| Author | Message | |||
     Buell_mule |
Hey all...I'm sorry if this topic has been discussed before. I'm pretty new with this forum and have been wondering about this. I've seen photos from other members of the forum who have made the conversion. I'd like to replace the belt with a chain on my 2005 xb9sx. Are there kits available for this. And are there any negatives to having the chain over the belt? thanks! | |||
| Olinxb12r |
There are kits available from American Sport Bike and from a member named Saintly (I think). The only issue that I see with switching to a chain is that the XB rear wheel does not have a cush (sp?) drive. If you take the rear wheel off a gsxr or something like that you will find that the sprocket is not directly attached to the rear wheel. Is attached to a pronged rubber piece that is forced in to the wheel so it has some give. From what I've been told people are not having any issues, and the next time my belt breaks I'll be changing to a chain myself. | |||
| Spatten1 |
I didn't have a choice, my belt was too tight, causing wear issues. No belt adjustment possible. Maybe caused by an earlier low speed crash? Don't really know. In retrospect, I should have slotted the tensioner or bought one with a spring. However, I really needed to go to chain anyway because I moved from sea level to 7,000 feet. The power was adequate at sea level, but a real dog up here. I opted for a lower gearing ratio with the final drive to get back some acceleration. Saintly is a great guy, the name is accurate. | |||
| Firebolteric_ma |
Yes Saintly is the man to speak to. He actually just shipped me a chain kit yesterday, should get in the next couple days now. I went with a chain for the simple fact they are stronger and Chains are readily available.(try and get a belt from buell and you will see what I mean...P.I.T.A.) Not to mention I am installing Nitrous on the bike while it is down for some needed service and the weather is getting cold here on the East Coast.BBBrrrrrr... | |||
| Hammer71 |
And tire changes take all of 15 minutes start to finish.Over 5 thousand miles on my chain with no issues at all. Eric, NOS yeah!!!!!!! cant wait to see that thing run. | |||
| Pwnzor |
try and get a belt from buell and you will see what I mean...P.I.T.A. Are you kidding? I'm not knocking the chain conversion but don't go around saying it's hard to get a belt, cuz it AINT. | |||
| Mikexlr650 |
pwnzor, he might have been suggesting that finding a suitable belt while on a trip and possibly far from a buell dealer could be a problem. this is how saintly started with the chain, lost in the middle of nowhere and had to have his nephew drive several hundred miles to come get him. not a fun evening. a chain on the other hand is an easy find. i don't understand why buell doesn't offer the emergency spare adjustable roll-up belt like harley does. seems a no brainer for those that like to travel. maybe not a high performance fix but it would get you to a dealer. i still have my belt with no problems, but i admit that i worry about the belt on every trip. the failure mode is the issue, they seem to give no warning. anyone know if the 06 belt can be wrapped up tight enough to fit into the airbox? | |||
| Mikexlr650 |
this is what we need, might even fit under the seat.
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| Mikexlr650 |
does the new sporty share it's belt with the buells? maybe the new xr? | |||
| Firebolteric_ma |
Are you kidding? I'm not knocking the chain conversion but don't go around saying it's hard to get a belt, cuz it AINT........  Tell that one to Saintly(and others I am sure).I am sure they would like a good laugh. Thanks Mike! I should have wrote a little more. Don't know about the dealerships up your way but down here I can't get nothing "buell" without ordering it. Never mind they stock NOTHING BUELL but I always feel VIOLATED when leaving a dealership! I refuse to be at the mercy of the dealership for something as simple as a belt. If I need to order something I WAIT for it to come from Daves or Al.(Thanks you guys!) Surely you don't feel it is as quick & easy to get a belt from Buell/Harley as it would be to find a chain at ANY bike shop. Yes I beat the bag out of my bike and worry often on the belt breaking. (Message edited by firebolteric_ma on December 27, 2006) (Message edited by firebolteric_ma on December 27, 2006) | |||
| Garyl |
I too recently got a chain kit from Saintly. I rode my bike on Sunday for the first time since the belt snapped this past summer. I can't say enough about the simplicity & ease of install. Maybe it's just me or maybe I've forgotten how it used to feel, but with the chain on there it seems like the acceleration is more immediate. My front wheel comes up frighteningly easy now. I don't recall it being like that with the belt, it's like there was an elastic delay with the belt. I'ts probably just me though. But I couldn't be happier with the kit I got! | |||
| Mikexlr650 |
i'd stick with my belt if they offer the emergency kit like harley. time for a new thread, turn on the annon spot light in the sky albert! | |||
| Mikexlr650 |
check the new thread on quickboard, maybe we get someones attention at bmc. | |||
| Mikexlr650 |
