front sprocket, yikes!!

...block the rear wheel, get the huge socket (which fortunately is the same size as the rear axle nut..) get ready to apply a herculean amount of force to the nut with the breaker bar and almost kill myself!
the f*****g thing is on finger tight!!!!!! i spin it off literally with my fingers!

i think the rubber part must have shrunk or compressed because it seems to have been torqued from the factory, the washer was intact and the marking paint was still visible on the shaft and nut. there seems to be no damage to the threads due to lateral play but what the hell!!!

all i can say is the locking washer really did what its supposed to!
i havent taken the chain and sprocket off the bike yet but i noticed the new sprocket doesnt have a damper on it. is that rubber piece just a washer between the nut and the sprocket?...
or do they come from the factory with a different sprocket?

mine was the same
got 13,000 miles on original chain. so decided it was due for a change.
went to check how many teeth on front sproket and noticed sprocket was loose
same as you the only thing that safed the day was the lock washer

the rubber is part of the sprocket and there is a lock washer between sprocket and nut
21,000 miles thats doing well. to scared of chain snapping when popping wheelie,s
to take it to that length

Yeah, you can buy two different types of sprockets to fit the SD, damped (with rubber) which is more expensive and undamped.

I have bent a 1 inch thick metal rod by trying to take off a front sprocket on my bike..

You have to get an air compressor and air-key thing like this

Works like a charm!

You can also get it in electrical, but it's not as strong as the compressor-driven.. but it worked fine for me