I had a split link on my 1972 z1 900, never had a problem
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
That says it all! 😀
@Mike-dc7nn
Ай бұрын
Could do with a belt guard, like the chain guards on Honda 90s. It would keep the belt clear of debris but add to the expense, and detract from the looks.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
Yes! I thought that. Like on a fully enclosed chain on some early a Japanese bikes. But I’d say you’re right…it would detract from the appearance of the bike!
@robertstraghan9009
Ай бұрын
That is clearly not a Gates Poly Chain Carbon Fiber GT belt. Funny how one always hears of horror stories, and forgets the fact that Harleys have been using a belt since 1981, and more recently Indian, Victory, Buell, Kawasaki, BMW, Suzuki, Triumph, Zero, and Yamaha. That is literally millions of bikes, over billions of KM, over 4 decades, so a well proven concept for a road bike. I just, might possibly, have gone through some roadworks in the 160,000 km I put on my last Harley belt, while living at the end of 1km gravel drive for the 13 years I rode that bike. That is on a much heavier bike with a 141 Nm of torque - significantly more than a tuned RE. Noteworthy is that the HD maintenance intervals only go to 80,000 km, and specified as "inspect and adjust" only.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
Interesting information. Thank you!
@motormikeb1047
Ай бұрын
Cost Vs return for a belt does not warranty the change. Years ago, I test rode a belt conversation in development for the Xs650 Yamaha... clean...quiet... but no one wanted it.... 😎
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
@@motormikeb1047 it would be an interesting exercise to compare the benefits v disadvantages, cost difference, reliability etc.based on the pix in the video, I’d say the only way I’d ever have a belt drive is if 1. It was fully enclosed like chains in the old days and 2. Didn’t cost so much. Even then, I would really change from a chain, tbh
@trudylynch6750
Ай бұрын
i had a idea of adapting/ using a cambelt and cam sprockets from from a scrap car. i know the ratio is 2 to 1, but some cars have different size cam sprockets to get the right gearing. i think in general there are two different patterns of rubber belts from all the car manufactures . but the have different lengths to find the size>?
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
Mmm….a worthy aspiration and you’re clearly a person after my own heart…….i suspect the rear sprocket might be quite a challenge though?
@BlackdogADV
Ай бұрын
I do miles of dirt and gravel roads so I’ll stick with chain drive.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
I don’t do gravel roads deliberately but I personally will stick with the tried and trusted drive chain….
@13ahab
Ай бұрын
Marc Travels has done 55,000 KL. He had one belt snap that's with lots of off-road and bad roads in different countries.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
I wonder how that compares to chain drives? I’ve never once in decades of riding and lots of bikes had a chain snap.
@captainklutz3427
Ай бұрын
I have tried chain, shaft, & belt. My preference is in this order: Belt, shaft, chain. A correctly adjusted belt will be clean, light & smooth. The belt should ALWAYS be properly guarded, like the mid eighties HD Evo big twins. It might look very cool to have an exposed belt drive, but this video shows why it isn't a good idea. Ratio changes are as viable as a chain drive system, but differing size pulleys are restrictive in size & cost. Shaft is my second preference. It is clean & durable, but adds significant weight & is effectively impossible to change the overall gearing. Chain is the cheapest & most versatile. I don't dislike it, but it is the messiest solution. :)
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
I read that shafts use 15% power. I’ve had five XS1100’s and a Kawasaki GT750, also my present Honda Pan…all shaft-driven and they are certainly reliable and maintenance-free. I agree re the belt needing to be covered…like the chain drives on the early Japanese bikes. I wouldn’t consider having a belt drive unless it was full-covered. The conversion kits aren’t………..
@captainklutz3427
Ай бұрын
If a stone hops onto the lower belt run, which is quite likely if it is a broader belt, it will be carried to the rear pulley, with a chance of damage to the pulley & possibly a burst belt. :(
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
Whereas it would bounce off a chain, I reckon. Or even if it got into the small gap between the chain rollers, it would get crushed up and spat out….
