[Ridingislife]

First time post be kind,
I’m interested in replacing the front sprocket on a 2022 versys to the 15 tooth. I have been in contact with JT sprockets his recommendation was the non-rubber JT 1539 15 tooth Direct replacement no shims needed. My first question is has anybody changed front sprocket on a 2022? I have found the jt 1539 on Amazon but has a disclaimer that it did not fit a 2022. I understand that there is a slight whining with the non-rubber sprocket. Does anybody have any experience with this? No offense to the shimmers out there but I’m a little skeptical of shimming the rubber 15 sprocket. Not skeptical enough that I have already ordered the shims, the genuine spline roll over washers.
Thanks ahead of time for any information.

 

[JT in GA]

I haven't heard anything on a '22 changing sprockets ... but many success stories with front and/or rear sprocket changes on 17-21.

Also not aware of any big changes on the '22 x300, so results should be the same. I like stock gearing (recentlyreplaced withJT 14t cushionand 46t rear), but wouldn't hesitate to use shims and 15t rubber cushion JT sprocket. @Dave 300x talked much with the team at JT to develop the fix for use. Dave is an engineer too, so that helps.

Good luck and have fun !

JT (not affiliated with the sprocket maker in any way 🤣)

 

[Itsgordo]

I used a basic 15 from JT. There was some whine present. It came with the bike and I did not research it. The chain was noisier when manually moving the bike too. So I put on the 14T JT rubber front back on that my local dealer spec’d for me. It was $20 less than what Kawasaki was asking. It’s quiet. Paired it up with a 43T rear from JT as well. Virtually same as going 15T without sizing or dampening concerns. I like that the 14/43 combo reduces mass a bit. Amazon doesn’t recognize it as fitting Versys X, but it does.

Amazon.com: JT Sprockets JTR486.43 43T Steel Rear Sprocket : Automotive

Buy JT Sprockets JTR486.43 43T Steel Rear Sprocket: Sprockets - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Itsgordo]

Same one Dave spec’d

 

[fasteddiecopeman]

WELCOME aboard! Ridingislife

 

[Ridingislife]

WELCOME aboard! Ridingislife

WELCOME aboard! Ridingislife

Thanks for all the response
I thinking I should contact Dave. He seems to be the contact man.

 

[Respen]

First time post be kind,
I’m interested in replacing the front sprocket on a 2022 versys to the 15 tooth. I have been in contact with JT sprockets his recommendation was the non-rubber JT 1539 15 tooth Direct replacement no shims needed. My first question is has anybody changed front sprocket on a 2022? I have found the jt 1539 on Amazon but has a disclaimer that it did not fit a 2022. I understand that there is a slight whining with the non-rubber sprocket. Does anybody have any experience with this? No offense to the shimmers out there but I’m a little skeptical of shimming the rubber 15 sprocket. Not skeptical enough that I have already ordered the shims, the genuine spline roll over washers.
Thanks ahead of time for any information.

I have a '22 x300 and changed my front sprocket to a 15t rubber bumpered sprocket a few weeks ago. I followed @Dave 300x guide and videos and have had no problems since.

Front sprocket 15t rubber
https://youtu.be/yNo2yfwJ76Q

 

[Ridingislife]

Thank you for your response, I have watched Dave’s videos several times trying to build my confidence. Having somebody that has done it on a 2022 makes me Feel a little more confident. I could not imagine what would’ve changed on a 2022 but I wanted to make sure. So how do you like the gearing know?
Thanks again

 

[Respen]

The bike feels great now. I use my bike mainly for commuting and everything just feels a lot more relaxed now.

Just finished installing the rubber bumpered 15t sprocket using @Dave 300x 's videos. The installation went really smooth, no issues at all. Took about an hour, but a good chunk of that was making sure the chain was aligned and tensioned correctly after the sprocket installation. Thanks Dave.

