Buell chain conversion?

**cotswold** · 20th September 2011, 14:02

Have any of you guys done the belt to chain conversion??

Spent a bloody miserable hour on the side of the motorway waiting for a tow truck after my rubber band snapped on my 1996 S1 Buell
Belts are great right up to the moment they aren't

**Hitcher** · 20th September 2011, 17:59

Chains fail too, with the same outcome. Why not convert your Buell to shaft drive? At least that will look prettier than a chain does.

**Road kill** · 20th September 2011, 18:54

Somebody has already done it on my XL1200,,,I cursed that man everytime I had to oil or adjust that damn chain.
IMHO it's better to just look after your belt.

**Ocean1** · 20th September 2011, 19:14

Originally Posted by Road kill

IMHO it's better to just look after your belt.

I prefer belts too, even though I've trashed two. In both cases it was soon after having to traverse some fresh chipseal, not sure how you look after your belt there. Don't know about Harleys but even the XB12X belt guard isn't proof against the sticky sharp gravel we get on NZ roadworks.

The only reason I'd change would be if I was using the 1125 regularly on the track and wanted quick ratio changes.

**buellbabe** · 20th January 2012, 11:16

I prefer a belt...been there done that with messy blimmin chains.

I am not ever bothered by my belt breaking cos I always have a spare in the shed and its only a half hour job to change it. (plus the time it takes my mate to get the van or AA roadside assist to turn up.

A couple of months back my flatmate AJ was at Puke on the XB, broke the belt, chucked the bike in the van, went home and changed it then back again in time for the next session.

I have also been in the south island and done a belt, no probs cos the spare was on an overnight courier and on the bike by 2pm the next day...less than 24hrs after making the call.
I have AA gold membership and if a days delay was gonna be a bad thing then AA roadassist would be taking me and bike to wherever I was already booked for the night...no worries.

I guess its just a case of shit happens eh?

**Crasherfromwayback** · 20th January 2012, 11:30

Originally Posted by Ocean1

I prefer belts too, even though I've trashed two. In both cases it was soon after having to traverse some fresh chipseal, not sure how you look after your belt there. Don't know about Harleys but even the XB12X belt guard isn't proof against the sticky sharp gravel we get on NZ roadworks.

.

The belts are actually covered by the two year warranty even for stone damage. I know that doesn't help the OP, but may help someone else out there!

If you pick up a stone in the belt, the bike will feel quite harsh and vibrate a fair bit. That's caused when it goes round the front pulley. If you detect that vibration soon enough, you can pull over and flick the offending stone out before it does any (serious) damage to the belt.

I've saved a few over the years.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 20th January 2012, 12:40

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

The belts are actually covered by the two year warranty even for stone damage. I know that doesn't help the OP, but may help someone else out there!

If you pick up a stone in the belt, the bike will feel quite harsh and vibrate a fair bit.

They're Harleys: how could you tell?

trolololololllloolol

**oneofsix** · 20th January 2012, 12:49

Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase

They're Harleys: how could you tell?

trolololololllloolol

the vibration get rougher? like the sex being rougher. I mean, that's why you get those road going vibrators isn't it? Or is it the substance in Crasher coffee?

I hope the fishing is good here.

**actungbaby** · 21st January 2012, 23:20

Originally Posted by buellbabe

I prefer a belt...been there done that with messy blimmin chains.

I am not ever bothered by my belt breaking cos I always have a spare in the shed and its only a half hour job to change it. (plus the time it takes my mate to get the van or AA roadside assist to turn up.

A couple of months back my flatmate AJ was at Puke on the XB, broke the belt, chucked the bike in the van, went home and changed it then back again in time for the next session.

I have also been in the south island and done a belt, no probs cos the spare was on an overnight courier and on the bike by 2pm the next day...less than 24hrs after making the call.
I have AA gold membership and if a days delay was gonna be a bad thing then AA roadassist would be taking me and bike to wherever I was already booked for the night...no worries.

I guess its just a case of shit happens eh?

So what your saying if your got older bike like mine 92 it be worth joining the aa
Was in there last week had special on if you got inusrance at the same time was helping friend get insurance for his car
State too has assitants am with ami witht he bike though

**The Lone Rider** · 22nd January 2012, 07:07

I have an AA membership, but unless you upgrade to their more expensive membership you will get dick all service for a motorcycle. If you go for AA for the sake of motorcycle service, get the most expensive or don't bother.

In my own experience-

*I had to wait 4 hours on the side of the road while "AA" found a service station with a trailer to put a bike on.
*Then they sent a truck and trailer with a trailer so small, 1cm shorter and my rear tire would have had no contact with the trailer. This is not an exaggeration.
*Had to put several strops (which the guy came with limited numbers) on the front to keep it planted to the trailer AND keep it from sliding back.
*You get no guarantee the person they send knows anything about trailering bikes as was clear by how I had to do all the rigging
*Because it was the cheaper AA membership I had, apparently it meant the guy could only take me back to his workshop/service station. In this case, that meant heading 40mins in the direction I just came from.
*When back at the service station, I then had to wait two hours while he went to service another call out
*When he got back, and locked up the service station, I had to negotiate getting him to tow me back home to my doorstep. I think it cost me $200.

Even with the expensive AA membership, I suspect you may be susceptible to being given someone who may know nothing about bikes and towing them. Best you brush up on how to tow, and be prepared to tell them to give you a hand while YOU rig it up.

**skippa1** · 24th January 2012, 19:05

AA was awesome to me

. I hit a rock on my Speed Triple on Arthurs Pass in early March last year and it cut the rear tyre leaving a gash about 40mm long. They sent out a truck n trailer from Springfield. He picked me and the bike up and ran us through to Oxford

. By the time I got there, they had organised a replacement tyre from Forbes and Davis in Chch and it was on a courier coming to me. This was just after the big shake and it still got to the tyre shop in about 2 hours

. It was then fitted, I put the wheel back on paid my $450

(190 55 17 Metzler M5)and was mobile again. The boys got grumpy

waiting but we were off from Oxford at about 2pm and made Te Anau a few hours later in a gale force wind....but we got there

.

**James Deuce** · 24th January 2012, 19:19

At least belts don't smash the cases when they let go.

**dangerous** · 24th January 2012, 19:34

Originally Posted by cotswold

Have any of you guys done the belt to chain conversion??

Spent a bloody miserable hour on the side of the motorway waiting for a tow truck after my rubber band snapped on my 1996 S1 Buell
Belts are great right up to the moment they aren't

mate.... why would ya? every one I know that has converted to a chain has had nout but troubles.
In near 50k I have changed one belt due to wear and another stripped the teeth of it while I was passing a cage... uphill... on the back wheel, so anyways considering there are no belt guards at all on the bike thats not bad milage, sometimes them guards keep stones in as eay as they keep em out.