Do I need new sprockets?

I have an '81 XJ 550 Maxim with just over 9000 original miles (Previous owner let her sit before I got hold of it).

The chain is very noticeably worn/rusted/loose but the sprockets seem (in my amateur opinion) to be in relatively decent shape in comparison.

I've read mixed things about replacing the sprockets when replacing the chain, but is that necessary?

BigFitz?

 

if i was using your money i'd get the works but my money only gets the cheapest chain i could find to finish the year and plan on a whole new set next year

 

YES IT IS.

Replace the chain and sprockets as a set; or the new chain will quickly wear out. It's at "half life" right now.

LUBE THAT NEW CHAIN. Every 500 miles or so.

I'm running the basic, every-day non o-ring chain and sprockets on both of my 550s. I've been commuting on the black bike this season, 124+ miles a day as often as possible. Chain needs adjusting every 2000 miles or so, which compared to my Norton is phenomenal.

Get a new chain AND sprockets from chacal and take care of them and they'll give you great service.

TIP: The book says 35mm~40mm for the chain tension when on the centerstand. That's too tight. Go 40mm~45mm~50mm and it will hold a lot longer. Set it at 35mm and it'll be at 50mm in no time.

Seriously: replace the set. To do otherwise is to throw away money; and you DON'T need to go "premium" unless you want to.

BTW, I use PJ1 Blue Label (Len has that too.)

Chain drive: the way it used to be; keep the flame burning.

 

Oh, and get a new retaining washer-lock plate-thingie for the primary sprocket. $3 is cheap insurance.

 

Sprockets will wear according to the chain, so 9000 miles may seem low, but if the PO never looked after it who knows. The biggest outlay will be the chain, get the best you can and depending on how you intend to use the bike, then you now have the opportunity to do so. If you want to sacrifice all round performance go down one tooth (from Factory) on the front, this will give you a little more get up and go from the start but sacrifice top end and increase revs which on a long trip may be irritating.
On the other hand, you could go up one tooth on the front (from Factory) if there is enough clearance, and lower the revs a bit, possibly get better mileage, but not by much and lower the revs so that long distance riding can be less buzzy.
Sprockets are the least of the expense on what you are doing, but a cheap chain could possibly let you down in the middle of no where, or it could last a long time. Just make sure you maintain it properly.
To sum it up, decide the style of riding you intend to do, then spend your money accordingly.
Lets have some pics while you're at it, I like pics.


Good luck, Graham

 

I'd love to - I'm a sucker for them myself.

On that note, I just got back from a 250 mile voyage - it was awesome, but for the terrible buzzing I experienced, despite ear plugs and a Shoei rf1000. My bike currently does not have baffles (don't know if it's stock exhaust, actually) How can I go about determining what baffles to get, and what other noise-reduction tips do you have?

 

OK, sounds like you're into more long distance than point and squirt town riding.
Take the bars off and plug one end with silicone, let it dry completely then fill from the other end with bird shot. This adds a little weight to the bars but also acts as a vibration damper. Then silicone the other end so nothing can leak out. If you have any holes in the bars at all make sure that they are sealed too. Then reinstall the bars and put on foam or gel grips.
Moving on to chain and sprockets, try the one up in the front and three down in the rear, I found this reduces the RPMS considerably and to me, less revs = less buzz.
Not sure what to tell you about the exhaust but baffles will reduce the noise and if possible put a bigger windsheild on the bike as air turbulance can cause buffeting around the upper body and helmet area which can cause discomfort if your head is getting buffeted around from the airstream.
All the above is good if you are going to be doing longer distance travel, but will not adversely affect the bike around town either.

 

No no no. Don't start screwing around with the gearing on a 550, you'll be sorry. Yamaha's got them set up to run at highway speed in the right RPM range, just ONE TOOTH in the rear can make a big difference. Less revs is NOT =less buzz; the 550 is a lot smoother at ~5300RPM than it is at ~4500RPM. The last thing you want to do is gear it to run IN the "buzz range" RPM-wise.

If the bike's not in a proper state of tune, the 550 will buzz your teeth out.

Have you checked the valve clearances, float levels, and sync'ed the carbs?

And let's see some pics of that exhaust system, it'll be easy to tell if it's stock or not.

Oh, and I didn't say cheap chain, I said basic utility grade is fine. It's still a quality, name-brand, heavy-duty chain. My point was that you don't need to spend extra dollars; a good basic replacement, well maintained, will work quite well. And since you still need to change the sprockets with the chain, going with standard OEM-grade replacement keeps the cost down without sacrificing performance.

 

Ive got the collector box underneath.

It has the stock airbox with a fresh filter. Just recently cleaned & synced carbs thoroughly. I've yet to get to valves - might as well when I have things opened up for sprockets.

Looking inside the exhaust pipes, this is what i see.

 

Could we get maybe a side-shot of the mufflers? It looks like somebody's cut the ends out of a stock set of something; but they don't appear to be stock Maxim mufflers.