New chain and sprockets

Kerry_129 · 01-12-2011, 11:43 AM

I'm running a PitBull on my GSXR - it was the best option I found for my Marchesini wheel. Quality appears to be very good - nice black hard-anodizing & it was 'true' (teeth concentric with hub - sometimes an issue with cheap sprockets which causes uneven chain slack).

That being said, I'd recommend a steel sprocket over aluminum, even hardened. For street use, the weight difference is negligible, and they simply wear much slower. They'll help the chain last longer too - as the sprocket teeth wear, the chain bushing wear (so-called 'stretch') accelerates dramatically. With aluminum, once the hardened surface goes, it'll wear very quicky & take the chain along with it - and then there's the non-hardened POS's like the Vortex... ugh.

This spring when I replace my chain/sprks again, since there are no steel options for my wheels I think I'm gonna suck it up & buy a titanium Sidewinder sprocket (~$200 - ouch, but lifetime warranty & supposedly last pretty much forever).

Oh - and can't go wrong w/ the top-o-the-line DID. EK's best is great too - a bit higher tensile rating, a bit cheaper generally, prolly a toss-up as to which is 'best'.

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01-12-2011, 11:43 AM	#5
Kerry_129 Semi-reformed Squid Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 531	I'm running a PitBull on my GSXR - it was the best option I found for my Marchesini wheel. Quality appears to be very good - nice black hard-anodizing & it was 'true' (teeth concentric with hub - sometimes an issue with cheap sprockets which causes uneven chain slack). That being said, I'd recommend a steel sprocket over aluminum, even hardened. For street use, the weight difference is negligible, and they simply wear much slower. They'll help the chain last longer too - as the sprocket teeth wear, the chain bushing wear (so-called 'stretch') accelerates dramatically. With aluminum, once the hardened surface goes, it'll wear very quicky & take the chain along with it - and then there's the non-hardened POS's like the Vortex... ugh. This spring when I replace my chain/sprks again, since there are no steel options for my wheels I think I'm gonna suck it up & buy a titanium Sidewinder sprocket (~$200 - ouch, but lifetime warranty & supposedly last pretty much forever). Oh - and can't go wrong w/ the top-o-the-line DID. EK's best is great too - a bit higher tensile rating, a bit cheaper generally, prolly a toss-up as to which is 'best'.