Close Ratio

In a transmission it describes the gear ratio of a gear set that comes closer to the gear ratio of the following gear set than the OEM  gear set.

Example: The original gear ratio for the 1st gear in a Big Twin 4-speed transmisssion is 3.0 : 1. Andrews offers a 1st gear sets with gear ratios of 2.44 : 1 or 2.60 : 1. These values are closer to the stock 2nd gear ratio of of 1.82 : 1. For daily riding this means the following. The OEM  1st gear has “tractor” chracteristics. At rather low speed you reach the rpm-level where you normally shift gear, which results in an rpm-drop of 39% on stock bikes. The Andrews close-ratio 1st gear set doesn’t pull like John Deere but you reach a higher speed at shifting-rpm. The change to 2nd gear is significantly improved with an rpm-drop of only 25% (2.44 : 1) or 30% (2.60 : 1).