Agreed. Many manufacturers are going back to cam chains due to the 50,000 (German Holdens) to 100,000 km (Everyone else) mantenance horrors!
thunderbolt,
Mar 11, 7:26pm
The Opels use a HSN belt which will last 100km no problem, but the other components will not. OEM's are not concerned with 100k or 150k replacement intervals,as long as they fall outside of the warranty period. Cost of build is a factor as stated, but there are certain drive systems out there that chain could not cope with due to complicated compact design and high stresses.
desmodave,
Mar 11, 7:52pm
Have ridden a 1200, they go down the road very nicely although a little heavy compared to my duke
desmodave,
Mar 11, 7:54pm
Running a low tyre pressure will have your tyres looking like its been ridden pro in no time.
planespotterhvn,
Mar 12, 12:06am
Opels were the worst mid nineties and you had to renew all pulleys tensioners idlers and brackets every 50k kms, as GM had no idea why they were failing under 100k kms. $2500 each time!
planespotterhvn,
Mar 12, 8:09am
Back to Harley Davidson and Buell drive belts.
evopaul,
Mar 12, 8:31am
Yes,after two HD's and my current Buell of nine years and only one belt replacement i tend to agree with running the belts a bit looser than recommended. 70,00 K's from one of these Kevlar belts is not uncommon and after an initial adjustment to loosen it slightly ive found thats the end of drive belt maintainence apart from a ''stone check'' after running on shingle roads. Just brilliantand cheaper than chains, longterm.
planespotterhvn,
Mar 12, 8:57am
Perhaps the recommended tightness is for the suspension position which puts the most tension on the belt, when the suspension is relaxed the belt is naturally looser.
evopaul,
Mar 12, 9:19am
yes.tend to agree. I know the recommended tension for both the Hd's seemed excessivley tight tho,especially as it would tend to tighten even more two up or carrying gear etc . It has ,at times,been blamed for premature gearbox bearing failure .Apparently, early in the Buell Company's life ,their engineers took a couple of bikes out with next to no belt tension and caned them mercilessly with drag starts ,burnouts etc to see if the belts would slip or give out. They didnt. I run mine with around 50 to 60 mm up and down movement, mid run and no load.
This still does not cater for the increase in tightness of the belt with a greater load than one rider and / or the suspension compressed when hitting a bump.
planespotterhvn,
Mar 13, 3:37am
And the big question: Emma Chizzit! How expensive to pull the swing arm and wheel off to fit the new belt. You have to remove all this stuff as there is no master link in a toothed belt. Could be expensive!
evopaul,
Mar 13, 5:20am
Well.thats where you want to have a '99 and later tube frame Buell. loosen rear wheel, side frame bracket and pulley cover removed,fit new belt then refit covers etc, approx. 40 mins :-].Would be more of a mission on the HD's for sure tho i never experienced it, damned belts just kept going !
i-n-horz,
Mar 13, 5:28am
We managed to do a change in a mud floor shed,persisting down rain on the West coast.wasn't that bigger of an issue and the only cost was the belt.
desmodave,
Mar 13, 5:59am
Was that the take the swingarm out method or squeeze the belt through a very tight gap.
i-n-horz,
Mar 13, 8:28am
Drop the swingarm, primary etc which wasn't too much of an effort.the chap there owned a Duke, think it was between Fairdown & Birchfield somewhere.
i-n-horz,
Mar 13, 8:30am
Infact desmo ^^^^^^ I think he may have been Irish.from what I remember he had an accent.
solarboy,
Mar 13, 11:10am
Still haven't seen a belt price mentioned .
planespotterhvn,
Mar 13, 12:14pm
Well if that is the suspension layout of a standard Harley, it will be even worse for suspension induced belt tension variation than most bikes with their chains. That huge distance between the countershaft and the swingarm pivot will cause the tension to tighten the belt to its max when the rear axle / swing arm pivot / countershaft pivots all line up. Either side of that and the belt tension will loosen. So set the specified tension at the lined up condition.
planespotterhvn,
Mar 13, 12:24pm
Six bikes required belt changes done in Dunedin on the last big Harley ride. Was it stone ingestion or is everyone overtensioning their belts! $900 each I hear for the dealer to fit the new belt. I hope they set the tension correctly!
planespotterhvn,
Mar 13, 11:54pm
$Emma Chizzit!$
tonyrockyhorror,
Mar 14, 12:23am
I don't think it's to scale.
brokebloke1,
Mar 14, 4:08am
$900 ! to fit a new belt! christ im in the wrong job it only took me about 30mins to do it and ive never done one before last xmas on my Sportster
planespotterhvn,
Mar 14, 5:05am
Well it's purpose is to prove that the belt tension will not vary with suspension movement, to me it proves that it does vary and wildly!
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