[Sandman689]

@Ashwin: Thanks for your input.

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

Here's the gear ratios for the classic 350 as well as 500.

Thanks Abhishek, this is really useful.


So judging by these figures, 4 speed to 5 speed swap won't be much of a help as the final drive ratio will be virtually unchanged.


Guess I'll stick to stock gears.

[Abhishek3001]

Originally Posted by Sandman689

Guess I'll stick to stock gears.

You can still alter the ratios by going up 1 tooth on the front sprocket.

You can also try going down 1-2 teeth on the rear sprocket, but I am not sure about the availability of this as the older classics have the rear brake drum and sprocket as a single piece. Here's a picture of my bike's old sprocket for reference:

Going for a different front sprocket might be easier because any sprocket with the same pitch and spline profile would do. The classic 500 comes with an 18 teeth front sprocket, so you can try finding a 19 tooth sprocket.

I would suggest that you consult a mechanic/expert before doing this because I haven't person done this and also you'll lose some of the punch or toquiness by going up a tooth on the front sprocket.

[adrian]

Originally Posted by Sandman689

Hi fellow riders,


I have a Desert Storm which has clocked 29k. Every time I ride, some voice at the back of my mind whispers "Gosh this desert iron horse needs a 5th gear"

Originally Posted by Sandman689

So judging by these figures, 4 speed to 5 speed swap won't be much of a help as the final drive ratio will be virtually unchanged.


Guess I'll stick to stock gears.

Frankly speaking I am a bit confused But don't the UCEs already have 5 speed transmission ?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

Here's the gear ratios for the classic 350 as well as 500.

Wow, this is news for me, thought all motorcycles followed similar arrangement until now.

Another info about Bullet's that makes them unique. Thanks.

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

You can still alter the ratios by going up 1 tooth on the front sprocket.

You can also try going down 1-2 teeth on the rear sprocket, but I am not sure about the availability of this as the older classics have the rear brake drum and sprocket as a single piece. Here's a picture of my bike's old sprocket for reference: Attachment 1850960

Going for a different front sprocket might be easier because any sprocket with the same pitch and spline profile would do. The classic 500 comes with an 18 teeth front sprocket, so you can try finding a 19 tooth sprocket.

I would suggest that you consult a mechanic/expert before doing this because I haven't person done this and also you'll lose some of the punch or toquiness by going up a tooth on the front sprocket.

Quite a few RE, UCE owners in the U.S. have changed the front sprocket to reduce the engine speed.

The owners who live in the flat areas of the country say the change helps to keep the engine running a little slower and this has the effect of removing some of the buzzy vibration at speeds above 100 kmph.
People who live in mountainous areas that have made the change were not as happy as those living in the flat areas. The change in ratios reduces the torque needed at the rear wheel so climbing long grades is more difficult.

Also, acceleration speed in all gears suffers slightly if the front sprocket size is increased.

Going from an 18 tooth sprocket to a 19 tooth sprocket doesn't give the same drop in engine speed that shifting gears in the transmission does.

That change is only going to change the engine speed about 5.2 percent. Far lower than the 20+ percent change that shifting gears would make.

There is a definite limit on how large of an increase in the size of the front sprocket can be. If the sprocket is too large the chain and sprocket will interfere with the engine case.

As for me, I'm leaving the original sprocket on my 500.
There are hills and long mountain grades around Phoenix and the stock gear and sprocket ratios can cope with them just fine.

As for high speed riding I think the buffeting of the wind and the need to keep my attention directed towards the road and what lies ahead helps me ignore any slight increase in vibration the engine is making.

[Sandman689]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

I would suggest that you consult a mechanic/expert before doing this because I haven't person done this and also you'll lose some of the punch or toquiness by going up a tooth on the front sprocket.

I really like the torque, which was the reason I bought it in the first place.
So I might get a mechanic to play with the rear sprocket only.

Originally Posted by adrian

Frankly speaking I am a bit confused But don't the UCEs already have 5 speed transmission ?

It's a 2016 model. 5 speed came later that that.(Don't remember exactly when though)


I never really had any problem with the gearbox. Just that I wanted the engine to take it easy when cruising on the highway.

[Abhishek3001]

Originally Posted by Sandman689

I really like the torque, which was the reason I bought it in the first place.
So I might get a mechanic to play with the rear sprocket only.

Changing the rear sprocket for more speed will also reduce the torque and since you like the torqueness of the bike, I thinking you should leave the sprockets as they are.

Originally Posted by Sandman689

It's a 2016 model. 5 speed came later that that.(Don't remember exactly when though)

I think you might be misinformed, because the UCE classic 500's have had 5 speeds all along. My 2015 C500 had a 5 speed as well.

[timuseravan]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

I think you might be misinformed, because the UCE classic 500's have had 5 speeds all along. My 2015 C500 had a 5 speed as well.

