| Author | Message | ||
     Lilchico95 |
Im just wondering what are the pros and cons of changing from the belt drive to the chain conversion kit. please let me know if its worth doing thanks DJ | ||
| Doerman |
I see you have an 06 XB12R so there is no reliability advantage. There were longevity issues with some of the 03 XBs. Belt versus chain is like Coke vs Pepsi unless you ride competitively on the track and you want to vary the final drive ratio by changing sprocket(s). I for one don't like the prospect of cleaning, adjusting, and lubrication chains. That's my $.02 Asbjorn | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/sear ch.cgi | ||
| Tiburondriver47 |
Hopefully you won't have to worry about the chain breaking and leaving you stranded. I also like being different. | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
I see you have an 06 XB12R so there is no reliability advantage.} Surely you do not mean that! Please explain your logic there? } | ||
| Doerman |
...eric_ma I explain that by the fact that I have not had issues with belts on the 6 Buells I have owned. I have, however, converted my 03XB to the stouter belt and pulleys. I did that as much for the ease of getting the rear wheel on/off as much as anything else. Notice I used the word "advantage" not trouble free. You may find yourself in the situation where you have issues with either solution, but I do not believe there is a significant reliability advantage with one over the other (exception: 03 belts). There is a clear maintenance advantage with belts though. Makes sense? Asbjorn (Message edited by doerman on June 10, 2007) (Message edited by doerman on June 10, 2007) | ||
| Buellfighter |
Belts are good for pants and driving the air conditioning compressor on my jeep, that's about all.  | ||
| Ridrx |
I've got just over 6500 miles on my 06. I'll ride it with the belt until it leaves me stranded, then I'll likely go join the chain gang. I like the belt...quiet, not very messy, no maint.(aside from a visual inspection from time to time). It's actually one of the things that drew me to Buell. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
My race bike has a belt and works just fine, thank you. Will be converting to a chain to change gearing. On the street I see no reason other than personal choice. | ||
| Fx1200 |
23000 miles on my '06 XB. Belt looks good! I will run it up to 100,000 miles in about 3 more years. Mine is just a daily commuter, no major stresses are put on the belt. After 45 years of riding I have to say this is the most reliable ride I have ever owned | ||
| Lilchico95 |
so as far as performance goes in daily riding and the weekend trip to The Dragon, which is better. | ||
| Thomas_lindemann |
I converted my 04 12S to chain for the simple fact to get rid of some of the gear ratio. I think that the bike is buzzier at speeds the belt is deff smoother | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
This ground has been plowed many times.  As Eric has ever so subtly suggested, with a visit to the search engine on this site, (or in the alternative, the even more useful "Google BadWeb" function), one will uncover a plethora of pungent points of view on putatively purposeful parts. However, as searching seems to be beyond the intellectual level of many of our brothers, (no offense intended of course), I will bottom line it for you right here. 1. Real men run chain. Period. 2. If you haven't broken a belt yet you are either blessed with indescribeably fortunate karmic alignments, or are not trying hard enough, (the most common affliction). 3. Like virtually all other production motorbikes, the Buell gearing is a compromise between optimum performance, and the draconian requirements of a oppressive and heavy handed gov't agency. 4. Members of the Chain Gang believe that the rider, not the gov't should be the final arbiter of proper drive ratios for his particular unit. 5. In the very rare case of chain failure, (none reported so far on a Buell XB Chain conversion), replacements can be found at virtually any motorcycle shop, and performed in a small fraction of the time it takes to replace a belt. 6. The reason that the belt fails is because it is incorrectly designed. The use of unsealed, exposed kevlar fibers, which can absorb water and fail without warning, is another reason to eschew them. 7. By joining the Chain Gang, one is associated with a better type of hooligan. Got it?  | ||
| Punkid8888 |
I think I am gonna go to shaft drive just to be different, haha. maybe start a new club called "Give it the Shaft" anyone want to join hahaha | ||
| Glitch |
1. Real men run chain. Period. Correction, real men don't have periods. 3. Like virtually all other production motorbikes, the Buell gearing is a compromise between optimum performance, and the draconian requirements of a oppressive and heavy handed gov't agency. Why then are there 3 choices in primary gear ratios. The City Cross, the TT, and the Uly, all have different primary gears, giving a different final drive ratio. I'll more than likely be going for the TT's ratio soon. 4. Members of the Chain Gang believe that the rider, not the gov't should be the final arbiter of proper drive ratios for his particular unit. The gov't ain't got nuthin to say about drive gearing. Although I reserve the right to be wrong. Could you give me a link to your gov't source? 6. The reason that the belt fails is because it is incorrectly designed. The use of unsealed, exposed kevlar fibers, which can absorb water and fail without warning, is another reason to eschew them. Give me a ring when your chain and sprocket get to 24,000 miles. I'll give you a call when my 03 belt and pulleys do, probably next week sometime. 7. By joining the Chain Gang, one is associated with a better type of hooligan. Better type of hooligan? I'd rather stay the less than better hooligan, thank you very little. Got it? Nope, got no rusty chain either.  Hopefully y'all realize most this is all in good humor, I'm not flaming anyone, and knowing Jon, I know he knows me well enough to know I ain't diggin' on him. I care not for chains. I enjoy not hearing them or having to care for them. I'd really like to see where the gov't decides drive gear ratio though. I don't believe it. | ||
