Bare - are you saying that a good 530 Oring chain cannot be installed without an 18 tooth front sprocket?
I know our high end performance is limited by horsepower more than gearing, but I don't understand why the "comfortable cruising speed" increases, while top speed decreases...
The Oring Chain is too wide to fit over the bearing housing boss with a 17T sprocket, however, with the 18T the chain will clear that boss. The oring chain has more width because of the orings, and a good Oring chain has links that are about 50% thicker than a cheapie. The roller and pins are thicker, too. The cheap chain will start breaking up inside as the bushings split, partly because the bushings are split to start with. A good chain has a solid bushing. same thing with the out rollers that ride on the chain. A lot of cheap chains have split rollers. Get a good chain. It's cheaper and a lot more comfortable in the long run. I haven't had to adjust my Tsubaki in 7000 miles since I put it on. The original didn't last that long! And I kept it on way after it should've been pitched. And a bad chain will ruin your sprockets. kinda dumb to wait until your sprockets are wrecked before changing chains. Now you've spent more than a good chain would've cost in the first place!
The cruising speed will increase because you are operating in the peak power band of the engine. As the speed increases the power actually decreases because of the cams and injection limitations. As this power is decreasing the drag is increasing. The terminal velocity decreases. Drag wins!
If you want to go faster with an Enfield, go see ACE!
The differences between the 17T on a G5/B5 and the 18T on a C5 is because of the difference difference in the rear wheel sizes. The RPM/MPH ratio are almost exactly the same. The factory actually did a pretty good job on the stock gearing. I would have kept it had I been able to get the Tsubaki Omega 530 to fit.
The bike is just smoother all the way around Less vibration, etc. It's because that rattle trap stock is binding and yanking and stretching itself all the around,and it doesn't take long to do it. A good chain should easily last way over 20,000 miles. I usually get average over 30,000 on a DID or Tsubaki. This one, I'm presuming should last nearly that long. A thumper can be a bit harder on a chain that a Multi Cylinder bike just from the power pulse. On the other hand an Enfield doesn't have much of a power pulse so it should last a very long time.
Bare