The bike feels so much better now, this is probably the best upgrade one can do to the x300. The bike doesn't have that stressed feeling at speed anymore. Took it for a quick spin and in 6th gear I'm showing ~7,200rpm at 65mph (~105kph) indicated and ~8,400rpm at 75mph (~121kph) indicated. At both speeds the bike felt relaxed and my TBR slip-on wasn't roaring as it usually does at these speeds. The bike felt really happy and quiet doing things like cruising down my road in 4th gear, when I normally would run it in 5th-6th to keep the noise down a bit for the neighbors.

One thing to note is when I've been buying farkles for the bike, many of the websites still don't list the 2022 x300 model. I've bought several things that were only for the '17 - '21 models and have had zero issues with installation. I'm pretty sure nothing was changed for the '22 model, BUT if you're unsure about the compatibility of something, definitely contact the manufacturer.

 

[Ridingislife]

Relaxed is what I’m looking for. I have ordered parts from two different suppliers and they just send my money back. they have no stock and no idea when they well. If anybody has any information on suppliers that was them in stock I would appreciate the information. Thanks ahead of time

 

[waspmike]

I have a 15T front sprocket. Rides like normal. Can't hear anything unusual.

 

[Ridingislife]

I have a 15T front sprocket. Rides like normal. Can't hear anything unusual.

So you put the jtf1539 15 Direct replacement From JT sprocket ? Was the change worth it?

 

[Dave 300x]

So you put the jtf1539 15 Direct replacement From JT sprocket? Was the change worth it?

The short answer = Yes. There should be no change for the 2022 bikes. Kawasaki has made almost no changes in 6 years. For me the stock gearing was too low. Going to the 15-tooth front rubber bumpered sprocket helped. I understand that changing bike parts on a new X300 is a little daunting, but I dove right with the help of J.T. Sprocket's Engineer to document the use of the alternate sprocket and how to correctly handle the difference in the width of the alternate 15 tooth rubber bumpered sprocket. At length I talked to engineer Richard on the phone and the alternate sprocket although it is not as wide as the stock X300 14 tooth sprocket, there is no issue with going to the 15 tooth J.T.Sprockets JTF565.15RB (JT F=front, 565 = application, 15 = tooth, RB = rubber bumper). Richard provided detail on how these 565 series of sprockets are stock on bike up to 1 liter in displacement. The X300's 39 horsepower is a non-issue. I think going with the 15 tooth front is the better way to go. The front will wear less with the extra tooth.
See the text below my video on my channel for all the sources and links to the JTF565.15RB and genuine Kawasaki splined washers that are cheap and available. I just checked two days ago and all the links are good and the items are in stock.

 

[Dave 300x]

The short answer = Yes. There should be no change for the 2022 bikes. Kawasaki has made almost no changes in 6 years. For me the stock gearing was too low. Going to the 15-tooth front rubber bumpered sprocket helped. I understand that changing bike parts on a new X300 is a little daunting, but I dove right with the help of J.T. Sprocket's Engineer to document the use of the alternate sprocket and how to correctly handle the difference in the width of the alternate 15 tooth rubber bumpered sprocket. At length I talked to engineer Richard on the phone and the alternate sprocket although it is not as wide as the stock X300 14 tooth sprocket, there is no issue with going to the 15 tooth J.T.Sprockets JTF565.15RB (JT F=front, 565 = application, 15 = tooth, RB = rubber bumper). Richard provided detail on how these 565 series of sprockets are stock on bike up to 1 liter in displacement. The X300's 39 horsepower is a non-issue. I think going with the 15-tooth front is the better way to go. The front will wear less with the extra tooth.
See the text below my video on my channel for all the sources and links to the JTF565.15RB and genuine Kawasaki splined washers that are cheap and available. I just checked two days ago, and all the links are good and the items are in stock.

I will add that the noise from the non-rubber bumpered front sprocket seem to bother some X300 riders but not all. I want a quiet bike. I realize that I am probably in the minority wanting to keep the noise down on my X300 but that is just me. Check out my windshield design video on my channel that shows what design virtually eliminate wind and helmet buffeting noise.

 

[Itsgordo]

Devils advocate: loss in width negates some wear benefits of the extra tooth. Possibly chain as well. It’s a coin toss in my mind. If you don’t have access to an impact gun but have a stand, rear might be easier job. I have both, but not everyone does. No stand? Definitely front. I’ve done it old school impact, hammer on wrench, but a gun is so much easier.

