Finally got my Superlites! (for the '19 D390)


Well, I wuz gonna name the thread "THey'RE HERE, thEY're heRE!!!"... but i was kinda afraid somebody might suh-lap me and tryta bring me back to my senses. Big News Flash: i don't H-A-V-E any! [don't want any, either]


but, Right... so what happened?


I ordered a 16 front and 43 rear, both steel, back on Oct 25. Apparently, the 43s were outta stock then (and 'still' are), but I managed to wrangle one up from the guys over at Rotweiler -- dudes saved my day.


So what I was shootin' for was something like [another gear], basically... because every time I got to 60 mph, I'd always be trying to shift up again (and couldn't get it into 7th, weird, right?)


It worked out on Gearing Commander that, with the sprockets switched, I'd catch 94 mph in 5th at 9,000, rather than 96 in 6th at 9K. That sounded like exactly what I was looking for, and it actually worked out... but it also had another really cool dividend I wasn't sure would pay off.


I've had this annoying habit of taking off in 2nd (a lot), because 1st gear is, to me, practically useless (unless I'm planning on pulling a boat up a bridge). Only problem with that is, taking off in 2nd is actually [just as borderline useful] as 1st... because, well-yeah, it's just way too much clutch sliding. And if I have a moment of spontaneous guilt, yeah, I end up stalling it.


But with the new gearing, the take-offs in 1st are spot on -- not too soft, not too hard; no wasted clutch slipping, and no panic that I already need to upshift. It's almost a Goldy Locks story, ya know? And well, it 'woulda' been, if I hadn't listened to myself (instead of someone trying to discourage me from doing 'both' sprocket changes).


Currently, No, I'm not experiencing any reluctance to [pull] in 6th. As a matter of fact, I think it feels like I'm in a fatter part of the fuel mapping. Hmmm...


According to my speedo, at 55 mph, my tach now reads 5,000 rpm in 6th gear; whereas b4 the changes, my tach read 5550 at 55 mph in 6th. In my opinion, it actually has a much better feel; roll on the throttle and she's fat 60-65-70 and even 'sounz/feels' different (as in better). And A lot less buzzing.


As soon as I get a chance to get out to the Interstate, I'll post back a follow up about how she pulls to the upper rev range (but I don't really drive there anyway). But if she 'does' pull clean to 90, and I managed to drop the revs by 900, well, WOOT!


Gotta go pedal the Trek for now. Anything else I notice, I'll tryta post back.


[oh ****, now I don't think I'm gonna sleep tonight]

shoot, 4got the pics!


ok, now I feel better. GTG.

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Great stuff, I just got the Super Sprox Stelth set for my first gen Duke 390

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Yeah! I see that! What is that, 15 x 42?


I just got back from the Interstate myself. I was waiting a couple of days because the temperature dropped the day after I originally posted to this thread.


But good results all around... and quite frankly, I don't know why someone in the Industry tried to caution me against going with 16 x 43, read on.


At 7,000 it's rolling at 78 mph, strong and smooth; at 90 mph it's turning 8,000 rpm neat (and wants to go).


I'm thinkin' I'll call that a win, because I'm neither chasing traffic or holding it back.


Heck, I just cranked the throttle on and blasted up to, by and past everything I needed to get by or away from.


I [hope] that makes sense -- sometimes I think the best thing about spare power is the ability to move away from potential disaster that might be about to happen, and this gearing setup definitely has that.

Yes the set I installed is indeed 15x42 on the 390

yeah... sorry, man. It was cold and I was all jacked up on Lit and caffeine. I'll tryta tone it down.

I went on a 60 mile trip this weekend, to Bradenton and back, through the heart of Sarasota via US41...


Before the gearing change I recently made, my fuel mileage was always 72.7 mpg;


After the change to 16/43 sprockets, it jumped to 78.1.


It's funny too, in a way, because at times I was forgetting I had another gear to use; other times it just wasn't a good idea to use it ~ too slow.


But like I said, as soon as I got above 60... yeah, click up. Pulls gr8.


[just followin' up]