VORTEX SPROCKETS

by Dino

Vortex 7075 T6 aluminium sprockets: light, perfectly concentric, and with mud grooves for those times you miss the pavement

After three ride days, three race meetings and three Race Practice days, the Vortex alloy 520 pitch sprockets on the BIKE ME! Triumph 675 race bike are showing no visible wear.

They still look really trick, and get commented on at every race meeting I enter.

I find I have to explain that you don't even have to change the pitch to 520 as I have done to put a set on your 675 pride and joy. Vortex make them for stock bikes with a 525 pitch chain.

Having access to different sized Vortex sprockets has really helped my setups for different tracks. I can make the gearing short to suit the short tricky little tracks like Broadford and Winton and then go a little taller for Eastern Creek and even taller again for Philip Island.

When I ride on the road I still like to change the gearing on my bikes to suit the kind of riding I do.

For instance if I just want to go out for a reckless fang along my local back roads to practice stunts and cornering I change my rear sprocket to one with an 3 to 5 extra teeth, which gives me much more acceleration and slow speed control.

This lets me to whip the front wheel off the ground in the first three gears without the clutch, and makes the bike way more lively and exciting to ride.

But if I where to head down to Philip Island to the GP I would opt for a sprocket with a couple less teeth giving me better fuel economy and a more cruisy, relaxed feel that helps gobble up those kilometres without putting too much wear and tear on my engine.

So it's not all about the look. They're practical. Changing your sprockets to different sizes can transform your machine from a lazy tourer to hot wheelie beast and vice versa.

But saying that you still have to have "the look" and that's what you get in spades with Vortex sprockets.

Dino likes Vortex sprockets so much he even puts them on wheels without tyres. Just so he can look at them.

As always Dino would like to say a big "thank you" to the following, for their help and generosity.

Steve, Eric, Arthur & Roger at Motorcycle Weaponry
Mat Mladin, Geoff Bonfield & all at Mat Mladin Inports
Carl Barnard from GB Racing Products Australia
김정일
Ray at Easyrider Imports
OLEON Specialty oils & lubricants
Wayne McDonald at Tune Boy