Changing sprocket tooth count

[kizzy kay]

I've been riding my 2018 650 for a while now, and its gotten a bit sluggish in the lower gears and gets worse when I'm pulling out of slower corners or around town, the engine has been as smooth and reliable as always, but I want it to have a more low end snap without me having to work it, if that makes sense, people have mentioned that dropping a tooth on the front sprocket can help to improve throttle response, dont know how true this is though and I'm also not sure how it'll affect the overall ride, mostly in the area of fuel mileage or higher speed cruising. I don't do much highway riding anyway, so I'm not too worried about top speed, but I don't want to mess with the gearing if it's going to create more problems than it solves
Has anyone done a tooth change to this effect before? and how' it go or just generally, what'd you think about the whole situation

 

[Folayo]

Yeah, dropping a tooth up front can definitely give you more low-end punch., you'll lose a bit of top-end and mileage, but for city riding, it's usually worth it

 

[gemini vegetarian]

I've been riding my 2018 650 for a while now, and its gotten a bit sluggish in the lower gears and gets worse when I'm pulling out of slower corners or around town, the engine has been as smooth and reliable as always, but I want it to have a more low end snap without me having to work it, if that makes sense, people have mentioned that dropping a tooth on the front sprocket can help to improve throttle response, dont know how true this is though and I'm also not sure how it'll affect the overall ride, mostly in the area of fuel mileage or higher speed cruising. I don't do much highway riding anyway, so I'm not too worried about top speed, but I don't want to mess with the gearing if it's going to create more problems than it solves
Has anyone done a tooth change to this effect before? and how' it go or just generally, what'd you think about the whole situation

Hahaha. I was a little confused if I was in the right forum since I was reading with my mind flying off somewhere. Never done a tooth change, at least not in that sense LOL, but based on what I know it's highly doable.

 

[suzukiroadquest25]

Absolutely! I did this on my old DR650 a few years ago. I switched to a 14T front sprocket, and it really improved how the bike accelerated out of corners and made city riding a lot more enjoyable. Yeah, I lost a bit of top speed, but for the kind of riding I was into, it was totally worth it. If you don't spend much time on the highway, I definitely recommend giving it a try

 

[unsullied]

Absolutely! I did this on my old DR650 a few years ago. I switched to a 14T front sprocket, and it really improved how the bike accelerated out of corners and made city riding a lot more enjoyable. Yeah, I lost a bit of top speed, but for the kind of riding I was into, it was totally worth it. If you don't spend much time on the highway, I definitely recommend giving it a try

Hey, im considering a 16T sprocket mainly for highway riding. Should I go with the rubber-damped or the solid (non-rubber) version for my '23 650? Which one's the right choice?