Africa Twin RD04/RD07/07A (1990-03) has an Achilles’ heel and it is the wear and tear that the front sprocket is doing to the driveshaft over the years. I was unaware of this when I set of around the world on my 30-year-old bike (RD04).
The result was an unforeseen breakdown one beautiful evening in Malaysia. The teeth on my drive shaft were completely worn away resulting in my original Honda front sprocket spinning freely on the drive shaft. All followed by a complete standstill.
The noise it made resembled a gearbox collapse and something I would not wish on my worst enemy.
Africa Twin XRV750 – Bush Fix
Had to flag a lorry down to take me in to Kuala Lumpur. Found a ‘handyman’ that welded the sprocket to the driveshaft to allow me to continue.
Unfortunately, it was not welded on centered, so it caused vibrations that increased with speed. A custom bike builder in Australia later had had to remove it, create a ‘sleeve’ and weld it back on properly. This time it was perfectly centered and would allow me to carry on with my Journey.
As you might guessed already, all of this took time, effort and cost dollars that could have been used elsewhere. Most importantly, I rather ride the bike then with the bike at the back of a strangers lorry.
SuperPinion Product Overview
What is the difference between the Honda original front sprocket and the SuperPinion? For a start the Superpinion is wider (almost twice as wide) and with that has far more material that grips the drive shaft and its teeth.
The SuperPinion also have two ‘ears’ that when in place are fixed with two ‘allen screw’ preventing it from moving up and down the drive shaft. The two points alone makes it a far better alternative then waiting for the original one to fail.
Fitting a SuperPinion
The cog comes with clear fitting instructions. I am an average mechanic and even if I did not have the instructions it would be fairly obvious how to do it as it only really fit one way:
Where do I get one?
I have no affiliation with the manufacturer nor anyone selling the product so the below is just simple Google search information compiled:
KK-Bike: https://www.kkbike.it/en/120-sprockets
(if you live in the UK then using Rugged Roads to avoiding shipping from Italy might be a better option)
Rugged Roads: https://ruggedroads.co.uk/SuperPinion-16T-Front-Sprocket-XRV750-RD04/07/07A-1990-03
Conclusion
Back in the UK replacing the drive shaft was not only costly but cumbersome. Something I could have easily avoided if I knew what I know today.
I recently acquired an old RD07 (1994) and with lesson learned the first thing I did was fit a SuperPinion. If you are a proud owner of these amazing machines and have not already done so then I strongly recommend you fit one (regardless if you re planning a longer trip or not).
What is Overlander?
In short: The collected experience and stories from a 55,000 km global circumnavigation on wheels.
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Please Share your Knowledge
If you found this post helpful or have your own experience with Africa Twin RD04/RD07/07A (1990-03) front sprocket issues (or SuperPinion in general), then feel free to leave a comment that will help future readers. Thank You!