| Spatten1 |
If you are lucky and the belt works for you, keep it by all means. I would have. If you have problems with belts shredding, go chain, it is much cheaper. I spend $450 on 2 upgraded belts and an upgraded sprocket setup, to no avail, still had shredding issues and a bearing blow out. I spent a little over $200 to convert to chain. No problems so far. If my ZX11 or any of the other 20 bikes I've owned didn't break a chain, my 75hp Buell sure isn't likely to do so. | ||
| Spiderman |
I enjoy not hearing them or having to care for them. Then do like I do, get the loudest exhaust ever! Not only can you not hear the chain but any other valve noise etc. and all the anti-loud pipe jokers think I have a small unit LOL BTW you XB guys got it made, i did a whole chain swap on a xb in 1.5 hours and that was takin my sweeeeet time. It takes me well over 5+ to do a belt swap on my tuber not including bolting all the BS back on on, IE carb, exhaust etc... | ||
| Spatten1 |
Saintly has the conversion dialed. | ||
| Glitch |
I spend $450 on 2 upgraded belts and an upgraded sprocket setup, to no avail, still had shredding issues and a bearing blow out. That isn't (IMHO) a belt issue, sounds more like an alignment issue, swingarm possibly. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Glitch, you may be right. My belts tracked perfectly, but were tight on the left side. They cracked and shredded only on the left side, but did not rub anything. The recent thread about the bent swingarm bolt may have been a year or two to late for me. It may be my problem. At this point I'm going to just run it and check the bolt next time I have to break the bike down (hopefully never). However, there are plenty of guys that never crashed that have repetitive belt breakage or bearing issues. Saintly and Pup come to mind. Some of the bikes just have very tight belts, and no way to adjust them. I'm more against non-adjustable belt systems than belts, personally. Seems to cause more trouble than an adjustable system would. | ||
| Glitch |
(hopefully never) I hear ya! I also know the belt system ain't perfect. While waiting for Buell to fix the 03 problem, I broke 3 belts. I'm sticking with the belt 'cause I like it. I will however upgrade to the newer belt system when this one goes out. Like I said, I'm not putting anyone down for going the way of the chain. I've got a few mods on my bike you and/or others may feel aren't for you, and that's the beauty of it all. | ||
| Bombardier |
Perhaps the reason brother Erik decided on the tensioned belt was to provide the instantaneous response and low inertia that the belt gives over a chain and sprocket assembly. | ||
| Fullpower |
"low inertia " 530 oring chain and sprocket pair is LIGHTER than the OEM belt and pulleys, and is mechanically more efficient, ie, less frictional power loss. If you do not LIKE the chain drive for personal or aesthetic reasons, that is your inherent right, but the FACT is that the most mechanically efficient power transfer between two shafts, not directly coupled is the roller chain. (and has been for more than a century) | ||
| Spiderman |
530 oring chain and sprocket pair is LIGHTER than the OEM belt and pulleys By how much? | ||
| Ridrx |
IIRC the point to using a belt was so the riders right hand was *connected* to the bike/road interface. Chains are very efficient, but as anyone who's ever adjusted the primary chain will tell you, chains have tight spots...therefore loose spots and slack, whereas the belt is under a constant tension...NO slack. A direct link from throttle to road with zero lash, let's see a chain do that LOL. I don't put down anyone who has converted to chain(if my 06 leaves me stranded I may do the same) and Saintly has obviously worked out a great system(KUDOS), but while it's(belt) working...I'm loving it. (Message edited by RidrX on June 13, 2007) | ||
| Spatten1 |
I've never noticed pulsations from chain tight spots. I'll concentrate on that in the future. | ||
| Ridrx |
I don't know that there ARE any pulsation to be felt, just that when you transition between loaded and unloaded states the chain has some slack to take up. I'm guessing that is why there is no cush drive to absorb shock at the hub like the jap bikes use, or it could be the belt itself is the shock absorbing component. Maybe someone with a chain conversion could lift the rear tire and "measure" freeplay of the wheel if any. Would have to be done at a couple places in the wheels rotation to find the tight and loose spots. (Message edited by RidrX on June 13, 2007) | ||
| Spiderman |
The chain doesn't have any tight spots it is the concentricity tolerance that causes the primary chain to have "tight spots" IE the concentric tolerance of a compensator sprocket could be +/- .010 and if the clutch basket has the same +/- tolerance then you could experience .020 of variance. for ref. 1/32 of a inch is .03125 I am not sure the tolerance that is just an example. | ||
| Bombardier |
I was not going against the chain mod however I still believe the belt setup would provide less drivetrain backlash than a chain due to the fact it is pre-tensioned and a chain is not.I would be interested to find out how much lighter the chain setup is over a belt. | ||
| Sloppy |
I use chain drives because TOP FUEL DRAGSTERS use them... oops, sorry that would be a belt on the blower, wounldn't it. I use chain drive because Ducati uses them... oops, they do use a belt drive for their cams, don't they... I use chain drive because Indycars use th... oops, they also use belt drives for their cams... I use chain drive because I like to lubricate, adjust clearance and change sprockets frequently... there, that's right... In any case, who cares what you use to transfer rotational motion from the engine to the wheel just as long as you ride... To argue over which is better is just plain lame... |
