JT 14/45 & DID VX3(gold) on the way

My 2020 how has 10,200 miles. I have run the OEM chain and sprockets on for too long. My swingarm has two faint marks from the chain hitting it even though I had just replaced the chain guide this past November. I had been noticing that for the past bunch of rides, the chain would keep getting looser and looser and I'm fairly sure that it is what caused the chain to hit the swingarm. I have a new chain guide and a set of JT sprockets in 14/45 and a gold DID VX3 chain with a master link clip on the way.

I have liked the stock 13/43 as with a Rekluse 3.0 Core EXP in it, I never stall and any time I need to, I can just twist and go with the Rekluse so I have had no need to change the gearing to get a quicker hit/more torque off the bottom end. In fact, the 14/45 gearing should lower the rpm in top gear for some easier road transits in between trails and dirt roads.

I was glad I have a dremel with a good grinding bit on it as it made quick work of flattening or grinding the face of a link pin and then I had finally put the heavy duty 420-530 chain breaker to work as I had gotten it many years ago but with all my chains having either needing a rivet staked or master link clipped, I have not had to break a chain in years but with the pin ground down and the chain breaker, the OEM chain was off in no time.

Now to just wait for the chain and sprocket set to come and the new chain guide.

The new VX3, 110 link, and set of JT sprockets, 14 and 45, are installed.  

Unstaking and restaking the countershaft sprocket nut was easy.  

On with the new front sprocket and the rear.  I had put some blue loctite on the rear sprocket bolts.  

The DID VX3 chain went on easy and I was glad that I had a master link press tool and had learned long ago to not press the master link too far or the link ends up binding.  Having master link clip pliers also made quick work of getting the master clip on without any drama.  

I was (pleasantly) surprised when I had found that the rear wheel had to go so far forward and that I'm now at the second to last line on the adjustment indicator lines as I have realized that I had gone way, way too long on the stock OEM chain and sprockets and won't make that mistake again.  

The OEM CS cover does fit over the 14T chain and sprocket. I just had to install the inner guard/seal first and then once fitted and pushed into place, the outer cover and bolts can go on and it all fits perfectly, it is a super close fit, but the chain and sprocket do not touch the guard at all.

 I have been using VX3 chains for many years now on the two Beta's I have/had and like them as they last a long time.  After a short ride, I can feel how much smoother and quieter the chain is running and  the 14/45 combo feels just like the 13/43 so far.  I will see if I can get out for a longer ride tomorrow to see how it feels on the dirt though I think that I'll like it just fine as I just don't bother going on tight and tough trails when I have so many nice trails that are not rocky and rooty and really favor getting up to all the dirt roads that I really like riding on and I don't need anything to get the bike to come out of the hole quicker or faster.

I was able to go for a 120 mile ride the other day and I am now thrilled with how the bike performs, both on the trails and especially on the street. The most shocking piece is that when I had first tried the new sprockets, I thought for sure, like 100% that the mph on the speedometer was now reading anywhere from 5 to 10 mph over what a GPS would say the actual speed was and I was sure that the error would be closer to being 10 mph over. It has turned out that my gearing change has made the speedometer more accurate than before and that the acceleration is better than it was with 14/45 than it was with 13/43. Road riding is now as good as it can be with this bike. The rpm has gone down, which is what I had really wanted and the acceleration has not suffered and to me, has improved. The engine sound is much better too. The motor is so much quieter throughout and this makes me happy as a quiet engine helps to keep me riding at all the places I have been riding as sound and noise is the enemy.