Sprocket help please guys

I’m a enthusiastic owner, tinker a bit and ride a bit I have a 1299 and am looking at changing chain and sprockets with 10000km now coming up.
Please can you tell me what is the difference with this 525 & 520 chain referred to in the forum?
I see guys are saying go up one tooth on rear (40/ or 41) from standard, is this recommend for a bike used on roads only?
Lastly the chain does it come with a quick link or do I need to rivit it back?

is thee a link to replacing it with pics, currently I have all the fairings off so would like to do this

thx in advance

Definitely change to the 520 set up. It’s much lighter than the stock chain and sprockets. As for adding one to the rear that’s up to you. If you add one to the rear that’s not a huge change but it will have a bit more acceleration but I doubt that your going to feel a difference with such a small change. Most drop one off the front and that you will definitely feel. You lose a little top end but you don’t really need a 190 mph road bike anyways. Good luck man.

Changing chain and sprockets with 10000 km???

I would recommend sticking with the 525 setup. The 1299 has an awful lot of power so the sprockets wil wear very fast. Plus the narrow 520 chain looks silly. Almost like a bicycle chain.

Not too concerned with weight, 10000 is low for sprockets they are still in very good condition
I did the throttle grip spacer mod, but it’s still a ..... to ride at 60km/ hour so was hoping to gear it better for traffic conditions.
I have it stripped now because I’m doing some maintenance and just thought may as well change....that was till I got chai and sprocket pricing

I too would stay with a 525. Installing a chain involves putting in a link that should come with the chain and new rivets. You will need a tool that pushes out the old rivets to get the old chain off, and allows you to flatten out the “head” of the new rivet. I have a Motion Pro that works well.

Find some videos showing how to do it. The only tricky part is knowing how far to flatten out the head of the new rivet. The chain manufacturer has specs on how far it should spread out. I just go slow, doing a little bit at a time. You don’t want to over tighten the new rivet.

If you are a decent do it yourselfer it’s not a hard job. If not, its only about. 30 minute job for any professional mechanic. I’m referring to the chain itself. The rear sprocket is very easy to change. The front sprocket is generally easy, but some times they are bit tight and are a bit of a challenge to get loose.

Highly recommend 41T sticking with 525 and getting a standard Duc steel sprocket, plenty around and cheap. For road use you wont notice any difference with chain size but its just physics re chain wear, you'll need to get a 106 link chain and TBH, the standard Regina is pretty crappy, get a ZMVX or similar.

Get a 41t sprocket, after I put the 41t on the bike felt much smoother. If you dont care about weight and all that, just keep the 525.

P.s. if you go 520, I have an EK black/gold chain for sale, only about 500 miles on it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Captain Greg said:

I’m a enthusiastic owner, tinker a bit and ride a bit I have a 1299 and am looking at changing chain and sprockets with 10000km now coming up.
Please can you tell me what is the difference with this 525 & 520 chain referred to in the forum?
I see guys are saying go up one tooth on rear (40/ or 41) from standard, is this recommend for a bike used on roads only?
Lastly the chain does it come with a quick link or do I need to rivit it back?

is thee a link to replacing it with pics, currently I have all the fairings off so would like to do this

thx in advance

Click to expand...

If you are not worried about weight or trying to improve appearance "bling" then I would just go up from the 39 rear in 525 to the 41 rear in 525. Just buy one sprocket and a new chain. I did the mod on my 1199 a long time ago and went from 39 rear to 41 rear. And I did it for easier ride ability in slow traffic and slow manoeuvring. Less slipping the clutch. I did however go down to 520 to reduce weight and I purchased some other pieces to make in prettier "bling". I agree with jjsC6 that the Motion Pro tool is good. I purchased one and have used it a few times. You can buy a chain with a circlip joint or ones that compress the pin to make a more secure joint. I have one of the larger size chains on an old classic ducati that use a circlip joint and never had issues with it. However due to the greater power output of the 1199 I used a chain that has a pressed pin. To remove the old chain you just get your angle grinder out. Grind off the heads of a couple of pins and then use a drift pin or punch to gently remove the link. A really easy job. Just take your time.

520, 525, 530, etc., is an international reference number used to identify a given chain or sprocket. A 520 or 525 chain/sprocket (both suitable for use on the 1299) share the same pitch (the distance from the centerline of one chain pin to the centerline of the next chain pin, in the case of a chain). However, the inner width/pin length of 520 and 525 chains differ... the sprockets are dissimilar as well.

In the case of a street driven bike, a heavy duty 525 chain and steel sprockets will provide years of reliable service. While 520 components will save some weight, the 525 components, in most cases, tend to be the stronger of the two.

A 41T rear sprocket will pick up the low end a bit and shave a bit off of the top end... however, it's a reasonable choice for a street driven bike.

There's wear that can easily be observed, and then there's wear that may be less discernible. Regardless of either, best practice calls for the chain and both sprockets to be replaced as a set so as to maximize the service life of the new components. The components wear as a set and should be replaced as a set.

Removal and installation... as the old chain will be discarded, a hand grinder with a cutoff disc attached can be use to remove the old chain. Depending on the manufacturer of the new chain, you may have options regarding the type of master link to use. EK Chains ZVX3 Heavy Duty 525 chain, for example, can be installed using a rivet type or screw type master link. The screw type link is suitable for bikes displacing as much as 1400 cc's. Only a single open-end wrench and a pair of pliers are required to install the screw type link... no special tools required.

