| Author | Message | ||
     01x1buell |
i am looking for some pros and cons for this, and will the chain hit the swingarm. thanks guys | ||
| Greg_cifu |
There are almost no pros and all cons. You have $400 burning a hole in your pocket? Why are you asking? You racing and need quick ratio changes to suit track conditions? Have nitrous and need the extra power handling? You uncle owns PJ-1 lubricants and he just gave you a pallet of chain lube? | ||
| S1owner |
Greg is being a bit hyper sensitive about this. But he is right! There are really no pros in it for the street. | ||
| 01x1buell |
i was just curious about it thats all, and yes that answer seemed a little hostile , but thank you for your answers | ||
| Kc_zombie |
For a street only application I would stay with the belt. Much cleaner and quieter than a chain. Even if you bump up the power a bit (without power adders like nitrous or turbo), a belt will work fine. Also, there are several choices for stronger belts from drag specialties, panther, etc. Like Greg mentioned (and I tend to agree) chains are better suited for quick gearing changes in a racing application, or extreme power upgrades. Others may tend to disagree, but I would stay on the belt. Merry Christmas. | ||
| Rick_a |
Never had a chain brake. Had a belt brake. Pro enough for me. If you're too lazy to maintain a chain, keep a belt drive. | ||
| Coxster |
Changed chains on my KZ1000, shortened as necessary when I went from 15T to 14T up front, lubed often and pitched again when it was wore out. Belts - never touched 'em, not once. The big reason the 'Happy Dinosaur' crowd goes to chain is to put a bigger useless tire on the back. With all that being said, the S1000RR is chain driven by the company that developed shaft drive for the masses. I'd rather have the belt and enjoy the time in the seat. | ||
| Greg_cifu |
Hey, he hadn't received a response after five hours. I didn't want him to think it was being ignored.  If I were looking at a used Buell, a chain drive conversion--even if it were brand-new, would be a negative in my book. I'd honestly pull it off as soon as the bike got home and I'd trade it for pulleys and a belt. I've actually gone through this thought process on a couple of S-2s I was pondering. Chain drive makes more noise. Chain drive consumes more horsepower than a belt. There is no good chain guard option for the Buell so you'll be flinging crap all over the back of your leg and the bike or fabricating your own chain guard. If not for the previously mentioned uses in racing or high-stress uses (pretty much racing), the only remaining advantage I could see is a little more tire clearance if you want to put some super fat, quarter-miler poseur tire. | ||
| Lakes |
Here in Australia Harley people like belts as they don't get oil over the rear wheel. but one problem with belts are. if you break one, you need to remove the rear swingarm to replace. with a chain not so. also i see a lot get rocks between the belt & the gears puts a hole in the belt then belt breaks. i've got a belt (S&S) If it breaks i go chain. simple as that. did same with my 01 dyna 95 CID TC 90,000k same chain & sprokets belt lasted 15,000k turned into a black snake in my rear view mirror. | ||
| Stev0 |
I see no advantages for changing from a belt to a chain for street use with an X1 as it's easy to change belts on an X1 with the removable section. .. S3's and M2 are a different story but before you even consider it research it a bit more and have a look at a few setups that have done it as it's not the straightforward procedure you might think. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I was going to write pretty much the same thing as Stev0 just posted above. | ||
| Rich |
Yeah, save the money for shock repair/replacement. | ||
| Stev0 |
Great minds think alike Nate.. LOL Love the Buell swing in your profile pic, do the kids get to play on it.... HAHAHHAHA | ||
| Kc_zombie |
Ha! I thought is was a Buell piņata! | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Actually, that pic is from when my X1 dropped its first belt. My friend picked me up on his truck and then when we got home, no ramp or even a board. The winch lifted the bike one inch from the truck and he drove the truck away  | ||
| Zenbiker |
As mentioned earlier, a chain will handle more power. But if you have to ask, you probably aren't there yet, and therefore a belt will do just fine. A chain will allow a wider tire which would be better for drags, but overall, a belt and 170-180 tire is the best fit for the 'average duty' tuber. | ||
| Lakes |
I was up near a coastal town called coffs Harbour ( near it ) meet a lady with a nice sporster, they put what we call blue metal over the road surface spray tar over it. its a cheap way to surface the roads. they seem to do in on the coast or inland. anyway, the lady on the sporster told me she has broken a few belts. via these stones getting between belt and belt drive gears. then another friend 6oo k further south. had same problem with his softail. he put a new belt on & i could not get him out for a ride for fear he would break another belt as they had put more blue metal over the roads down there. you have to wait for it to clear. but takes weeks. no problem with a Chain. were is the hard part fitting a chain to a Buell? i think it would be harder to fit one to the twin cam dyna i have. i won't put one on unless i brake a belt. as i like riding & plan some long trips very soon on the buell. | ||
| Manxman500tt |
So your all telling me a belt delivers power more efficiently to the rear wheel than a chain does? The choice final drive for nearly every single manufacturer of high performance motorcycles.The way smarter than any of us engineers over at(pick a brand) completely over looked this and said naw f**k it heaver and power absorbing is the way to go? and you cant use the cheaper argument when youve got some bikes dripping in ohlins and other crazy expensive up grades | ||
| Jolly |
three tubers, all belt drive and not one single issue. I agree if I find a buell that has a chain conversion and I think I might buy it the first thought I have is...now I have to convert it back to belt.....I have other bikes with chain drive and some with shaft drive (moto Guzzi)...so Im kinda all over the "road" here on the final drive...for Buells though, I would put my money into other areas than a chain conversion..at least for my style of riding and personal "needs". | ||
| Lakes |
i think most manufacturers, use chain as they fit easy with the wide wheels they use. the more power ( but i think Torque is what would break a belt ) the more power or force the belt has to handle the wider the belt needs to be. belt is lighter so you might get a small gain power to rear wheel. but i don't know anyone that has done a direct comparition. but i was at a drag strip practicing & a road racer just getting some practice for learning to start quicker, came over to talk about my belt drive. he was surprised it came stock. he is planning to use a belt drive on his jap milti 1 Liter race bike. i said if it breaks at the track you don't have to walk far. but if it breaks out in the sticks in Australia you better have food & water. | ||
| Greg_cifu |
Yes, chains consume more power. Every time the links have to bend, wrapping onto and off of the sprockets, consumes horsepower. That's reality. High performance motorcycles usually choose chain drive because it allows wider tires and less offset in the drive line (belt or chain). As Lakes posted, belt width has to go up with power so a belt that would reliably transmit 150 HP would have to be very wide. There's just so much room back there. No, engineers aren't dumb. They have to deal with the tradeoffs I outlined above. The reality is that friction on a chain goes up dramatically with load. I can't find reliable numbers on the web because most applications are at much lower power levels but, the message is that belts almost perfectly wrap and unwrap around the pulleys, with very little built-up heat. Chains waste a portion of that horsepower but do it in a more space-efficient manner. |
