TC 449 for woods riding, need help figuring out gearing/sprockets

I had the TC 449 out over the weekend for the first time, and I loved it. Here in NJ most of our riding is sandy jeep roads and tight woods trails. One issue I have is that the bike was screaming in 5th (top) gear on some of the smoother dirt roads while the guys on Enduros I was riding with just rode away from me. Another issue is that I ride the bik on pavement about 6 miles to get to the woods, and the speed limit is 50mph most of the way, so the thing is screaming.

Right now I have the stock 15F/53R sprockets. Using gearing commander ( http://www.gearingcommander.com/ ) I'm considering dropping to a 15F/46R setup. I'll lose .5 mph on the bottom, for a 9 mph increase up top. Anyone see any problems with this?

Here's STOCK 15/53:



Here's 15/46:



Also looking for recommendations for a new chain and sprockets for Enduro/Woods riding.

Thoughts?

that's a big drop in teeth but it sounds about right from your description. your bike should cruise comfortably at 5500-6000rpm. Don't look at any speed below 2000rpm- I think that's the idle of your 449- especially a TC. I don't know the rev limit but I bet it's 10,000rpms or higher.

these bikes are not made to lug down low; don't ride it like an xr600.

to answer your other question: yeah, I think that tank will fit your tc449. but I am not sure I would do that. wait a couple of months to see how you like your range (~90miles?). After 75 miles in the dirt, you will be dying for a gas station just for a break. seems weird I know.

Can you fit a fly wheel weight. Something like a Stealey-will give you a bit more bottom end and lugability. This works well on YZ Yamahas for instance.

I have a 2011 TC449 Engine in my BMW G450X and have ran it for about 50 hours that way here in the AZ High desert. I run 14/48 gearing. I'm fitting a new piston into my BMW G450 Engine though and will probably re-install it back into the bike. Its a 5 spd. wide ration transmission.

The TC449 engine is a 5 spd. close ratio transmission. First gear being taller in the TC 449 than the BMWs gear box. with the gear ratios being closer together. The BMWs 4th gear is the same as the TCs 5th gear at 1.04 to 1 ratio, so if you stick with the 5 spd. gear box and want the toughness of the wider 5 spd. gearset rather than the 6 spd. box installed in the Husky TE/TXC trans go find a BMW G450X set of gears. Its a common swap.,5 spd gear boxes have 20% wider gears.

The 6 spd TE/TXC has a 6th gear overdrive ratio of 0.920, which is not as high of an overdrive ratio as the 5th gear in the BMW G450s 5 spd.

As for the internal gear ratios.
The Husky TC 449 5 spd. engine ratios are as follows:

1st gear 2.286 ratio, gear teeth count is 32/14
2nd gear 1.875 ratio, gear teeth count is 30/16
3rd gear 1.533 ratio, gear teeth count is 23/15
4th gear 1.260 ratio, gear teeth count is 29/23
5th gear 1.043 ratio, gear teeth count is 24/23

The Husky TE/TXC 6 spds. gear box ratios are the same as the TCs 5 spd except it has a 6th gear thrown in for an overdrive ratio of 0.920 as I mentioned above.

On the other hand the BMW has approximately 15% wider spacing between each of its gears to all of its 5 speeds.
It is a desirable swap and I have seen complete G450X transmission gear sets and the shafts go for as little as 300 bucks on e-bay.

Our old buddy Tinken did this swap to his TXC511 and called it the WR511 if I remember. He really liked it better than the 6 spd. because the high gear 5th in the BMWs 5 spd. is a higher/taller overdrive ratio than the TE/TXC 449/511 6th gear.

The BMW G450X 5 spd. gear ratio are as follows:

1st gear 2.462 ratio, gear teeth count is 32/13
2nd gear 1.706 ratio, gear teeth count is 29/17
3rd gear 1.358 ratio, gear teeth count is 27/20
4th gear 1.043 ratio, gear teeth count is 24/23
5th gear 0.883 ratio, gear teeth count is 22/25

Hope this answers some of your questions why your buddies enduro bikes are leaving you in the dust on the high speed dirt roads. I do the same to my buddies when I'm riding my FE501 6spd with 14/49 final gearing when I ride wide open against their WR450s and their CRF450 F X 5 spds.