I keep reading on the

http://viragotechforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=103935

site about changing the gearing on this bike to improve gas mileage.
I'd like to play with this myself.

I just ordered a V Star 250 2009 model and it should be at the dealers by late August or early September per the dealer.

I ordered this bike after an intensive study of all the 250's and
having set on them. In fact, I trained on the V Star 250 at
the motorcycle course I used to get my license upgrade.

So, if I change the gearing out as these guy's are playing with,
don't you end up messing up your speedometer also?

I'm trying to get a login to this forum as we speak as I'd like to talk to them as they have done it. But, I'd be open to any advice posted here concerning this issue.

I think I will look for a spitfire windshield as well.

And I need some storage also. What should I do.
Should I get a throw over pair of saddle bags? Should I get
a trunk bag which doubles as a back rest? Do we play with fork bags? How about tank bags?

I'd kind of like to have a back rest.

Also, there's this cruise control thing you can by for the V star
which will lock/ hold the accelerator grip. I'm debating buying one of those too.

How about an upgrade to the seat. Anybody done that yet?
Any advice.

And I'm happy to be joining the other 2 wheelers on the road.
Always wanted to.

I drive a truck for a living now OTR, but I'd been a Lawson Certified Computer Programmer before my job got sent overseas.
Yet, I may have found a good day job at home and this bike is crucial in making it on my new greatly reduced salary if I get it.
At least I can stay home after being on the road for 5 years now.

So guy's, give me some help here. Need an elmer of V Star 250.

Charlie

HI,

I just bought my 08 250 V Star this summer brand new, and I already have 3,800miles on it.

I used to own the Virago 700 back in the 80s, but I really like the nimble handling of the smaller 250.

Like you, I am also looking to install taller gears on my 250, since some of my riding takes me on 55mph state roads, I cant help but feeling like there is supposed to be another gear after I hit 5th gear.

After talking to the dealer were i purchased the bike they couldn't find any info online, but the dealer stated that his Service dept manager says that I could jump up 1 tooth in the front and drop two in the rear. Mostly To cut costs down and keep my stock chain.
stock it's a 16 / 45. front and rear sprocket.

Online, I have heard of others changing it to a 17/43 just like my local dealer suggested. but i cant find any reviews of how that mod has changed the top end or the Low end.
I dont ever haul a passenger, there seems to be plenty of Torque but i dont know how this gear change will effect the overall dependability of the Clutch or engine components.

This seems to be a little excessive all I wanted to do is change the front counter.

If anyone out there has done this Mod I would love to hear from them.

Dennis Miller
dmill1220@comcast.net

I own a 2008, Yamaha V Star 250 that I upgraded with a tachometer and a wind-deflector. I went ahead and changed my front and rear sprockets from 16/45 to 17/38. The change is hard to believe. There is no clutch slippage in 1st gear and great acceleration in all gears including 1st. I had it at 75 mph at 5,900 rpm in 5th gear. If I had done this with the stock sprockets the rpm's calculated would have been 7,500 rpm. I am 5 ft 10. inches and weigh 200 lbs, yet this bike has a lot of torque and acceleration even with the 17/38 change, and best of all riding on the interstate is now very possible. I have just over 500 miles on the bike now, and still in the break in 1000 mile period. So I did not try to max out the speed, but it has a lot of punch and throttle left after 75 mph. I list below the actual road data and theoretical calculations for the benefit of others. I plotted up the data and included it as a jpg attachment.


Road Data 16/45 in 5th gear
-------------------------------
RPM MPH
---------------
2,500 25
3,100 30
3,600 35
4,475 45
5,400 55


Road Data 17/38 in 5th gear
-------------------------------
RPM MPH
----------------
3,100 40
3,500 45
3,900 50
4,300 55
4,700 60
5,100 65
5,500 70
5,900 75


Theoretical Data - RPM vs MPH in 5th gear
----------------------------------------------
RPM 16/45 17/45 17/44 17/43 17/42 17/41 17/40 17/39 17/38
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2,400 24 25 26 27 27 28 29 29 30
3,200 32 34 35 35 36 37 38 39 40
4,000 40 42 43 44 45 46 48 49 50
4,800 48 51 52 53 54 56 57 59 60
5,600 56 59 61 62 64 65 67 68 70
6,400 64 68 69 71 73 74 76 78 80
7,200 72 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90
8,000 80 85 87 89 91 93 95 98 100

Well I just picked up the new 17/ 43 sprocket set today, along with the $80 service manual for the bike.

