Belt life on HOGs and other belt-drive bikes.

[scumdog]

Just reading latest Hog Tales magazine.

A guy on there has a 1995 FLT Ultra Classic - big deal you may think.

BUT, this baby has done 260,000 MILES and all he has done is fit new lifters at 140,000 miles plus new base gaskets.

But wait, there's more.

His original drive belt broke after it had done 243,000 MILES.

Shows you what they're capable of.

Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it you primeval chain-drive types!!

[ajturbo]

makes my 15000 miles lok sick...

[sAsLEX]

When does a shaft drive get a little bit of metal, you know the kiwi we make roads out of gravel type, in it and strand you at the East Cape Light House?

[vifferman]

Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it you primeval chain-drive types!!

I'd love a belt drive, but the problem with them is the pulleys are SO wide, which is why they're not fitted to more makes'n'models. Chains are a lot of work, are noisy, and expensive.

There's a guy in Murka who converted a Honda VF500 to belt drive, and is currently doing the same to an RC45.
But he owns a machine shop, so he has the tools to do the work.

[peasea]

Just reading latest Hog Tales magazine.

A guy on there has a 1995 FLT Ultra Classic - big deal you may think.

BUT, this baby has done 260,000 MILES and all he has done is fit new lifters at 140,000 miles plus new base gaskets.

But wait, there's more.

His original drive belt broke after it had done 243,000 MILES.

Shows you what they're capable of.

Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it you primeval chain-drive types!!

He must be very gentle with the bike and do a lot of top-gear cruising on flat, straight roads, but that's a good figure in anyone's books. I thought 90,000kms for a belt on NZ roads was pretty good.

A belt flicks a lot oil around the place, doesn't it?

[popelli]

His original drive belt broke after it had done 243,000 MILES.

Shows you what they're capable of.

Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it you primeval chain-drive types!!

printed in hog tales so its bound to be unbiased isn't it

mine didn't last that long and was promptly replaced by a chain

and I know of new belts lasting less than a week, perhaps hog tales would like to print those stories

[Omega1]

243,000 miles eh? and the Harley was still going....awesome.

[scumdog]

printed in hog tales so its bound to be unbiased isn't it

mine didn't last that long and was promptly replaced by a chain

and I know of new belts lasting less than a week, perhaps hog tales would like to print those stories

Yup, some people are so ham-fisted they'd break a lead slab in a sand-pit using a rubber hammer!!!

I have heard of belts (and chains) last increbibly short times, sometimes it's an alignment problem, sometimes a product defect.

With quite a few of the belts it's been on bikes that sit for lengthy periods without being used.





Oh, and still waiting to hear of the 240,000km chain - let alone one that did that in MILES.

[davereid]

I liked the belt drive on my sporty, I just wished it was an enclosed design. In summer I was always worried a bit of tarry gravel would get flung up, and chew the belt off.

[peasea]

Like this? Yeah, bloody annoying alright. All this damage in one day.

[Coldrider]

Does anyone know how wide a belt would have to be to handle a 150 HP, it is the limiting factor to fitting them to sportsbikes.
No ,go on, tell us, how wide ?(just getting in first).

[SimJen]

Buells tend to shred the belts if used for wheelies etc!
One of the british mags broke a few in quick succession, not everyday riding though.
I'll stick with chains thanks (rivetted not split link).

[peasea]

Does anyone know how wide a belt would have to be to handle a 150 HP, it is the limiting factor to fitting them to sportsbikes.
No ,go on, tell us, how wide ?(just getting in first).

Ask Mike Dimchief, Harley Speed and Spares, Pukerua Bay. He built this thing and it made something like 160+ on Wgtn M/C's dyno. From memory it ran something in the high 10's on the strip. Not bad for a big-un.

[xgnr]

I think I will stick with my lurvly shaft drive

[avgas]

horse for courses...
i wouldn't mind either way.
its only a matter of time until honda figure out a way to make it gear driven.....like everything else they do.