gary, hammer71 has gone back and forth a few times (after snapping a chain of all things) and did say that there is a difference in the "feel" of the two drive set-ups. maybe due to lack of a cush drive(always thought they were to lessen the "pop" when 1st is engaged). | |||
| Mortarmanmike120 |
I've got a Saintly chain, absolutely love it so far. 1) Easy install. 2) Removes any worries that I'll be stranded 200mi from home with a broken belt. 3) Relatively inexpensive 4) Looks BADA$$ - no guards 5) Sounds good even with the buzz from the tensioner 6) Love the new gearing ratio...don't remember what it is offhand but it feels damn good. 7) I keep it oiled but have not noticed any of the messiness that people keep alluding to. Even if it did fling grease all over my wheel, who cares? 5 min cleanup. One of the biggest complaints that I've noticed people make about chains are that you have to keep them lubed. so what? I don't understand that. It takes all of 1 min max. It takes longer to check my tire pressure and check the oil. Thanks Saintly. This is definitely my favorite mod to date. | |||
| Bake |
I run a belt..... for the time being. With a chain you can use chain wax to help eliminate some mess, but that mess is hardly limited to the wheel. The swingarm and behind the motor and every other place the chain can fling it. I will possibly end up with a chain on my Buell one day if I have any more belt problems. | |||
| Ronlv |
i run a freespirits chain kit and love it there are now several kits out there to choose from, something for everybody | |||
| Gentleman_jon |
I use the Hal's , (one of our sponsors), competition chain conversion. It is rather spendy, but has several nice features: 1. lengthens the wheelbase a couple of inches for more stability. 2. provides conventional chain adjustment hardware. 3. comes with it's own rubber tensioner wheel and swing arm protector. 4. the swing arm brace is welded shut, providing a stiffer swing arm. 5. has mounting points for swingarm spools/sliders Here is what it looks like:  | |||
| Firebolteric_ma |
That is a nice set up there Gentleman_jon.  I thought of that set-up to gain the extra length in the bike for stability, I may try the free-spirits extra trail kit from Trojan while the front end is apart. Has anyone here tried it yet? maybe I should start a thread on it.. | |||
| Gentleman_jon |
Eric, I think a thread on the Free Spirits extra trail kit might be interesting. The kit requires a special tool to install, that cost more than the part, so a scheme to lend or rent out the tool might be a good idea. The extra trail kit thread might also be a place to discuss the rather unique features of the Buell short wheelbase geometry, which is unique in the industry. Buell insiders have hinted at "secret " parameters in the design of the motorcycle. I believe that everyone would benefit from a more open discussion of them. For example, the extreme fork angle of the front fork, is thought to produce short trail. Actually, the trail and fork angle, whilst related, can be selected independently. One of the results of the steeper fork angle rarely mentioned in the popular press is the fact that motorcycle attitude changes less when turning with a smaller fork angle. One assumes there are other consequences as well. Another item is the question of center of gravity. It appears to me that the CG of the Buell might be rather more different from other bikes than normally presumed. I think it may be further forward, and in spite of the lowering of the oil and fuel "tanks", the CG is not particularly low, nor should it be. For a given turn radius and speed, a higher CG result in less, not more lean being required. It has occurred to me, especially after riding the XB12Ss for the first time, with it's "conventional" geometry, that someone at Buell may think that the "radical" geometry of the short wheelbase models is not suitable for every rider in every situation. I believe that larger riders, such as myself, ( 6-2" 235# in gear), benefit from measures to increase stability, while other smaller, more agile riders might not. I, for one, would welcome some input on these items from someone alot more knowledgeable on these subjects than I am, preferably someone who might be privy to Buell thinking in these areas. Another topic might be the question of Chain Pull angle and how it affects bikes with the large XB12 belt pulley versus the small rear chain sprocket on chain conversion models, including the Buell XBRR. | |||
| Delk |
Gentleman Jon, I noticed that Hal offers a 1 inch and a 2 inch stretch...which one did you opt for? How did it effect the ride of your bike? Your setup looks killer! Cheers - Delk | |||
| Spatten1 |
What is the recommended chain freeplay with the kits? Is is checked while on sidestand? | |||
| Gentleman_jon |
My bike has at least a two inch stretch. I am running a wheel base of about 55 inches, measured with the bike on the sidestand. I find that the bike is a lot more stable than my old XB9S, even with the steering damper. It also is smoother over bumpy roads. I decided to go with the long wheelbase chain conversion as a result of four things: 1. Two belt failures. 2. Test ride on an XB 12 Ss 3. I was beginning to suspect that because of my size, I was somehow adversely affecting the handling of the short wheelbase models. 3. Desire to lower the gearing. PS. Please note that the sprocket shown in the photo above is a 57 tooth one that was on the bike when I bought it. Subsequently I changed to much smaller 46 tooth sprocket, shown here:  I should think normal chain play, about and inch works for all the kits. Not terribly critical as long as it is not too loose, or even worse, too tight. | |||