I don't plan on doing any riding until late spring or at least until the salt has been washed away by the rain, so for the next couple of months, I will be doing the sprocket change, adjusting the valves, and doing the rest of the manufacturers service as per the maintenance schedule.

I'm looking forward to comparing my actual road data to your theoretical RPM to MPH chart. I also have the Sport Windscreen installed.

NH is trying to pass Bill# 95, which would not allow after market exhaust systems and will require that all Motorcycles have a tachometer, which the little V star 250 does not come with as standard equipment.

I am curious as to how much your tachometer cost you, at the dealer, the average price was, as expected, way too high, around $200 for a handle bar mounted system.

One thing for sure, I don't plan on spending $185 per hr, for the dealers service charge on this bike, I have all the tools necessary from servicing all the other bikes that I have had over the years, So as usual I'll be doing all of my service work and repairs myself.

Dennis

Update on Sprocket Change

Hi folks, I just completed changing the sprockets to a 17 f/ 43R, the Bike has only 3,900 miles on it to date, and with the stock sprockets, my axle was pretty much centered so that I still had plenty of travel for chain wear and stretching.

Now that I increased the front to a 17 and I down sized the rear by two teeth, I find that there isn't much room left for adjusting the chain slack, there is enough adjustment left to last for a while, but I may just have to install a master link and remove a link, or I just might install a new stock 520 110 link chain and see where that leaves me for room.

The current chain is still in good condition, and the old sprockets were also still showing no signs of wear, so I don't think that a new chain is going to make much of a difference.

Even though they say that you should replace your chain whenever you change your sprockets, with only 3,900 miles on the bike it's still in good shape.

What would you do? install a master and remove a link, or just by a new chain and have to later install the master link anyway?

Dennis

HI folks,

I just wanted to update everyone since i finaly got to test ride my 250 after changing the gearing with new sprockets.

My road data is no where near the data that was posted by another member. I'm not sure why its different.

I went from a 16F/45R to a 17F/43R
I used to be able to hit 5th gear at around 30 mph but with the new sprockets I can't get into 5th until 45mph, its quite the improvement!

I can cruise at 55 and im nowhere near half throttle I went as fast as 85mph, and I still had some throttle left, so I am quite happy that I decided to make this change.

Dennis

HI folks,

I just wanted to update everyone since i finaly got to test ride my 250 after changing the gearing with new sprockets.

My road data is no where near the data that was posted by another member. I'm not sure why its different.

I went from a 16F/45R to a 17F/43R
I used to be able to hit 5th gear at around 30 mph but with the new sprockets I can't get into 5th until 45mph, its quite the improvement!

I can cruise at 55 and im nowhere near half throttle I went as fast as 85mph, and I still had some throttle left, so I am quite happy that I decided to make this change.

Dennis

Edit update:

Well I changed the reae sprocket again, and I bought a new chain.
I now have a 17F/41R,

45 Mph is now the comfortable minimum speed or, the shift point, for 5th gear, at 55 and 60 mph, I don't hear my engine revving no where near as high as it was when it was stock.
I'm actually confortable with this upgrade, at 55 mph I am barely on the throttle, Now for around town speeds at 35 I'm in 4th gear and just barely above idle speed.

It actually feels like a completely different bike, Why Yamaha decided to keep the stock gearing so low, is now a mystery to me.

Dennis

I really like the V Star 250, but I don't know if it will like me. I am 5'8" and I weigh about 280lbs. Should I look at a bigger motorcycle? I like the looks of the V Star 250, the mpg, the sound, and the fact that it is air cooled. This would be my first motorcycle. I'd really like to get the 250 and bob it out, but I need opinions on whether the motorcycle would be able to hit 70 mph (just in case) with me on it (stock or changing the gears). Thank you.

