Torque vs top speed

Gearing can't add power — it only trades wheel torque for top speed. Here's where your setup sits on that curve.

Why they trade off: wheel torque isn't just what your engine makes — it's engine torque multiplied by the final drive ratio (rear teeth ÷ front teeth). A shorter gear multiplies more torque to the wheel for a punchier feel, but the engine hits redline sooner, so top speed drops. A taller gear sends less torque to the wheel but lets it spin faster before redline, so top speed climbs. Since engine output near redline barely changes, the two always move in opposite directions along the curve above — gearing shifts where you sit on that curve, it can't move the curve itself.