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Battleaxe · 03-30-2008, 02:03 AM

Question for anyone. I have owned shaft driven bikes, but want to play with a 5 or 6 speed chain driven engine.
I'm ultimately wanting to find out how not to wreck a reverse kit before I spend money on the thing. The question is,... if I am turning 5,000 RPM on anyone particular engine, then what is the actual RPM on the drive shaft? I realize the spocket differential, tire size, but not real sure on the shaft RPM from 1st to 5th,
6th or how to figure it out without putting,.....say a RPM gun on the thing for an actual reading? I feel like I have a brain fart here since I'm turning a sled into a 4wheeler and have that figured out. Thanks, Battleaxe

seruzawa · 03-30-2008, 06:24 AM

A shop manual may have specs on the numbers of teeth on the various gears in the engine, drive shaft and rear hub and using those you could calculate the shaft speed in any gear. The more important question is why?

bbtowns · 03-31-2008, 02:38 PM

You could calculate it based on the gear ratios contained in your owner's manual. You could also be reasonably accurate by figuring out how fast the shaft must turn to move the rear wheel a certain speed, but all involve mathematics that it would seem wouldn't be necessary for this kind of project, but I've never installed a reverse gear.

mscuddy · 04-01-2008, 11:30 AM

Remember folks, Motorcycle.com Tech Support is for issues with the website, not technical issues with your motorcycle. Therefore I'm moving this thread to Motorcycle mods & maintenance. You really should have known...to quote Mr. Know-It-All.

Battleaxe · 04-06-2008, 03:28 AM

Thanks guys, I didn't even think I had a response to this........Sorry where I asked the question, and the reason why is cause I'm putting a cycle engine into a singe seat buggy but want reverse in it. I'm re-routing the shifter to a linkage to take the spot just as a manual shifting truck or car would have, it just won't be a pattern, but rather a shift forward or back. It will have two brake pedals also, one to lock up just the rear, and another to lock up all four. Again just for the fun of it, where I have to ride it, etc....Reverse is pratical when being strapped in a little buggy, and I do want the power, reliability , and the fun shifting that a bike engine offers. That's what I'm up to. Thanks again.

03-30-2008, 02:03 AM	#1
Battleaxe Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2	Actual gear RPM Question for anyone. I have owned shaft driven bikes, but want to play with a 5 or 6 speed chain driven engine. I'm ultimately wanting to find out how not to wreck a reverse kit before I spend money on the thing. The question is,... if I am turning 5,000 RPM on anyone particular engine, then what is the actual RPM on the drive shaft? I realize the spocket differential, tire size, but not real sure on the shaft RPM from 1st to 5th, 6th or how to figure it out without putting,.....say a RPM gun on the thing for an actual reading? I feel like I have a brain fart here since I'm turning a sled into a 4wheeler and have that figured out. Thanks, Battleaxe

03-30-2008, 06:24 AM	#2
seruzawa Robby Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: 8501 ft. Posts: 16,803	A shop manual may have specs on the numbers of teeth on the various gears in the engine, drive shaft and rear hub and using those you could calculate the shaft speed in any gear. The more important question is why? __________________ I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.

03-31-2008, 02:38 PM	#3
bbtowns Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 531	You could calculate it based on the gear ratios contained in your owner's manual. You could also be reasonably accurate by figuring out how fast the shaft must turn to move the rear wheel a certain speed, but all involve mathematics that it would seem wouldn't be necessary for this kind of project, but I've never installed a reverse gear. __________________ What kind of man can abandon his family like that? Seriously, who is he, I'd like lessons.

04-01-2008, 11:30 AM	#4
mscuddy MODERATOR X Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Next to my still checkin the temp. Posts: 5,444	Remember folks, Motorcycle.com Tech Support is for issues with the website, not technical issues with your motorcycle. Therefore I'm moving this thread to Motorcycle mods & maintenance. You really should have known...to quote Mr. Know-It-All. __________________ A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

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04-06-2008, 03:28 AM	#5
Battleaxe Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2	Thanks guys, I didn't even think I had a response to this........Sorry where I asked the question, and the reason why is cause I'm putting a cycle engine into a singe seat buggy but want reverse in it. I'm re-routing the shifter to a linkage to take the spot just as a manual shifting truck or car would have, it just won't be a pattern, but rather a shift forward or back. It will have two brake pedals also, one to lock up just the rear, and another to lock up all four. Again just for the fun of it, where I have to ride it, etc....Reverse is pratical when being strapped in a little buggy, and I do want the power, reliability , and the fun shifting that a bike engine offers. That's what I'm up to. Thanks again.