I really like the V Star 250, but I don't know if it will like me. I am 5'8" and I weigh about 280lbs. Should I look at a bigger motorcycle? I like the looks of the V Star 250, the mpg, the sound, and the fact that it is air cooled. This would be my first motorcycle. I'd really like to get the 250 and bob it out, but I need opinions on whether the motorcycle would be able to hit 70 mph (just in case) with me on it (stock or changing the gears). Thank you.

HI,

After owning and modifying my 08 250, I think that you would be better off with a bigger bike, especially if you plan on 70mph very often.
Given your height and weight, a sprocket upgrade would not do you any good.

I weigh 180lbs and I'm only 5'ft -6" the top speed on my 250 without the gearing mod was 83 Mph, after the mod up hill at 180 lbs, downshifiting was required and I could not take on a passenger.

The Mod I made did well for my weight, and was ment to manage a steady 55mph at lower Rpms to promote a longer engine life.

Dennis

This definitely sounds like a worthwhile upgrade.

Any advice on where to find a 17/43 set of sprockets? Does Yamaha make them, or does one have to go aftermarket?

Thanks,
Xander

Hey guys, I've been reading all about changing my sprockets to 17f 43r and want to do it as my 2008 v star(4000 miles) also feels like its missing a gear. I have two questions.

If i change to the above ration can I keep my factory chain? if not , what do I need to do?


How do I change out the sprockets and where can I purchase them?

I have a 09 Vstar 250 and want to change the sprockets but can find were to get them can someone help me?:(:confused:

Can anyone tell me were I can buy the 17f/38r sprockets?:confused:

Sorry Guys its taken me a while to get back to this post.

IF you change the sprockets to a 17f 43R you will need cut and install a master link, Your better off with using a non O ring type 120 link #520 DID chain, this will make a master link install much easier. IF you want an expesnive O ring type change this will make installing a master link more difficult.

You will also need a chain cutter and know how to use one properly.
You can loosen your rear axle slide the rear wheel forward and then mount your chain on both sprockets to determine where to cut in the master link. just make sure that you face the clip in the right direction when installing the master link.

There are instructions online that will show you how to use a chain cutter if you need them.

As far as purchasing the sprockets, I bought my sprockets thru JT sprockets, it came out of a catalog at the Yamaha dealer and I ordered them at the dealer.
They also carry a chain cutter and the #520 DID master link.

edit: by the way, I traded my 08 Vstar 250 a couple of months ago for a brand new 09 V Star 950, much better for my highway use.
Dennis

I just ordered a 17f/41r sprockets and a 520 114 oring chain. Do you thin k this will be good:confused:

I just ordered a 17f/41r sprockets and a 520 114 O iring chain. Do you thin k this will be good:confused:

I wish I still had the bike, I'm not sure if a 114 link chain is the right length since I never counted the actual number of links I ended up with.

I bought a 120 link chain, just to make sure that I had a enough chain to begin with. You may want to return it for a longer one just in case.

Let me clearly state that the installation of an O-ring type master link can be tricky, you may want someone with experience to cut and install the o ring master link, this type of link needs a special tool to peen over the pins on the master link.

I didn't see the need for an expensive O ring type chain since there isn't IMHO enough stress produced by the engine to warrant one, they normally use O ring type chains on larger displacement bikes, but they do last longer.

Dennis

Just changed my sprockets to 17/38 on my 09 v star 250.. and I'm getting nothing like you guys say. My acceleration is greatly improved and shifts smooth and much more natural.. but i lose acceleration in 4th/5th gears and top out at a lousy 65mph! Did I miss something you guys didn't mention?

I think you may have been a little over zealous. 16/45 2.81 gear ratio, you went to a 17/38 2.23 gear ratio you may not have enough power to pull that ratio. Thats a 21 percent change. I would have gone with a 17/42 or 41. You said your acceleration is greatly improved. Does it pick up speed quicker or go faster in each gear? Acceleration is quickness in a gear not top speed in that gear. It sounds like you are just running out of horsepower, too much wind resistance for the gearing.

