Well: He did say it was a SF Model. So I can see where 1st could be a bit low on the street which is where Supermoto's get ridden. However, If it shifts nice and smooth like my '07 then I don't see the problem with running it up to redline and banging 2nd gear. You should be going pretty fast by that point. Easiest fix is a 15 tooth counter shaft sprocket.

 

Exactly... it seems that everyone is reading this post too fast and missing that this is the 250SF supermoto version... not the dual sport. I do not ride it off road... i do not lug it slow while crawling trails... I bang this thing hard in town...

Lugging it nice and slow will get me run over at a stoplight.

So... back to the original question... on the SUPERMOTO version that is NOT RIDDEN OFFROAD... will the 15 tooth fit? I have read some people have done it, but it doesnt look like it has room. If so, what sprcket did you use?

 

No, I didn't miss it at all...I caught it. I ride my bike on the road too, I know what its like, and I've said since I bought the bike that I feel the 1st gear is entirely too tall for the amount of power the bike has. The damn chain is practically ready to start slapping when you pull out sometimes with a 14T on the road.

To answer your question, I've often wondered how the hell the 15T fits myself. It doesn't look like theres room. I'm sure you have to remove the case guard. But, alot of people do it, so I imagine it works somehow, someway.

Now, I don't know what year you have, so if you have the 2009, I believe 6th gear was reworked, possibly the other gears as well, I cant confirm. And plus, since you have smaller supertard wheels ( i think they are smaller ) I imagine it would be geared down....a bit. So, I can give a bit of lead way that its not purely stock, stock as in how its orignally made, the supertard version is basically a factory modified version of the original. However, those things in my mind, and probably the minds of most other people, enough to actually say its too low. Where do you live? Is it all flat land? It's none of my business in the least what you do to your machine, I'm just trying to let you realize your in the minority instead of the majority as per what you implied by saying the gearing sucks. If the bike had more power, it would warrant taller gearing.

 

Yep definitely in the minority with this bike. I live in Abilene TX so the roads are mostly flat in town.

 

Hey usafdpt...I'm in Abilene too...or at least a few miles north. Are you the one who recently bought that SMKLX from Max's?

 

Yep... thats me. I just bought it mid-August. Where are you at... Anson?

What al do you ride? Is you KLX the only bike you have? I am looking for people to ride with since I am new to Abilene.

 

JasonFMX. I'm with you bro... I had to read the first line a couple times just to make sure I was reading it correctly...

I ride mine on the street (50/50) and I didnot like the stock 14T. I love the 13/42 setup... I bought the 12 tooth and am thinking about trying the 12/42 setup soon.

My F800GS is more 80/20 (street/dirt) it has a crazy tall 1st gear (the 85hp helps) but I can't really go under 7mph without stalling. The Kawi is way more user friendly for my riding (street or dirt). But "to each his own" .

 

I'll be honest, I have the 13T on now, and if I wanted to nit pick....I could say its too low as well. It just seems like it wants to stutter and slap the chain. I'm use to first gear being LOW, or, if it is a machine thats geared tall, it has hella power to compensate....like most street bikes.

In my opinion, I believed KAW botched the gearing ratios of this bike for 1st gear. I could nit pick 6th, but its not so bad. My beef is with 1st gear.

 

To each his own... I love the low 1st.

 

I just read what I typed in that last post.......I actually said the opposite of what I meant.