@captainklutz3427
Ай бұрын
@@internetpolification Exactly. The lower belt run is the most vulnerable point.
@ruahinesrider
Ай бұрын
Oh 😲 it's right in the middle of the belt too.My mate converted HIS Harley Davidson to chain drive here in NZ 🇳🇿 cause the country roads have gravel on road from driveways etc,people's driveways that are gravel. My mates have Harleys & they'll go to change belt & have to get all new sprockets etc cause of stones & isn't a quick job either.A belt in theory can last 50k but in real world in NZ🇳🇿 roulette that maybe in US with nice roads.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
@@ruahinesrider there’s loads of gravel roads in the USA and U.K. and many, many other countries…… I suppose the only way would be to have a fully enclosed drive belt……a bit like a cambelt on a truck engine (eg my 23 year Old Ford Ranger…😀)
@dogphlap6749
Ай бұрын
Interesting video. Strangely enough I'm on day 3 of my 2 hour conversion to belt drive on my RE Continental 650. I have no intention of taking this bike off tarmac (but seeing into the future is hard so I can't swear that won't ever happen). Dropping the swing arm is my current problem, with the big long bolt removed the swing arm is refusing to come out ot the frame. There is provision to adjust out side play (I suspect that is tighter than the finger tight 3Nm it should be) but ideally that requires a special tool (part number ST30269/a which is an unholy child of a peg spanner and a box/tube spanner) be used but that is $175 AUD and unobtainable as far as I can make out) so I'm making my own out of a piece of flat mild steel bar 1" wide x 1/4" thick, turned down to 21.5mm wide and ground down to 4.3mm thick at one end. So far the bar is too thick and I continue to grind it thinner assuming one day I will get it to fit. The final tool will only contact on 2 surfaces which I hope will be sufficient (the proper tool would contact on 4 surfaces). I hope Royal enfield used some very mild Loctite to secure this (I prefer #222) but currently I have no idea what they did on the production line. By the way, those Gates belts are not cheap.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
It sounds quite an involved process. Someone sent me an email with what was necessary to get the belt lined up perfectly etc and it was no small job….
@tonymear8264
Ай бұрын
I would be interested to see the pulley at this point.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
@@tonymear8264 Me too! It’s crushed and broken that stone right into the belt. My guess is significant damage to both the drive and driven sprockets…..which will damage a replacement belt unless replaced….
@tonymear8264
29 күн бұрын
@@internetpolification that isn’t a gates belt.
@speedfinder1
Ай бұрын
Having come from the sport of motor car racing, I know exactly how often a stone gets into a cambelt or oil pump drive, I'd never take the step of replacing a chain drive with a rubber belt. Chains can get into an awful state before they fail, rubber belts only need a stone the size of 5p piece and you are done!
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
@@speedfinder1 that’s my thoughts, tbh. The chain drive has been around a long time. Chains and sprockets are tried and tested for over 100 years, cheap (comparatively) to buy, readily available and in several decades of riding, I’ve never known anyone who has had a snapped chain due to a stone….
@speedfinder1
Ай бұрын
@@internetpolification I have a few bikes. One of them is an Aprilia Tuareg 660 ADV bike. I don't do a lot of off roading myself, but, when you see the military grade abuse these bikes tolerate and the chains never fail. One day out on the Trans Euro Trail and you realise just what a reliable system, a chain is.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
@@speedfinder1tried and tested, chains take a lot of punishment, imo, and it takes a lot to make them fail. I think a fully-enclosed drive belt would work but I personally am not easy with the idea of an exposed belt, especially with the state of the roads here in the U.K.!
@jhaskoll
Ай бұрын
You can get four and a half chain and sprocket sets for the price of one belt and pulley set. Way too expensive and far too over-engineered.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
And how many miles does 4.5 chains represent?…..a lot
@jaccar2020
Ай бұрын
Tore my sportster belt on rough roads so they do have a down side.
@internetpolification
Ай бұрын
@@jaccar2020 what are the upsides of a drive belt, would you say?
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