| Author | Message | ||
     Fst_tyms |
So after putting my new belt on in my 15000 mile service. It broke in less than 50 miles. So my friend from the shop came to my house and helped me put the old one back on so I would be mobile again, while they (the shop) sort out getting me a replacement belt for the "defective" belt. So guess what...the old belt broke yesterday. The guy from the shop is just trying to sell me a chain conversion kit. | ||
| Daves |
Sounds like they aren't installing it correctly to me. 2 belts breaking sounds fishy. Ride to the edge! Dave daves@h-dappleton.com | ||
| M1combat |
I've had mine off 2X under my own guidance and have not broken one... Yet... I have been completely removing the axle prior to removing the belt and placing the belt back over the rear pulley before putting the axle back in. | ||
| Fst_tyms |
I sat there with him and watched, with the book and the bulletin. Seems as if it is being done right. Though I agree - 1 belt ok. But 2 belts....? Something is a miss. Take it I did dump the clutch hard in 2nd, it still should hold up! edited by fst_tyms on May 03, 2004 | ||
| Daves |
M1, your is a different belt, not as much to worry about with the 04s. Fst, I don't know what the answer is then? Ride to the edge! Dave edited by daves on May 03, 2004 | ||
| Anonymous |
The belt absolutely should not be a problem. Think of it this way...the dealer took off your old belt, which had been fine for 15,000 miles and put on a new one, which broke in 50 miles. You then put back on the old one (that the dealer took off) and it broke immediately. Sound like maybe the dealer damaged both in the first swap? I think so! And now he wants to sell you a mega bucks chain conversion? Think twice... | ||
| Court |
>>>Take it I did dump the clutch hard in 2nd, it still should hold up! You can NOT "dump the clutch" and damage a Buell belt....unless you are using it on a D-9 Caterpillar tractor. Court | ||
| Hans |
Yes, and you can destroy a new belt, bare hands and without traces, by folding it sharply backward. ( Only from  , no experience!) Hans | ||
| Glitch |
Sound like maybe the dealer damaged both in the first swap? This does sound like what happened. I was less than careful the first time I took of my first belt, and it lasted less than 100 miles. shut-up Darthane!  | ||
| Fdl3 |
Might there be damage to the idler pulley or some other component of the belt system causing premature belt breakage? Although if your old belt lasted 15K, it sure doen't sound like there would be damage elsewhere. Please feel free to ignore this post... | ||
| Torqer |
fd13... I hear ya. Look beyond the belt tyms. | ||
| Buckinfubba |
Like fd said , it might be the idler pulley bearings .....maybe or the ever popular, "the job was done wrong" | ||
| Darthane |
Dang, he's not even letting me get my kicks in before he spouts off now... | ||
| Glitch |
 I'll wait for ya next time! | ||
| Fst_tyms |
New idler pulley too! I don't freakin know. Harley dealer said the part was under warrenty for 90 days! So woohoo, gonna try to get a replacement. As for the chain conversion, I want it, just can't afford it right now. I REALLY do not believe that there was an improper install. But who freakin knows. } | ||
| Fst_tyms |
Just to update ya'll. I got the bike back today. The shop FINALLY got me a new belt and sorted me out. One thing the dealer made sure to tell them and have them tell me, that I wanted to share with all you. They said the belt had a break in period of 100 - 150 miles. | ||
| Daves |
Really? Ride to the edge! Dave daves@h-dappleton.com | ||
| Darthane |
I'm sorry, you want to repeat that? How, precisely, do you 'break-in' a Kevlar belt? | ||
| Fst_tyms |
LOL. I said something similar. I was like,"like a new tire??! LOL" The guy at the shop, said just humor them. I told him I thought it was because most of their customers won't do that many miles in 90 days, so if it breaks again it will be past the warrenty.  Luckily for me, I will be past the break-in period tomorrow. I can pull the front end up and test out that belt right....  | ||
| Fst_tyms |
Sorry - to elaborate a bit...they said it was because they put some coating on it for storage and you need to "wear that off" before you really hammer it. Also needs to go through a couple heat cycles to settle in. Suggested not riding a passenger or doing wheelies or getting stupid for 100 - 150 miles. | ||
| Pilk |
drive belt break-in....thats rich.... so tell me again what in the poopy any kind of coating has to do with the kevlar belt breaking?????? they hosed the install and dont want to admit it. honesty goes so far with me......you can actually hose a whole lot of stuff up, but if you're honest about it, we can go on and learn together.... I hate dishonest people. they are thieves of the truth...... not sure what my little rant has to do with...but i feel a little better. Pilk | ||
