Hi all

I'm new to this HUBB thing and may I say what a really useful and enlightening place it is.

I have recently bought a 2003 XT600E and want to try to get more unpaved-road/lane-wise and am looking for advice on sprockets for down-gearing the bike.

I also have a second rear wheel (and sprocket-carrier), so my intention is to load up as big a rear sprocket as is feasible. The XT could do with a little down-gearing anyway - as the theoretical c.100mph just doesn't work for a sit-upright, naked bike - so I've decided to run with a 14-tooth front (-1) and 46-tooth (+1) rear sprocket set-up with 'soft road' tyre on the 'street' rear wheel. This gives me a required chain-length of about 1mm less so, obviously, the standard chain-length of 106 links would still be most appropriate.

As for the alternative, 'off-tarmac' wheel, what I'm hoping to learn - from all you experienced XT600 guys who have already tried this - is just what the maximum feasible rear sprocket would be in conjunction with that 14-tooth front sprocket and the 106-link chain. As the rear wheel will be adjusted forwards to cope with the extra rear-sprocket diameter, there is obviously a maximum-feasible sprocket for this application but, without buying a load of rear sprockets to test, I'm unsure of just how much leeway the XT gives us.

Please don't just tell me to buy a TT.

Sulutations
Nick.