| Pwnzor |
Like I said, I wasn't knocking the chain at all. I keep a spare belt at home. If I go on a very long trip, say 400 miles or more in each direction, I'm likely to bring the belt with me. American Sport Bike is my resource for parts, I know I can get a belt from Al and Joanne on short notice, and they ship parts every day so I could pay the extra and get it overnighted if I'm stuck somewhere. It's possible to get stuck somewhere in ANY vehicle. I have spent quite a few nights in strange cities while waiting for a Caterpillar-brand water pump, yada yada yada you get the idea. Could have bought a knock -off, but I'd rather eat the hotel bill and get the right thing. That's just me. Chain conversions are very cool, and if you're a racer I guess it's sort of a necessity. For me, riding on the street, I'll never switch to a chain, it's nice not having grease flying all over the place, not having to adjust my chain stops, blah blah blah. When I see chains on Buells I go look them over and say "oohh and ahhh" and "that's cool" and all that jazz. It's just not for me. I like my smooth hookup I get from the belt. 20k miles on my second belt, and it still looks new. | |||
| Buellfighter |
RK Oring (no grease flying all over the place) AFAM rear (aluminum, light yet strong) HD front Need to only adjust once since installed...priceless!! | |||
| Roadrcr |
Here is the chain conversion Kevin at kdfab.com built for the xb9 race bike  | |||
| Rogue_biker |
I don't understand all the concern about the Belts. The current '06 and newer belts are designed to last the life of the bike. Their belt guard design completely protects it from invasion of rocks/debris. American Sportbikes sells a conversion kit to convert older belt systems to the current ones. In addition, Belts are light. Belts deliver power smoothly. Belts are clean. Belt require no lubing or adjusting. I love belt drive. I've owned nothing but chain driven bikes and it is a royal PITA to own and maintain a freaking chain drive system. You need to clean, lube, check adjustment of the chain every 500 miles. And it does NOT take "just a few minutes" to do this. Chain and sprockets require replacement every 20k-25k miles depending on how religeous you were at cleaning, lubing, adjusting the chain every 500 miles. If you don't do a great job at maintenance, the chain & sprockets will need replacement soon, like at 15k miles. And they need replacement AS A SET. You need special tools to replace a chain. Chain needs what's called "chain slack", which is a looseness that is measured regularly. This "slack" acts as a whip so going from closed throttle to open throttle, you will feel what is called a driveline lash that delays then suddenly delivers the power. You can learn to overcome it but when you've tasted the no-slack belt drive, you wonder why people do put up with it. There is no such thing as a fling-free chain lube. It ALWAYS flings and makes your wheels look like shit the moment you ride away. Chains are a dirty, heavy, arcaic way of transfering power. It has its advantages but its disadvantages far outweight it. Believe me, all the Japanese bike owners bitch about chains because of what I outlined above. Don't go that route unless you absolutely have to. It's like going back to the stone age when something better is readily available! Finally, all this talk about replacing chains in the field. Let me clue you guys in: First off, hardly anyone will stock a chain and sprocket for YOUR bike at every dealer. Most likely, they will have to order it. Second, removing a chain and sprocket requires special tools. How many of you bring a breaker bar with you? A piece of 2x4? A Chain Riveting Tool? All when you travel? C'mon now! Realistically, replacing a chain is probably HARDER in the field than it is to replace a belt. I've been there done all that. Replaced all kinds of chains and sprockets. Lived and maintained them day in and day out. They suck! | |||
| Firebolteric_ma |
I have always had chains on my bikes up till my XB Buell. Don't get me wrong in this as I do love my belt drive system also. They are very smooth for sure. But they also break easily when abused. I say abused as in I am adding NITROUS to my bike. The Belt would be Abused and WOULD NOT withstand the extra torque thrown at it. I just personally feel a belt would not last long. The chain is MY way of a Safety Measure for MY safety. Kinda like ATGATT (all the gear all the time) when running NITROUS,BLOWERS,TURBOS....RACATT (run a chain all the time)  | |||
| Xbob |
thanks for your concern rogue biker, but i think that for the most part, the guys that will put the effort into converting their bikes to chains, will have the know-how to be able to maintain them. i know that there are a handful of guys that feel just like you do, except that they're supporting their argument FOR chain drive. everyone has their opinion, good or bad.. later. | |||
| Spatten1 |
Most of us converted to chain drive because the belts were not working out and the factory did not offer a workable solution. |
