The oil-cooled 1200 series Inazuma 1200 is probably the smoothest finished one.
Will it end up with a flavor like the GSF1200?
Everyone seems to have all sorts of ambitions, but it feels like it could be quite a hassle.
Balance is important in everything.
I think it’s also a good idea to start with a low budget and figure out where you can compromise.
Enjoy different flavors by changing the sprocket tooth count (outer diameter).
These days you can choose from so many options, which is really nice.
Plus, if you order something, it arrives right away—truly a wonderful era, I must say.
Back when this old guy was young,
“OEM parts” or “Afam” was pretty much it.
So,
since the customer wanted the Inazuma 1200 to come on stronger and snappier,
I dropped the front sprocket by one tooth to 14 teeth (short ratio, acceleration-focused).
After installation was complete and I took it for a test ride,
“it really does come on snappy!”
This might actually be pretty interesting.
Naturally, the overall character becomes acceleration-focused, so it doesn’t pull as hard on the highway, but depending on the use case, I think it could be fun.
In the past, the GSX-R750 GR71 also became really interesting when I dropped the front sprocket by one tooth to boost acceleration.
If the throttle doesn’t open up and accelerate properly, mountain passes and such can be tough.
Depending on the use case, before you start talking about carburetors and cams, if you can be satisfied with this, that’s also an option.
For example,
if you switch the carburetor to a manual choke setup, the maintenance interval becomes much shorter compared to the OEM carburetor with the air cleaner box—which means higher costs.
Cams require rocker arm replacement too, so assembly costs go up.
Cams feel really nice because vehicle speed builds as RPM increases.
There’s a phrase in the world called cost-effectiveness.
Installing aftermarket parts isn’t the end of it—customers often don’t think that far ahead.
I think it’s important to keep future maintenance in mind and understand what’s involved.
And those parts won’t last forever—well, forever is tough to say, but…