It feels as if im going from 0-60 in less time than with the stock sprockets but I didn't exactly time it so it may just be im not used to the smoothness. But yes thats what I'm thinking is upping my back sprocket a few teeth. It was still awesome to feel how smoothly it accelerated, makes me wonder what they were thinking with the stock build cause it always just felt strange.

Yeah sometimes if the gearing is too short, its just shift,shift,shift all the time.

I keep reading on the

http://viragotechforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=103935

site about changing the gearing on this bike to improve gas mileage.


Charlie

Hey Charlie .. i changed my Rear Sprocket to a 40 and kept the stock 16 sprocket and i like it ... its not Power Horse .... But it'll cruise alot better at 55 and 60 .... oh and the Mods at that viragotechforum always Whine when i comment on old Threads ..they don't want ya to do it.. so .. i don't like them... thing must be hosted in communist China.... the Upgrades worth it tho ... i also hear you can Drop the two Pod air filter boxes and get some kind of K&N air filter set up that'll give you a little more horsepower since you'll loose some torque when you do the Gear change..

Go Light and Go Fast my friend ;)
Dez

I have done some of these upgrades on gearing before.
Stock gearing is 16/45 with top speed of 79.7 mph.
Then going up 1 tooth on both sprockets to 17/43 gets you 88.6 mph top speed.
Okay, here is an addition option: drop the rear sprocket 16/41, and go up on the rear tire size from 130/90/15 to 150/90/15 this will give you a top speed of 92.6 mph. With all this your doing, one thing is a constant, the clutch is still that same. When I did this to a bike, I eliminated using the clutch as much as possible. I did my upshifting and downshifting without the clutch. You can even go one more step, with the tire upgrade and dropping the rear sprocket and adding to the front sprocket, for 17/41 with a 150/90/15 rear tire top speed is 98.4, but this is hard on the clutch and is not that great when climbing hills and in the wind.
So the question you have to ask is what am I wanting and what wear and tear on the bike itself am I willing to tolerate to acheive my objective.

This site is great, you have to learn how to use it. But it will calculate from 3 different setups, and it also includes rear tire size in the mph estimations.
I have found it to be very accurate, but it leans toward being a little slow, so your setup on the road may actually be a little bit faster.

http://www.gearingcommander.com/

Just changed my sprockets to 17/38 on my 09 v star 250.. and I'm getting nothing like you guys say. My acceleration is greatly improved and shifts smooth and much more natural.. but i lose acceleration in 4th/5th gears and top out at a lousy 65mph! Did I miss something you guys didn't mention?

HEY SCOTTDOBBS, the problem you ran into is you ran out of engine to pull that ratio. You need to drop back to 41 teeth on the rear sprocket. From what you are saying, what your looking for you can get by taking the rear tire to 150/90/15, instead of doing it with sprockets. Stock rear tire is 130/90/15, and going to 150 will help what your looking for with gearing. But as I said in a previous post on this thread, your going to put a lot of stress on the clutch, so if you do this, only use the clutch to take off and shift up and down without the clutch to save wear and tear on the clutch plates.

This is the scoop with sprockets at 17/41 and 150/90/15 tire on the rear.
55 mph is approx 4500 rpm
70 mph is approx 5700 rpm
98 mph top speed 8000 rpm

I think this may be of some help, but as said before its hard on the clutch, so proceed at your own risk. I had this setup on a smaller cc bike and it worked well for me. But as I said before, I only used the clutch to take off.

Forgive my ignorance but I am trying to make sense of all this. If I shift without the clutch is that not bad for everything else?

Forgive my ignorance but I am trying to make sense of all this. If I shift without the clutch is that not bad for everything else?

No, all the clutch is is a connection from the engine to the transmission.

Shifting without the clutch is relatively simple. SHIFTING UP:just let off the throttle and pull it into the next gear, accelerate till the next gear change and repeat it, till your in high gear.
DOWNSHIFTING: just let off the throttle and crack it open just a little and push the shifter into the next lower gear, and let it slow down more then crack the throttle again and shift lower again, all until your reach the gear you want to be in to turn or come to a stop.

