'09 FE570 - remove front sprocket??

Which way does the bolt turn??

It is really on there tight.

Not surprising, but after turning it a bit it is still very tight. When I encounter this I always wonder whether I am loosening it or tightening it. I know that some drive nut/bolts on various mechanical machinery has left handed threads to prevent the nut/bolt from loosening due to the rotational force.

So, which way does the bolt turn to loosen it. - counter clockwise or clockwise?

Thanks.

RE:

counter clockwise

it was just on there really tight and the threads were tight.

RE:

as I feared, putting the smaller sprocket on gives me too much chain slop (the wheel is already as far back as it can go)

so i guess i'll put the 13 back on and get a larger rear sprocket to boot - which i probably would have done anyway.

Yeah, I figured about the spring washer once I got it off, there is also a shoulder on the bolt I figure seals stuff up a bit. I was very careful to make sure the shoulder made it through the washer as it is easy for it not to.

What I am trying to accomplish is a lower speed in first gear when putting along on technical stuff. The bike can accomplish at least 80 MPH now and there is still some left - I haven't tried to wring it out yet because I only have five hours on it. So I calculated that dropping one tooth in the front will lose me 5 MPH on the top end which I can live with.

Berger, the chain and sprockets are almost new, and I figured to want lower gearing anyway, so now is the time to do this. I am thinking either a 54 or 56, and then I will have the choice of a 12, 13 or 14 on the front if it is too low or too high. The only thing I am wondering is if I have *enough* chain to go with a 56 (which would give me the widest range of choices that are lower than stock). The stock gearing is 13/52. With the wheel all the way back the chain is just right with the stock gearing. I don't want or need to go faster on pavement, I need to go slower in first gear. Anything in between I can just shift up or down.

14/52 = 3.7
13/52 = 4.0
12/52 = 4.3

14/54 = 3.8
13/54 = 4.1
12/54 = 4.5

14/56 = 4.0
13/56 = 4.3
12/56 = 4.7

I suppose I could buy both a 54 and a 56 and use whichever fits for now. Then when this chain wears out I could get the exact length that works with the 56 sprocket.

I've been told that they can be special ordered in almost any size. Almost every maker I've checked only has them up to 52, but there are a number of them that will make larger sizes on order. The only one I've found that actually listed those sizes was Vortex, and they want an extra $35 for the larger than stock sizes. Mostly I checked for KTM sprockets as very few listed sprockets for Husaberg.

I put the 13 back on last night, lowered the idle by about 400 to 500 RPM and went riding today. Some decent technical stuff. Stalled the bike about three times, but not unexpectedly. I definitely want a larger rear sprocket now, and a Rekluse. I want to go slower through the tech stuff and at the same time be up in the power band a little, not just at idle and working the clutch so much.

The bike is very good about providing tractor like power, but I have stalled even tractors.

I think it is fairly tight. It seems a lot of the areas around here someone has just gone off the main track and started blazing a trail through the dense brush. This results in a lot of tight twists and ups and downs, over tree roots, around trees/stumps/rocks, etc.

It is challenging and fun.

Also, I am very much out of practice (and out of shape), not having ridden off-road much in single track for quite some time, and I wasn't all that good to start with, so it helps if I can take my time.

I want to get a helmet cam and take some vids.

I don't want to ride faster, I want to ride slower. Simple as that. A Rekluse isn't really going to let me ride slower without a lot of slipping of the clutch. If I don't like I can always switch back, but I have ridden bikes that were geared lower and I know what to expect. It's only a sprocket - I can always go to back to the 13 or even a 14 tooth sprocket if it is too low.

I'll let you know.

As for the helmet cam - yeah, I need to get one. I am pretty sure I want the VHoldr in the HD version.