on this particular bike.

What do you guys think?

I have only ridden this bike with the 14t, never stock.

flying_hun · Sep 13th, 2008, 9:08 am

I just went the other direction, and found it an improvement. I'm liking the 14t. Only time will tell if my initial positive impressions will persist.

Obviously, YMMV.

Robert · Sep 13th, 2008, 11:31 am

when I got my Paul Smart I thought it was geared to tall but the HM feels right to me stock

SquireSCA · Sep 13th, 2008, 1:27 pm

Well, I put the stock gear back on, and the loss in acceleration is barely perceptable. It doesn't pull the front wheel up quite as easy in second.

So it lost a little there.

What I do notice is that first gear is usable now. Before, I used it to start moving and then had to immediately shift to second. It pops the wheel up easy, but is a bit less violent.

I find that I am shifting slightly less, and cruising on the highway is a bit better, and when I want to pass at 85mph, I am not already halfway through my powerband in top gear.

Not a night and day difference, but I think I like it better. The slight extra punch at lower revs was nice, but you run out of gear faster. On an inline 4 sportbike that does 170mph, not much of an issue, but on a bike that already struggles to hit 130mph at redline, having slightly longer legs feels better.

Just my opinion.

Also part of this decision was based on the fact that I plan to add the Zard collectors to my slipon, add the DP cams and a power commander and get this thing dialed in on a dyno, and a 520 conversion.

So any loss in acceleration that exists, will be gone when I add several HP and some torque and shave a few pounds off the drivetrain...

HYPRmoTARD · Sep 13th, 2008, 1:43 pm

With mods my bike hits limiter/cuts out in top gear with stock gears. Sometimes I still reach for a extra gear on the interstate. It seems right for me. If you want it to pull faster a simple downshift does great and it doesn't hurt the freeway ride like the shorter gears. The extra power does seem to make 1st seem shorter again though. I am not running the lightned flywheel but do have 2n1 Termi, air box mod, cams, hc pistons, and headwork.

GMP · Sep 13th, 2008, 1:44 pm

It really depends on where you ride. If your on the slab a lot then the 15t might be better. I have the 14t and think its a hair low but works better than the 15. I do mostly backroads but if I took a long trip with a lot of slab I might throw the 15t back on. I think 15/44 would be perfect.

SquireSCA · Sep 13th, 2008, 1:47 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMP

It really depends on where you ride. If your on the slab a lot then the 15t might be better. I have the 14t and think its a hair low but works better than the 15. I do mostly backroads but if I took a long trip with a lot of slab I might throw the 15t back on. I think 15/44 would be perfect.

Good point. I drive mainly back roads, some twisties, occasionally some tight mountain stuff and a fair bit of interstate or major roads(to get where I am going).

I can see the tight Mtn stuff benefiting from the 14t, of course, I could just run a gear lower with the stock gearing and have more drive.

It was just more toe-tapping with the 14t. All my other bikes, Ducs and Jap bikes alike, I preferred -1 on the front sprocket, but on this particular bike, stock seems good.

Karna · Sep 13th, 2008, 8:04 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by HYPRmoTARD

With mods my bike hits limiter/cuts out in top gear with stock gears. Sometimes I still reach for a extra gear on the interstate. It seems right for me. If you want it to pull faster a simple downshift does great and it doesn't hurt the freeway ride like the shorter gears. The extra power does seem to make 1st seem shorter again though. I am not running the lightned flywheel but do have 2n1 Termi, air box mod, cams, hc pistons, and headwork.

I've been debating the pod filter... as I would rather get the Cyclewerks gas kit that has it... aside from that I feel the power very different... feels like it lingers in 5th-6th gear doesnt have the same insane pull like 1-4 on the freeway unless Im in 4th it doesnt feel as manic when I pull away from cars etc.. it almost seems dare I say slow... just my 2 cents... Ive thought about gearing but I feel like Im going to wait till I hit 18k should be next month

All the best...

Dallara · Sep 13th, 2008, 8:51 pm

One point to note here...

Whether or not one likes a change to lower gearing, or prefers taller gearing, etc. can have a lot to do with just how heavy the rider is. As a rule it is likely that smaller, lighter riders are more prone to think the Hypermotard is geared just fine out of the box while heavier riders would be inclined to think lower, shorter gearing might be more appropriate.

Just something to consider...

So, how about each poster mention what they weigh (and what, if any, performance modifications they have made) when they post their gearing preferences or conclusions?

It might make things easier to relate to for those who have questions about their gearing but haven't made a change yet... Like me!

Thanks!

Dallara

HYPRmoTARD · Sep 13th, 2008, 10:04 pm

175lbs.....I do feel the difference in the high gear pull, but when there is a long straight between the turns it is nice to have the extra mph when all your friends are on liter bikes. Tucking in also makes a big difference. I wouldn't call it slow though just not as rapid as the 4th gear pull. With all the mods you can stay in 4th longer; because it still pulls very hard in the upper rpms instead of signing off early and having to shift out. I also have considered the beast R instead of my double drilled air box. But I wonder how much difference it would actually make compared to my double drill and new filter setup.