It does take some practice, but once you get used to how your particular bike responds to it you will get better at it.

I have a V Star 1100 and I never use the clutch but to take off.

I'd just use the clutch, why would they give you one if it wasn't needed

I'd just use the clutch, why would they give you one if it wasn't needed

I agree with that if your going to ride with the stock gear configuration. Its designed to run like that, but when you start changing the gearing configuration, you put added stress on the clutch. That is my reasoning for not using the clutch when you start putting taller gears in a bike that is small and probably doesn't have a clutch that can handle it.
Each time you pull the clutch in, you disengage it, and then let it out again and the clutch plates and steels rub together. Each time you do this it wears the clutch. So if you shift without the clutch, you avoid this each time you shift, which while riding how many times do you do it? I am not going to add more wear to the bike as I can avoid it. I have been riding for a long time and I am very well versed in shifting w/o the clutch so its second nature to me. I only use the clutch to take off on my 1100.

My new V Star 250 now has 17/42, stock chain worked ok,
It has less room for chain stretch, half what it had, so we'll see how
that works out.

At 25-30 mph I am in 4th instead of 5th like before.
I like to cruise at 65 (70 is only for small spurts),
and this gearing is fine. For the rolling hills on CA roads
I have to downshift for the steeper ones to maintain 65.
Most freeways don't have hills that steep, but some of the
smaller roads do.

I have not been over 70, and there is some extra power
at 70, but not much. Still, more than my woefully
underpowered 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid. :-)

For the guy who tried 17/38, if my calculations are right,
that makes your 4th gear higher than the previous 5th
gear used to be, your 4th would be similar to the higher 5th
gear the rest of us are using.

Got my sprockets at www.bikebandit.com, ordered the JT Steel
(the cheaper non-alloy) ones.

As far as clutch goes, it takes more clutch to start from standstill,
especially if you want a quick start.

Once moving, shifting is the same as before,
the only extra clutch stress is starting off from 1st gear.
My take is don't ruin your tranny by not using the clutch,
clutch is much cheaper to replace than a tranny.

An unexpected surprise is that 1st gear is now "gentler"
for low speed maneuvers. Easier for U-turns and parking lots.

FYI, on an unrelated note, these saddlebags fit without a backrest
or support (I thought it would be impossible to find bags for a while):

TourMaster Cortech Sport Saddlebags 82-332
TourMaster Cortech 14L Tank Bag 82-345

The bags expand with zippers - really nice when you need them.
My helmet just barely fits (you can't close them) when fully
expanded, so at least I can leave the helmet on the bike
for short parks, and my head is a large.

I attached the bags to the passenger footpegs (so no 2-up),
and the rear turn signal posts. Turns out if you do that,
most small to midsize saddlebags will fit, but you lose 2-up.
Just laid them on the seat (as opposed to putting the strap under
the seat for permanent installation). I am sitting on the forward strap
and don't notice it at all (it is flat and flexible)
and the bags remove easily when I park for longer periods.

So the bags, like the gears, involve some tradeoffs (no 2-up and
clutch vs engine wear), guess that's life in the slow lane
with a 250. :-)

Forgive my ignorance but I am trying to make sense of all this. If I shift without the clutch is that not bad for everything else?

Here's my two cents:

1c: The owners manual tells you (on my 950, I know belt vs chain) that shifting without the clutch can screw up your driveline. The clutch is there to disengage the engine from the tranny and help eliminate "shift shock" from the transmission. When you shift without the clutch, you transfer all that momentum to the driveline. Given, you're not hurting the clutch now, but the rest of the bike takes the stress.

2c: If you get into a panic situation and haven't been using your clutch (i.e. hard stop) you may find yourself stalling it out. If that happens and you need to get going in a hurry (the guy behind you NOT stopping for instance) you have to then get the bike started before you can avoid that driver.

Really, use the clutch. And if you're in doubt that a clutch can't hold up, go take a beginner rider's course... they'll show you that even if you're using the clutch to help you through maneuvers in first, since it's oil cooled you have less chance of wearing it as opposed to a car/truck clutch.