| Author | Message | ||
     Rayycc1 |
purchased the XB9 Gearing and chain from a member here...getting ready to do the swap. For those who have done this....what special tools will i need on hand? what gaskets should i buy? Any pro tips to make this go smoother? Also...how much is the bike going to want to wheelie on me? any other downsides to doing this? | ||
| Pontlee77 |
Make sure what you bought was a 2007 or earlier as on 2008 they changed. | ||
| Hughlysses |
You need a primary cover gasket, might as well get the gaskets for the clutch cover and inspection port too. The main "odd" tool you need is a locking tool for the crankshaft. You can buy a gizmo from American Sport Bike for about $20 or a lot of people use a brass door hinge (I think it's about 2-1/2" long). It wedges between the teeth of the engine sprocket and the clutch sprocket to keep them from turning during the loosening and tightening processes. Clutch nut is left hand thread; crank nut is normal right hand thread. When reassembling, clean the threads on the nut and the crankshaft with brake cleaner, dry and then apply ample red liquid (not paste) Locktite prir to installing the crank nut. Note that the factory revised the torque spec for this nut so the value in the shop manual is too low. Original value was ~210 ft-lbs; revised value is ~250 ft-lbs. Most people don't have a torque wrench that goes that high, but a lot of auto shops have a loaner torque wrench that will. I seem to remember that Tootal posted a step-by-step guide on the change here; you might search for that for more help. | ||
| Reepicheep |
FWIW, on the XB's, I have had success reusing the stock primary gasket one or two times. On the tubers, I had difficulty getting the stock gasket to hold even the first time... FWIW. That's probably a $40 or $50 gasket, so if you don't mind pulling the primary cover back off if it does leak (not a big deal), you might try reusing first. If it leaks, it will probably leak on the first 2 or 3 heat cycles. If it would bug you more than $40 to have to redo it, follow Hugh's advice. | ||
| Argentcorvid |
If you are following the service manual, skip the steps where you take the shifter bracket and the clutch cable off of the primary cover. you don't need to do it. the locking bar needs to be around 4 inches long. I made mine out of some scrap aluminum from work. you will also want to get a shifter shaft seal, just in case you screw yours up. you will want a breaker bar, and a piece of pipe (or something else) to use as a cheater bar when removing the crank nut. I haven't noticed that it wants to wheelie more, but I usually ride on the more conservative end. I have noticed that I want a 6th gear on the highway even more than before. | ||
| 50dro |
Why not paste? I recently did this mod (and used paste...should I be concerned?) and it's actually less intimidating than I originally thought it would be. The added acceleration is a beautiful thing!  If you do a lot of interstate driving you may look for 6th (and maybe 7th) but otherwise I like it a lot. | ||
| Nillaice |
Don't loose the alignment thingys for the primary cover that go in the forward must and rear most bolt holes. Mine kept wanting to fall out when I was re-assembling, but some grease kept them in place | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Downside is that you will be running higher rpms on the highway and why would anyone want to do that. Leave the bike stock. | ||
| Rayycc1 |
I can always put it back to stock if i dont like it...As it is i do very little riding on the highway and rarely see 5th gear but often wish 1rst was lower so this seems like a winner of a mod for me. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
It is too bad that you can't try out a ULY that has this mod and see if it is worth the expense. Best of luck. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Why not paste? I recently did this mod (and used paste...should I be concerned?) 50dro, I did a stator replacement on the S3 I used to have a few years back and I used the paste type. It was a bit of a juggling act to put 210 ft-lbs on the wrench and keep the bike from falling off the stand at the same time as I was doing it by myself. It probably took me ~10 minutes to get the Locktite applied, install the nut, tighten it snug, and then pull it up to the proper torque. Sometime later, I sold the bike the Buelltours who did a "Fly and Ride" from my house to Asheville, NC, ~5 hours away. By the time he rolled into town the engine was clanking like the crankshaft was going to come out of it. Thinking the worst, he found a sympathetic Harley dealer who was willing to look at it. They quickly diagnosed it as a loose crankshaft sprocket nut, pulled the primary cover, removed the nut, applied new Locktite and torqued it back down and sent him on his way. The bike has been fine since. I guess I didn't get the nut torqued down quick enough, and broke the bond the Locktite was beginning to form as I brought the nut up to torque. Ever since then I've been leary of using the paste type Locktite. I suspect the liquid type gives you more working time. My case may have been a fluke, so I wouldn't be too worried about it. | ||
| 50dro |
