| Author | Message | ||
     01lightning |
I have an 09 Cr with about 8500 miles. I started going to he track around 5000 miles and have done around 8 since then. The bike has never given me any problems and the belt looks fine but I really have no idea how much life I can get out of it. Just trying to be proactive rather than have it snap under power although I've never seen that happen. | ||
| Froggy |
It is really hard to say when the belt will finally give, it really is a crap shoot. My recommendation is to change it now, and keep the used one as a spare. The new belts are really tight and are harder to install than a used one, so keep the used one in your spares bin so it can be swapped on without effort in the pits. | ||
| 01lightning |
thanks froggy...kinda what I was thinking myself. have you (or anyone)heard of failures? If i had the dough I would just go buy one right now...wonder if Erik Buell Racing has any fo sale.. | ||
| Froggy |
Yep, I know of plenty of failures. There is no service life or expected interval for them, and they often break without warning. I know a Uly rider that went 60k miles before his broke in a parking lot accident, then you got people like me who break it doing a wheelie at 30k. Barker has the original belt on his 03 XB (The original "crappy" belt,) with 70k+ miles on it. I've also heard of people who somehow break them before filling the gas tank for the first time, so it is really a gamble. Also, don't remove the belt guards, as they are great for preventing stones and other debris from getting between the belt and sprocket causing damage. | ||
| Pizzaboy |
im on belt number 3 currently, and im a trackday-a-holic. i have a brand new spare always on hand that i take to the track with me. ive needed to install it in order to finish out the day, and get around when i get back home, but i replace the spare with another one before my next track day. i got about 14k out of my first belt... and my second i only got 6k before ripping some teeth off. (see my dont pull wheelies on friday the 13th thread) ill be at the track this weekend, and even though i have only 300 miles on the current installed belt, ill be taking my spare.. youd never want to sacrifce half of a track day from something stupid like not having that spare part.. its a day ender if you dont have it on hand; and only takes 20 minutes to put a new one on after youve done it once or twice! | ||
| Slaughter |
Track use with a belt is going to kill it pretty soon - especially if you've taken off the guards. With the guards removed, the rubber marbles on the outside of the line in ALL CORNERS will be picked up and thrown onto the pulley, breaking the belt LONG BEFORE the heat and constant high-load will wear it out. | ||
| Jaimec |
Exactly. Buell put those guards on for a REASON. | ||
| Jdugger |
I run track without guards. Yea, if you are cold tearing a tire you get a lot of gunk in the pulley. Still, after 10k track miles, I'm waiting for it to go "pop" They are pretty dang durable. | ||
| Slaughter |
Shawn blew his belt on his 3rd track weekend - due to a rubber chunk getting sucked onto the pulley. Next month, he had the chain conversion (it had been already planned) YMMV I'd kinda be tempted to keep a spare belt handy and just spend the $$ on seat time, not nearly $2G on the chain conversion (yet) | ||
| Andymnelson |
When it breaks. Because they are "lifetime" belts, you are really just taking a gamble on replacing it- your original could very well last longer than the replacement. They are built in such a way as to not wear out, they will break when you exceed their designed stress limits. | ||
| Buellnick |
Snapped one today - the original one @ 9000mi. However, plenty of track use in the last 300mi. | ||
| Johnnysunami1967 |
if youre doing so many track days, why not just convert to a chain mod? | ||
| Buellnick |
Cost... ten belts equal a chain kit. | ||
| Johnnysunami1967 |
Belt drive is nice for cruising and suppose to last a life time with minimal maintenance, but lets face it, if youre doing any hi-po riding or track, chain is the way to go...i still dont understand why belt was ever considered for this bike in the first place...the 1125R was built for track and belt drive has no business on the track...The Cr is more of a hi-po street bike and more acceptable with belt....just my $0.02 | ||
| Jaimec |
Really? Not according to all the interviews I saw with Erik when the bike was announced... it was built for the street, for street riders. They weren't concerned with making it fit any particular race class (hence the 1125cc displacement). It wasn't until after the bike was announced that WSBK and AMA announced that twins up to 1200cc were eligible to compete in Superbike. It's also why the bike makes "only" 146hp at the crank... peak power wasn't a consideration... a rider friendly, flat torque curve was paramount. The bike was designed as a street bike first. In that environment, the belt is a lot cleaner, a lot quieter, provides instant power to the wheel (no need to suffer that hesitation chains make when they go from slack to tension on throttle on/off), and requires no maintenance. I wish there were more sporty streetbikes with belts. I can't STAND chains. | ||
| Johnnysunami1967 |
Whatever dude... | ||
| Froggy |
Well said Jamie. The only real flaw I can find on the new Multistrada is the chain drive. Johnnysunami1967, there are some race classes that require you keep the stock exhaust and belt drive. I agree if you are tracking it, and are able to afford the chain and stay in compliance with the rules, then switch. For the other 99.9% of us the belt is the best thing since slice bread. | ||
| Johnnysunami1967 |
lololol..... | ||
| Jdugger |
> if youre doing so many track days, why not just convert to a chain mod Unless you need to be able to change gearing, there's really no point. I'm still on the belt drive, and I *mostly* do track. Some Arkansas/canyons, but mostly track. The belt works great. | ||
| Hootowl |
"Whatever dude..." Jaime's post was 100% accurate. You won't find any statement by Buell regarding the 1125 other than that it was built "from the rider down" to be a street bike with nice flat tractable power. | ||
| Avalaugh |
Changed out my belt today for a brand new one as mine had started to split, What a •••••• job getting it on, the old belt came on/off with ease many times but the new rubber is a pig. Anybody done a how too, or got any good tips, i ended up undoing the rear wheel shaft, just enough for the wheel to sit on the shallow part off the shaft to gain the extra slack required to get the belt on, then wound the shaft back in and all was well.  | ||
| Hootowl |
I'm pretty sure that's how you're supposed to do it. If you tried to put the new belt on without removing the axle, you may have damaged the belt. | ||
| Jdugger |
Yea... it's basically follow the procedure for mounting a rear wheel + the bit about slipping the belt through the gap in the swingarm. The taper in the axle is specifically there to allow you to slack the belt. | ||
| Avalaugh |
Good good, shame no one has developed a tensioner for the 1125 yet, would be s big help I think. | ||
| Jdugger |
> Good good, shame no one has developed a tensioner for the 1125 yet, would be s big help I think. Uh, no. The belt's tension is held relatively static as a result of the idler and fixed axle. Look again closely at the design. The belt is held in quite high tension -- 300 - 500 lbs -- and it's surprisingly consistent throughout the range of suspension travel. |
