HD: Snapped the drive belt

[scumdog]

Dang and double dang!!

Took rear wheel off CBb (normajeanes) Sporty to fit a new hoop and had a look at the drive-belt as we had noticed a small volcano where a rock or sommat had been pushed through when caught between the belt and sprocket.

Now wish I hadn't cos about 6" away was a tear running from the inside edge towards the centre - dunno how long it had been like that for but not risking using the belt again so off it came.

I noticed that the casing immediatley beside and above the front sprocket had two-three reasonable sized stones with tar on (like they had been pinged up going through road-works) sitting in a little 'valley' - all set to feed onto the top of the sprocket just where the belt starts to go over it.

So I recommend all Sporty owners have a check on there bikes for this, I'm going to see if I can make a sheild of some sort to stop this happening.

BTW: Both holes in the belt were on the side nearest the swing-arm which would match with the stones running into the belt from that side as per above.

Now to do some belt shopping, shoot, TWO belts in about 20 months..

[buellbabe]

OH POOS!

Yeah those tar covered tiny stones are a bugger. I clean my bike regularly and look for culprits like that!

hey does the Sporty have a belt guard?

[scumdog]

OH POOS!

Yeah those tar covered tiny stones are a bugger. I clean my bike regularly and look for culprits like that!

hey does the Sporty have a belt guard?

Yeah, the factory one.

But somehow it seems the stones (which weren't that tiny) ping forwards and end up as per my previous post.

[rosie631]

Is there another name for the belt. Have got two local prices 440 & 470. Trying to search on internet for something cheaper. But on the store sites when I search drive belt they bring up guards, kits etc but no actual drive belts. I'm hopeless at searching stuff, I never seem to find any decent sites but i'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Please help someone.

[ajturbo]

email these people.. they are great!!!
/www.americansportbike.com

or even phone them.. i have and they cannot do enough for you!!!!

[rosie631]

Was planning on keeping riding until I can get this done in about a month. Reading the posts it sounds like I could be lucky and will last the distance or it could go anytime. Now I'm wondering if I should just take it off the road until the belt gets done. Just wondering if I keep riding and it snaps at high speed is it likely to damage the bike. Or is it likely to cause me to lose control? What about if I'm overtaking? I'm assuming that when it snaps I will just suddenly lose momentum?? Can anyone who has had one snap while riding tell me what actally happens?

[Ocean1]

Was planning on keeping riding until I can get this done in about a month. Reading the posts it sounds like I could be lucky and will last the distance or it could go anytime. Now I'm wondering if I should just take it off the road until the belt gets done. Just wondering if I keep riding and it snaps at high speed is it likely to damage the bike. Or is it likely to cause me to lose control? What about if I'm overtaking? I'm assuming that when it snaps I will just suddenly lose momentum?? Can anyone who has had one snap while riding tell me what actally happens?

Teh front wheel suddenly and unexpectedly drops to te ground, and teh engine hits teh rev limiter. After a couple of futile pokes at teh shifter the penny drops, you look behind to see a long black thing in the middle of teh road.

[ajturbo]

Teh front wheel suddenly and unexpectedly drops to te ground, and teh engine hits teh rev limiter. After a couple of futile pokes at teh shifter the penny drops, you look behind to see a long black thing in the middle of teh road.

yep.... that about sums up what happened to me....

i think that metal is a little stronger than a kevlar belt?

[Ocean1]

yep.... that about sums up what happened to me....

i think that metal is a little stronger than a kevlar belt?

Nope. Generally Kevlar has a higher tensile strength than steel, either by mass or by cross sectional area.

The fibres, however don't stand being bent over too small a radius, which is what happens when you get a FUCKING GREAT ROCK stuck under the belt from some lame-arse second-rate chipseal bodge-up repair job.

[peasea]

Nope. Generally Kevlar has a higher tensile strength than steel, either by mass or by cross sectional area.

The fibres, however don't stand being bent over too small a radius, which is what happens when you get a FUCKING GREAT ROCK stuck under the belt from some lame-arse second-rate chipseal bodge-up repair job.

Yeah! Whatever happened to roadsweepers?

[Bonez]

Yeah! Whatever happened to roadsweepers?

They've been rebadged and available from any HD dealership

[ajturbo]

Nope. Generally Kevlar has a higher tensile strength than steel, either by mass or by cross sectional area.

The fibres, however don't stand being bent over too small a radius, which is what happens when you get a FUCKING GREAT ROCK stuck under the belt from some lame-arse second-rate chipseal bodge-up repair job.

i meant when a belt slapping a metal engine casing...
as compared to a chain snapping and going through the same casing....

but i didn't know that Kevlar was stronger!!!

[peasea]

They've been rebadged and available from any HD dealership

How fuckin' original..............

[peasea]

i meant when a belt slapping a metal engine casing...
as compared to a chain snapping and going through the same casing....

but i didn't know that Kevlar was stronger!!!

Steel isn't quite the king it used to be.

I think it was Batfink who used the catch phrase "my wings are like a shield of steel" and it just wouldn't sound the same yelling "my wings are like a shield of Kevlar" would it?

[rosie631]

email these people.. they are great!!!
/www.americansportbike.com

or even phone them.. i have and they cannot do enough for you!!!!

Hi, thanks for that. Tried them but they only do Buell not HD. Also emailed mandmcycles. They gave me a price of $211USD including postage. Converts to 370NZ so not really saving enough to warrant it. Will see if I can find somewhere in NZ a bit cheaper otherwise have to bite the bullet and pay the $430.