16t front sprocket for Himalayan 411 - The best and the cheapest!

While I was going through some forums related to the Himalayan 411, especially the ones abroad, many have suggested using a 16t front sprocket for Himalayan 411 on the highways. Since my use case scenario is mostly touring and city commute, I decided to try it out.

There are many options available ranging from 450 INR to 3000 INR for a 16t front sprocket for the Himalayan. I decided to go for the cheapest one to try it out first before getting a better one. This 16t front sprocket is from Lone Ranger. I got it for 450 INR but now it’s available for around 350 INR.

Let me get into the Pros and Cons and I’ll explain why I think it’s the cheapest and best mod best suited for touring on the Himalayan 411

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Pros of 16t front sprocket for Himalayan 411

1. Tall gear ratios

The 16t front sprocket makes the gear ratios taller. You’ll find the need to shift from 1st to 2nd at 30 kph, 2nd to 3rd at 40 kph, 3rd to 4th at 60 and 4th to 5th at 90 to 100 when you shift gears between the 3k – 4k RPM range. This allows for a more relaxed cruising on the highways and less frequent gear shifts during the city commute.

2. Less stressed engine

Since the gear ratios are taller, the engine sits 200 – 300 RPMs lower at a particular speed when compared to the stock setup. For example when I cruise at 120, the tachometer needle sits right on the 6k mark in the stock setup.

With the 16t front sprocket, while cruising at 120, it sits somewhere between the 5k and 6k mark. So cruising at high speeds with a lesser stressed engine will feel a lot comfortable.

3. Less jerky engine breaking

With this 16t front sprocket, I felt the engine braking got a bit more smoothened or evened out. While cutting the throttle or during downshifts, the bike doesn’t jerk much and smoothly revs to a halt.

4. Better fuel efficiency

Even though I didn’t accurately check the mileage, I felt it improved the mileage by about 2-3 kmpl on the highway and in the city. Maybe it’s mostly because of the engine operating at lower RPMs at all times.

Cons of the 16t front sprocket for Himalayan 411

1. Reduction in low end torque

Increase in the front sprocket teeth will shift the engine’s torque and power to higher RPMs and hence at the lower RPMs, you’ll see a reduction in the usual tractability of the Himalayan. The Himalayan 411’s long stroke engine has enough lower end torque for you to not notice this effect especially on the highways.

But I went back to the stock after I started going to the dirt track and off road trail rides more often. As i kept getting better at riding on the dirt, I was missing that quick acceleration at the low end which will help the wheel spin and break traction. That’s the only reason why I changed it.

2. Slower acceleration

By virtue of the power being shifted to higher RPMs, you’ll feel that the bike is slower and doesn’t accelerate as quickly as the stock configuration. But the loss of acceleration you’ll make up in a slight increase in the top speed and overall relaxed nature of the engine.

Who should get the 16t front sprocket for Himalayan 411?

If you use your 411 primarily for the highways and for some city commute, then this sprocket is going to be very helpful. Engine will feel a lot less stressed, smooth and maybe improve the fuel efficiency too.

But if you do more of aggressive off road trail riding or dirt track riding, then you’ll need that low end tractability to it’s maximum and hence this sprocket will not suit you.

16t front sprocket for Himalayan 411 – The best and the cheapest!