Best trail riding sprocket mix

[walkingdude]

Hi all. Just breaking in a new Lifan LF200gy-5 with no issues. Runs great. Cruises at 60-65 mph without much effort. I intend to ride mostly trail probably 70/30. Mostly at 5000+ ft. The bike came with the standard 17/46 sprocket setup. I've notice a real lack of bite in the low end. Do you think running a 15/46 setup will solve the issue? Is the preferred way to deal with the issue by increasing the rear or by decreasing the front sprocket? Thanks for your thoughts.

[MATT]

from what i understand it's much easier and cheaper to do the front sprocket swap. I'm pretty sure Bruce from EJ cycles can you all the sprockets.

[culcune]

Ironically, we have been discussing how to make our 15/56 setup more street worthy for a couple of years; now, the GY-5 comes out stock with the best stock street setup, and you want to change it? :lol:

No, really, start with the front as that is easiest and cheapest to get to.

[TeamCheap]

Actually walkingdude is right these bikes are a bit weak in stock form for trail riding as I also found out.

I didnt go the easy inexpensive route of swapping the sprockets I did the air filter/exhaust pipe/rejet/stock sprockets route and even with the pipe problems I am glad I did it that way as mine is very VERY easy to run in the trails now.
It has plenty of low end grunt to get me going in the deep sand and about the same top end speed but noticably easier to ride offroad.

If I do my wifes bike like mine I'd just try one of the nice chinese exhaust pipes that go on the 250cc bikes stock, price is the same as what I had bought but it's complete.

[walkingdude]

The speed /power dichotomy seems to be present in all areas of life, not just cycling. Some like it fast others like it hard. I did see the posts & video on the lifan-moto.com site showing the cone air filter/airbox removal/rejet procedure. While the added power is attractive, I was concerned that taking the air box out would likely expose the air filter to a great chance of becoming water soaked. Where I ride 1'-1.5' water crossings are not uncommon. Teamcheap (I love that handle) did you have to remove the airbox for your filter/rejet mod?

[fatboy250]

You may consider a 56 rear sprocket. Top speed about 60mph and plenty of lowend for trails. You have mail.

[MATT]

I kind of like team cheaps method(still looking for an exhaust solution other than drilling holes as i haven't found an aftermarket solution). The gearing on these bikes seems to be of a fairly wide ratio. I don't think they much more low end grunt to be trailable with the stock gearing, also if you were to gear the bike much lower 1st would be totally worthless.

[katoranger]

Plenty of us have geared for street and still have a 56T rear, but if you think that you would like to go back and forth then being able to swap from a 17 for street to a 15 for dirt would be quick and easy.

I bought a 15T for this purpose, but I haven't used it yet. Plans fell through on a DS ride.

Allen

[TeamCheap]

Yep the stock airbox is GONE.
It was junk and was leaking a little around the rubber boot/tube at the airbox.

So I measured carefully and ordered a K&N filter and just attached it to the carb directly and put a K&N filter sock on it.It also allowed room for the battery relocate.
K&N has most any size filter you would need.

I didnt NEED to rejet after the K&N was installed but it did effect the bike a little and I did have to retune it a bit to get it to run OK probably could have went up a size or two in main jet.
After the exhaust change it wouldnt run without a massive rejetting.

I have heard many times that the UNI foam filters are even better than K&N but the K&N was easier to match up at the time.

There are some 250cc china dirt bikes that have what looks like a decent high flow exhaust complete that should pretty much bolt right onto most of the dualsport bikes.I doubt they are USFS approved but that can dealt with with an addon spark arrestor and then there is the niose level but I havnt tryed one yet to see how much louder they are.

[liverchip]

Actually walkingdude is right these bikes are a bit weak in stock form for trail riding as I also found out.

I didnt go the easy inexpensive route of swapping the sprockets I did the air filter/exhaust pipe/rejet/stock sprockets route and even with the pipe problems I am glad I did it that way as mine is very VERY easy to run in the trails now.
It has plenty of low end grunt to get me going in the deep sand and about the same top end speed but noticably easier to ride offroad.

If I do my wifes bike like mine I'd just try one of the nice chinese exhaust pipes that go on the 250cc bikes stock, price is the same as what I had bought but it's complete.


Where did you find the nice cheap Chinese exhaust at?