 

[Dave 300x]

Devils advocate: loss in width negates some wear benefits of the extra tooth. Possibly chain as well. It’s a coin toss in my mind. If you don’t have access to an impact gun but have a stand, rear might be easier job. I have both, but not everyone does. No stand? Definitely front. I’ve done it old school impact, hammer on wrench, but a gun is so much easier.

With Richard's (J.T. Sprockets Engineer) detailing what is important and that being correctly address the thinner width and what I came up with using genuine Kawasaki splined washer that are used inside the transmission and are legit and when placed in the proper orientation and in order as show in my video, the stack up is complete. Movement is the enemy and finishing the job with the 93.7 lb./ft of torque seals the deal and the width difference is negated. I have this JTF565.15RB on my bike now for over 3000 miles and there is no issue. I've revisited the stack up and made sure nothing has changed from the date of install. I understand that changing out crucial drive train component with something a little different is suspect however, in this case with a 39-horsepower engine it doesn't make enough power to make any difference. Many X300 owners have done a lot worse with cheap 3rd party accessories with no regard to safety or quality. In this situation every detail has been discussed with Richard and addressed with Kawasaki quality parts. That is all I can say - I'll run this sprocket until I sell the X300. J.T. Sprockets make high quality sprockets worldwide. They actually make the JTF1539.15RB in Thailand but it's not available in the US. That is crazy but true. The two J.T. Sprockets entities must be under different management. I didn't ask Richard about this subject, but I may give him another call someday. Side note: many X300 now have this JTF565.15RB on their X300 bikes and I get big Thank You's on occasion.

 

[Itsgordo]

I’d not expect any sprocket combo to not last until your next chain. If you’re in the change them all together camp?

 

[Ridingislife]

I will add that the noise from the non-rubber bumpered front sprocket seem to bother some X300 riders but not all. I want a quiet bike. I realize that I am probably in the minority wanting to keep the noise down on my X300 but that is just me. Check out my windshield design video on my channel that shows what design virtually eliminate wind and helmet buffeting noise.

Thank you for your response.
I have both jtf565 and jtf1539 in my hands. But like you I like quite and have not installed the non rubber drop-in sprocket. I have been riding motorcycles for 57 years and this x300 is just. the ticket for a 65 year old man that just wants the to ride down country roads. But the gearing has to change. I will keep looking for the spacers to go with the jtf565.
Thank you

 

[Dave 300x]

Thank you for your response.
I have both jtf565 and jtf1539 in my hands. But like you I like quite and have not installed the non rubber drop-in sprocket. I have been riding motorcycles for 57 years and this x300 is just. the ticket for a 65 year old man that just wants the to ride down country roads. But the gearing has to change. I will keep looking for the spacers to go with the jtf565.
Thank you

The sources for the sprocket and the Kawasaki splined washers are all in the text that accompanies my video. The genuine Kawasaki can be bought through several big on line motorcycle sites but I went with Partszilla.com. These washers are in stock (just checked) and are inexpensive. With my custom windshield that I designed I now have a quiet X300 - way quiet and can hear even the rubber bumpered front sprocket as they are not silent of course. I may even stop wearing ear plugs as I don't think I need them anymore. My bike is that quiet. I'm your age and that is a driving factor in going through the effort to find ways to silence all nuisance noise sources. And I've done just that. I will run the JTF565.15RB until I sell my X300 - hopefully many years from now. I have over 3000 miles on the rubber bumpered 15-tooth sprocket and I'm sold on its use over anything else that is louder. Enjoy your X300 - in silence.

 

[lshasselmann]

Thank you for your response, I have watched Dave’s videos several times trying to build my confidence. Having somebody that has done it on a 2022 makes me Feel a little more confident. I could not imagine what would’ve changed on a 2022 but I wanted to make sure. So how do you like the gearing know?
Thanks again

Hello!! I have a 2022, using a relation 15 x 42, with very good results and no issues in the dash. Remember that engine and gearbox are originally match with a 14 x 42 sprockets, for Ninja 300 and Z300