If you're working with OEM components, you may want to take the opportunity and install a quick-change rear carrier. There won't be any additional work required as the final drive will have to be removed in it's entirety to replace the OEM components, and the cost of a new rear quick-change sprocket and sprocket carrier will be nearly identical to that of an OEM replacement. The original cush drives pins and carrier flange can be retained and installed with the quick-change sprocket and carrier. Replacing the chain and sprockets will then be easier the next time around.

A link regarding the same: BREAKING IT DOWN, THE 1199 FILES, THE CHAIN AND SPROCKETS

Greg if the chain and sprockets ok and weight is not an issue just go down one size on the front sprocket, you will notice the difference but also it will give you the opportunity to sample the gearing change 1st hand. Then later on you could go the new chain and sprockets with two up on the rear when the chain comes to the end of it's life.

Regarding the slow speed rideability have you had the fueling seen too?

able duc said:

Greg if the chain and sprockets ok and weight is not an issue just go down one size on the front sprocket, you will notice the difference but also it will give you the opportunity to sample the gearing change 1st hand. Then later on you could go the new chain and sprockets with two up on the rear when the chain comes to the end of it's life.

Regarding the slow speed rideability have you had the fueling seen too?

Click to expand...

AD no I have not had any luck with the low end fueling and cutting out, I have not been around much with serious tours in the last 24 months, that said Covid got me home and with drinking at home and being stuck I met a woman in my home, almost asked her for her number ...turns out it’s my own wife ..f$$&kn terrible.
In the mean time I have taken out a few cans of paint and put some paint onto it...I suddenly woke up and thought the base 1299 was boring...... would love to post a pic but every attempt seems to get a message saying file to large.?

Re gearing it and having the fueling looked at or maybe a rapidbike controller (which is what I did) will completely transform it into something you want to ride all the time. You have performance toys so know about that ...., get with the program!

able duc said:

Re gearing it and having the fueling looked at or maybe a rapidbike controller (which is what I did) will completely transform it into something you want to ride all the time. You have performance toys so know about that ...., get with the program!

Click to expand...

I know about sh**&@t with performance cars.... I am battling to find the right guy to get into the program using say tune boy rapid bike or other?
in SA this tune set up with cable will cost around 20% of what the bike is worth, for me this is not money well spent? I got a mail from a vendor explaining his software and it’s mapping will improve the bike running and add a speed control?.... but can’t reset the oil service indicator lamp?
Add the fact that this thing is already more powerful than my riding capability I see no value in performance mapping? From what I understand it’s a common problem in the first 12 or so % of the off idle map thing?
unfortunately in SA we are ripped off with tax not to mention currency, and the lack of shops who can work on these things ... I did the throttle slop mod as posted here by a member and even added the beer can (0,3mm thick) sleeve between throttle and handle bar, made a homade part to fit in the throttle control and now it feels a bit better.

before you guys jump on me when I say homade, I CNC cut the parts, the plastic parts that are for sale at 25 USD equate to like a grand by the time it gets here and it would have taken weeks.

I read all the moaning about how bad the bike is stock, fueling, low speed jerkiness etc. I thought gee I have to get a magic box (tuneboy, bren, rapid etc) to make it go.... But I just rode it, and as I rode it I simply stopped noticing the so called problems because when its pinned, its magic! Mine is a base with a 41t rear, hi flow air filter, akras, upmap, nothing special. As long as your not expecting this 200hp twin to be a shopping bike then all is good, like the endless complaints about heat it just comes with the territory. All that said if youre really serious spend the $500 and get it tuned on a dyno by someone who knows what they are doing. Id spend the tuneboy money on suspension first.

Paul G said:

Id spend the tuneboy money on suspension first.

Click to expand...

Id spend the suspension money on Tuneboy first. Why? Because Tuneboy disables the clutch switch in first gear so u can take off from a stand like every other motorcycle and u don't get the revs dropping like crazy as soon as u release the clutch. This feature only is worth the money!

Nazar said:

Id spend the suspension money on Tuneboy first. Why? Because Tuneboy disables the clutch switch in first gear so u can take off from a stand like every other motorcycle and u don't get the revs dropping like crazy as soon as u release the clutch. This feature only is worth the money!

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, I battle to launch the pani like i do a jap bike, please can you explain the clutch switch and what it does? I thought it is just so the starter will not engage if bike is in gear ?

Captain Greg said:

Thanks for this, I battle to launch the pani like i do a jap bike, please can you explain the clutch switch and what it does? I thought it is just so the starter will not engage if bike is in gear ?

Click to expand...

It's there so u can start the bike in gear while pulling the clutch in. It also disables the quickshifter if u use the clutch while shifting. It also causes the anoying drop in revs when u take off from stand. Before i had Tuneboy installed i stalled the bike a couple of times pulling from a stop light. The revs would drop drastically as soon as i released the clutch and engine stalled. It was what i hated most of the bike! Now with Tuneboy installed it takes off normaly and revs don't drop anymore.

Interesting, never noticed it being a problem. I've stalled the bike once or twice in hundreds of starts but that was due to the other problem with the clutch system which is when it needs bleeding the lever throw is way too short. Cant see how a simple on/off safety switch alters the revs, or even why it would. Obviously the fuel mapping can benefit by tuning to your needs but stock its perfectly livable with.

Paul G said:

Cant see how a simple on/off safety switch alters the revs, or even why it would.

Click to expand...

Try this: When your cruisin at a constant speed reach underneath the clutch lever and press the switch. Don't pull the lever in but just press the switch while keeping the throttle steady and see what happens

Nazar said:

Try this: When your cruisin at a constant speed reach underneath the clutch lever and press the switch. Don't pull the lever in but just press the switch while keeping the throttle steady and see what happens

Click to expand...

If I disconnect this switch, and never try to start it in gear will it work, be better, or offer any advantage?