Yup. My 2010 gen 1 C500 also had 5 speed.
All UCE were always 5 speed.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Sandman689

It's a 2016 model. 5 speed came later that that.(Don't remember exactly when though)

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

I think you might be misinformed, because the UCE classic 500's have had 5 speeds all along. My 2015 C500 had a 5 speed as well.

Though initially thought it to be a Typo, now seeing that the OP believes his motorcycle is a 4 Speed, my deduction honed by watching way too many investigative thrillers have lead me to conclude that the OP learnt to ride on a Hero Honda, and since the UCE 500 offers substantial torque the OP is unaware that by shifting all up like on Hero Honda's he's unintentionally missing the 1st Gear, hence giving him the notion that his motorcycle is a 4 Speed.

Case Closed!

Sorry for the pun, I just had to get that out.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Sandman689

It's a 2016 model. 5 speed came later that that.(Don't remember exactly when though)

Mate all UCE engine RE's are 5 speed and not 4 speed. The UCE engine made its debut on the Thunderbird Twinspark 350 somewhere in 2008-9. Post that the UCE 500 made its debut in 2010 on the Classic 500. UCE engines have never come with 4 speed transmission in India or abroad, they were always 5 speed only.

Before UCE engines came in, RE used to have CI(cast iron) and AVL(Lean Burn Aluminium) engines. The CI engines were primarily 4 speed but RE introduced a 5 Speed in Electra CI CDi models somewhere in the early 2000's. Electra was the only CI engine model which got the 5 speed transmission where gear lever was on the conventional left side. AVL 5 speed engine first made its appearance on Machismo 350 and then later on Machismo 500, this one too had the gear lever on the conventional left side and brake on the right side as opposed to CI STD Bullet 350 and 500 which had the gear lever on right side and brake on left side. The Thunderbird 350 which was first introduced in early 2000's also had the AVL 350 5 Speed engine.

Just recently, RE came up with a 6 speed engine for the first time on their 650 twins.

[Roy.S]

I've been quietly following this thread the last couple of days hoping the mystery of the 4 geared Desert storm is solved. Is it possible to ride a bike for 29k km without ever using the 5th gear? Or could it be that OP's bike had a defect where it wouldn't easily go into 5th which led him to the conclusion that there is no 5th gear?
A gentleman I knew bought a Zen back in 94 and drove it for a few years never slotting it into 5th because he didn't know that it existed but this sort of thing is unusual these days.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by Roy.S

I've been quietly following this thread the last couple of days hoping the mystery of the 4 geared Desert storm is solved. Is it possible to ride a bike for 29k km without ever using the 5th gear? Or could it be that OP's bike had a defect where it wouldn't easily go into 5th which led him to the conclusion that there is no 5th gear?
A gentleman I knew bought a Zen back in 94 and drove it for a few years never slotting it into 5th because he didn't know that it existed but this sort of thing is unusual these days.

Would love to hear it from the horse's mouth.

29K kms is a long time without knowing the bike has 5 gears . Like ashwinprakas mentioned, my guess is the same, the torque on the 500 wouldn't have made the OP realize that he is starting off in second. Would have affected the clutch plates too on the long run.

[adrian]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Though initially thought it to be a Typo,
Case Closed!

Sorry for the pun, I just had to get that out.

Originally Posted by Roy.S

I've been quietly following this thread the last hese days.

Originally Posted by tharian

Would love to hear it from the horse's mouth.

n the long run.

The whole fiasco wouldn't have happened if some time was spared by the OP to leaf through the user manual before riding the motorcycle

[ArizonaJim]

I wonder if the idea that the transmission only has four gears is because 1st gear was forgotten as being a "gear"?

What I'm getting at is, lets say your motorcycle was in 1st gear as you sit at a traffic light.
The light changes and you start to accelerate across the intersection and then you make one shift to get into 2nd gear. Then you make another shift to get into 3rd gear. (That's two shifts). Accelerating to a higher speed, again you shift, this time into 4th gear. (That's three shifts). Finally you shift again into top gear (5th gear) and motor down the road. (That's four times you moved the shift lever).
5 gears but only 4 shifts of the lever.

Slowing down is just the reverse of this so you make a total of 4 shifts of the lever to get back to 1st gear as the transmission goes from 5th gear back to 1st gear.

[Sandman689]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

Changing the rear sprocket for more speed will also reduce the torque and since you like the torqueness of the bike, I thinking you should leave the sprockets as they are.

I think you might be misinformed, because the UCE classic 500's have had 5 speeds all along. My 2015 C500 had a 5 speed as well.

Yes I agree. I might just leave the gears alone.

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Mate all UCE engine RE's are 5 speed and not 4 speed. The UCE engine made its debut on the Thunderbird Twinspark 350 somewhere in 2008-9. Post that the UCE 500 made its debut in 2010 on the Classic 500. UCE engines have never come with 4 speed transmission in India or abroad, they were always 5 speed only.

Apologies for the misinformation. I stand corrected.