Thanks for the input Hughlysses... That is strange. I'm pretty sure that stuff has at least a 30 minute working time (maybe more?) For my sake, I hope your case was an isolated incident! Heading to Dragon VII tomorrow so I hope that won't happen to me there...I'll keep an ear open for it though. Regarding the lower gearing. It's a hoot at "non-highway speeds." The gain of acceleration is simply awesome! I'm not sure if I'd do the mod on a Uly that spends more time on an interstate though. Ultimately, it depends on your riding style. I try to stay clear of interstates when possible (I have an XB12S) so it was worth the risk to me. So far, I'm happy I did it. I picked up the used sprocket and chain for only $80 so it was a mod worth trying out. As was mentioned, you could always switch it back to stock if you don't like it. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I've never seen anyone post a complaint after they've made this modification. There appears to be a negligible, if any, decrease in gas mileage, and the engine seems to be just as happy to wind a little higher as it was at the stock RPM. While I haven't made the mod, I have on more than one occasion accidentally ridden at interstate speeds in 4th gear for long periods without realizing it. That gives you very close to the same overall gearing as 5th gear with XB9 primary sprocket. You guys are about to talk me into making this mod... | ||
| Argentcorvid |
at 60 mph in fifth gear the rpm goes from 3000 to ~3200 (theoretically 3300 if the math is right) I think I hit 4000 rpm at 75 vice 80. The XB9 gear isn't that much lower. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Also...how much is the bike going to want to wheelie on me?". Lots. | ||
| Rayycc1 |
I live in western PA...LOTS of hills and some mountains...I also ride to mountainous regions to do a lot of my riding. I'm talking 8%grades for miles in lower gears...I know for fact this mod is going to be easier on my bike...the clutch to be specific. I only paid $100 for the parts ...I figure if I'm not happy with the mod...someone else would be happy to take them off my hands for the same $ | ||
| 50dro |
Where in W PA? Cranberry Twp here. (Sorry for the thread jack! Lol) | ||
| Rayycc1 |
Bah,,I'm in Evans city lol...only ten minutes of twisty roads away lol | ||
| Hughlysses |
BTW- here's the bulletin on the increased torque spec for the crank nut on 2004-2007 XB's:  (The picture shows up in the banner at the top of the main page occasionally I happened to notice it tonight.) (Message edited by Hughlysses on April 22, 2014) | ||
| Jetranger_2000 |
just did mine recently I had a new gasket and for some reason when I used the new gasket i had issues with the shifter binding against the spacer. IE the primary cover sat too tight against it(I hope that makes sence). I tried to reinstall it 3 or 4 times and then went back to the old gasket that worked first try. I reused the clutch cover adjuster gasket and top up oil gasket with no leaks so far!! I am a heavy guy and love the extra umpf thru acceleration however I am also always looking for a 6th gear good luck!!! | ||
| Ratbuell |
6th would be nice...but it would have been just as nice with the stock gearing, too. I was also on the fence about doing the mod. Then, I ended up with a 9 primary set so I figured WTF, I'd give it a shot. It was oil change time anyway so the only "added" expense was maybe a gasket (reused it, no issues). So far? I'm liking it. It IS nice up here in the hills...  | ||
| Uly_man |
"The gain of acceleration is simply awesome!". This sounds a little strange as I, on normal riding, rarely get past 5000 rpm as the bike is going like a rocket as it is? 5000 rpm in 4th is an indicated 80 mph. If I want "awesome" I just run the rpm up in 3rd and 4th to the cruise speed I want to get to but even at 110 mph in 5th the bikes STILL wants to pull strongly with no indication of it being a "cruising gear" either. Thats the 10 bike though. On the 06 bike I would spend half of my time trying to keep the front end on the road? | ||
| Rayycc1 |
your saying the 06 runs better than the 10? | ||
| Ratbuell |
My 06 always felt more punchy than any of the 08-later bikes I rode... | ||
| Jesse_lackman |
Maybe Baker or someone could make a lower first gear... that would be the best of both worlds. I finally learning there isn't another gear when the engine is 3000 @ 60mph I'm in the highest gear. So the "wanting another gear" won't change with XB9 gearing, hah! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Maybe Baker or someone could make a lower first gear... that would be the best of both worlds. I've wondered along those same lines- if you couldn't find some existing gears from a Sportster model that would lower the ratio for 1st. That would be a bitch of a conversion job on an XB though compared to switching the primary chain and engine sprocket. | ||
| Uly_man |
It is best to avoid the 1200 to 1800 rpm band on this bike as that is were the most vibs are. Just add some revs and slip the clutch if needed. I find, on the 10 bike anyway, that the bike runs best if you keep the revs ABOVE 2000 in 2nd, above 3000 in 3rd and above 4000 in 4th. And while the bike CAN run at less it will start to "lump" the engine a little. In other words keep that flywheel "spinning up". "I finally learning there isn't another gear when the engine is 3000 @ 60mph I'm in the highest gear". On my 10 bike that would be 4th gear IE The rev counter and speedo needles are "inline". In 5th the rev needle should be lower by about 500 rpm IE 2500. Even at 110 mph in 5th my bike is still pulling well but not, of course, like a modern V-Twin "R" series type bike would. If you want to get an XB "MOVING" run it to 5k rpm from 2nd if you are brave enough. | ||
| Jesse_lackman |
Mine is a 2010 and runs 3000 rpm at 60 mph in fifth gear. I think it can get to 60 in a couple seconds; take it a bit easy in first (I'm on a gravel road), WOT to 5000 rpm in second and boom you are at 60 mph. |