| Mikej |
What dealer what this again? He probably believes you have to break-in fresh oil as well, loosen up all the additives with a few heats cycles you know, before you can really hammer it.  | ||
| Honu |
The old belt was broke in. Hmm. But broke also, how does the dealer explain that. | ||
| Fst_tyms |
LOL. I agree with all of you. Actually I had a shop, not a dealer install. These were the things that dealer told the shop guys while they were getting me my replacement belt. I agree, it is just plain silly. I did my first wheelie today on the new belt, felt good. Was right at 99.9 miles :P Yeah I know, livin life on the edge LOL | ||
| Anonymous |
The belt does have a very slippery coating on it that does wear in within about the first 150-200 miles of belt life. During that time when this surface coating is wearing off, the belt can be prone to slipping and does not grip the teeth of the pulleys very well. This could, under hard acceleration, lead to the belt trying to rise up the teeth on the pulley and yes...break it. But you guys knew that already right???? You were just joking in the posts above right???? If you also go and read the Dunlop web site you will also see that they state that tires should be ridden easily for the first 50 miles. Another very good reason for taking it easy on a new tire is that the mold release compound used on tires is slicker than snot on a door knob and takes several heat cycles before it works its way off the tire. Try this if you don't believe me. Mount up a brand new tire of any brand. Air it up to what ever pressure the manufacturer recommends and ride the bike for 50 miles at legal speeds. Let it cool for one hour and then re-check the pressure. You will find the pressure down by 5-7%. Why? the tire grows during the break in period by 5-7%. If you hammer on the tire during that time, you cause the tire to grow a lot more and the pressure will drop more, the cord construction in the side wall can suffer from it. | ||
| Daves |
I did not know that about the belts. Thank you for setting the record straight. Dave daves@h-dappleton.com | ||
| Pilk |
OK, the rising up on the pulley and breaking, I can see that. Yes i do know that all molded rubber components have a release agent on them, but still just cant comprehend the probability of 2 belts breaking after the same person installed them in such a short time. That has got to be some kind of astronomically rediculous coincidence, expecially with the xb having the exact tension it should have all the time, by means of a very well engineered tension system... so in my mind, it has to be installer error... just my purely uneducated opinion. Pilk | ||
| Blake |
Anonymous, With all due respect, that sounds highly questionable to me. The belt does have a coating that will burnish in with time yes, but I don't see it needing to be worn-in gently. I'd wager that you could spill oil all over the final drive belt and it wouldn't slip or ride-up or fail prematurely. The belt certainly works fine when wet, no? It is a preloaded belt, no? None of the new tires I've purchased recently have had any mold release on them. And they certainly don't grow 5-7% once used. Tires have changed a lot recently. Kevlar just isn't susceptable to any significant permanent stretch. You might want to check the validity of your information specifically wrt todays sporting tires and preloaded XB belt drives. Of course I could be wrong, but I doubt it. | ||
| Glitch |
On my third belt at 17,000 miles. The first replacement was at around 3000 miles. The third was the newer Gates belt, I was very kind and gentle with it during install. I can't say that treated it any differently than the other belts after the install. I guess that makes me very lucky. Tires on the other hand. Learned about them the easy way. I heeded all warnings about scrubbing them in. Check pressure every ride, along with oil level, ect. The only differrence in air pressure I've seen is the shop that does my mounting tends to always put 35 lbs. in both tires. Next time I'll check the pressure before I put the wheels back on, and after they cool down from scrubbing them in. But a 5 to 7% change sounds a lot to me. I do however have a more open mind twords learning about things such as this ever since I found BadWeB. That's what keeps me coming back. I won't be needing tires for (I hope) couple of thousand miles. I won't be needing a new belt for .... Bryan, this is your cue! | ||
| Darthane |
LOL...well, Glitch, you're definitely past due. Let's just say that I suggest you pack a new one, along with the requisite tools, into a backpack before you go on any trips.  |
