Significant HP increase from chain drive conversion?

[11Rider]

Hi guys, I'm just wondering if a chain drive conversion should be on my long list of mods/things to do on Beastly. I've heard a shaft drive consumes up to 15% of power whereas a chain takes up only 2%. Are these numbers any where near accurate? Is the 11s shaft more efficient than the "average" shaft drive?

[yamahansolo]

A cars shaft might take that much but I highly doubt the XS shaft us that heavy!

[11Rider]

I thought that the extra loss with the shaft had to do with the gears that change direction of the power transfer, not so much the weight of the driveshaft. Maybe I'm wrong??

[jwhughes3]

other bikes

How does the speed and accelleration compare to other 95hp bikes with chain drive in same weight class? Seems easier than trying to calculate power loss from the shaft.

john

[yamahansolo]

Well if you read the articles from 78 it blew away the kz1000...

[bikerphil]

I've thought about doing the chain drive mod, but not being able to go larger than a 12T sprocket on the front steered me away. That setup will eat chains.

[Shacknasty]

Chains are messy, yer wheel gets lube slung all over it, and ya always gotta fiddle with them. They stretch and get stiff and wear out and ya gotta replace 'em. They get rusty if ya don't ride a lot. Chains break and wad up and tear out the back of yer case when ya twist the wick that one time. And then ya got sprockets on top of that. Oh yeah and wear an old tee shirt (or put yer girl on the back!) after ya oil the chain. Skunk stripe!

IMO if ya want a chain driven bike it would be cheaper to buy one. I understand the desire to have something unique and if ya got the skills and desire the ya gotta go for it!

One of the selling points of the XS11 to me was the shaft drive. I love it!

[crazy steve]

...I've heard a shaft drive consumes up to 15% of power whereas a chain takes up only 2%. Are these numbers any where near accurate? Is the 11s shaft more efficient than the "average" shaft drive?

Those numbers are fairly close, although the spread may not be quite that wide. And no, the XS shaft isn't really any more (or less) efficient than others...

In addition to the cons already mentioned, there's also cost; at least $500 for the 'basic' chain output assembly, and you still have to acquire a swingarm, chain, sprockets, and rear wheel. I could see this easily costing $7-800, likely more. And I'm with Phil; the super-small front sprocket needed for these conversions will eat chains pretty quickly, so add in the additional chain replacement costs (probably around $100 each time, and I wouldn't expect to get more than about 5k miles out of one) and this would be expensive power...

[11Rider]

I wasn't aware that the biggest front sprocket is 12 tooth. You're right, thats's small and would be a chain eater.

[James England]

A chain snapped on one of my bikes, bunched up round the sprocket and then bashed a hole through the crankcases. Shaft any day for me please

[UKXSIVE]

I've thought about doing the chain drive mod, but not being able to go larger than a 12T sprocket on the front steered me away. That setup will eat chains.

I have a 14T sprocket at the front for my chain conversion, you just have to do some work with a dremel to ensure the chain doesn't foul the main engine case.

Chris

[fredintoon]

Hi 'rider,
shiny new chain drives are more efficient than shafties. They also weigh less and if they are part of the original design they cost less.
That's why race bikes are all chain drive; racers are all about horsepower and weight saving; they don't give a toss about longevity beyond what's needed for the race and a few practice laps.
But chain drives don't stay shiny new for long. Anyone using a ~90HP bike to it's potential will be replacing the chain and sprockets almost as often as he's replacing his rear tire.
And the XS11's 14T max sprocket size is too effin' small. I'd want to see 17T. My GT750 had a 15T and it threw it's chain through the crankcase.

[TADracer]

If I were going to try and wring out every ounce of performance then a chain drive would be on the table. It does not make more power but it releases power made by the motor. But see the shaft for what it is, clean, quiet, needs no adjustment and is the right setup for the bike and it's intened purpose. If you analize the cost per HP at approx. $65.00 + per useable pony (plus the maintenance cost), then its not a very good investment. Besides, a shaft drive Eleven can still get your adrenalin up every bit as much as a chain drive Eleven.

Having said all this, If YOU desire the chain because of the looks or the rarity of a chain on an Eleven or because it is a project that tickles your fancy then by all means, go for it! After all, its your machine so it should be all about your enjoyment.

[Lonerider62]

Chains and Truth

I just hapened to come across this thread and there is some misinformation here, probably because some of the riders on here haven't had a modern chain drive bike in years or else had no idea how to maintain a chain. Number one, the new chains are far better than the ones produced back in the 70's and 80's and maybe even the 90's. Number two, the sprockets have also been improved to the point that many never have a bike long enough to replace them. Finally, the lubricants and design of the "O" rings in the chains have made them darned near indestructable. I have owned at least three times as many chain-drive bikes as shafties and although I agree that a shaft does require less day to day maintenance than a chain, chains are nowhere close to the maintenace monger they have been presented to be here. One of my chain drive bikes at present is an "08" FZ1 and it's got a little over 20,000 miles, hasn't stretched more than about 1/8" and looks like new. I clean it about ever 600-800 miles with a Kettenmax and then lube with chainwax, which by the way DOES NOT fly off or create a mess on the sprocket or swingarm. Chains are definitely better as far as power loss through the drivetrain is concerned and if a rider on a chain-drive wants to change his final drive ratio, hands down a chain is far easier and cheaper compared to a drive shaft. I'm not promoting one over the other because I have both, just setting the record straight.

[crazy steve]

The problem isn't the chains (which have improved a bunch over the years), but is the undersized front sprocket required for this conversion. The small front (and smaller than usual rear) sprockets increase the 'range of motion' the chain has to go through to 'wrap' around each one. This accelerates chain wear no matter what type chain you have and shortens their life. A typical street bike front sprocket will have 18+ teeth on it and a considerably larger diameter. Another wear issue is the number of 'drive teeth'; a 14T sprocket will only engage 7 teeth at a time, while larger sprockets will have 9 or more teeth doing the same, decreasing the point load on the individual links by 20% or more.