| Author | Message | ||
     Court |
>>>>There is no valid excuse for a Buell dealer not to have a belt in stock. That's both an accurate statement and a fairly concise summation of the greatest problem facing Buell. Let's face it, every Buell dealer should have, IN STOCK AT ALL TIMES, a rudimentary offering of expendable and service items. And don't lecture me with the "the belt should never break" drivel. It's distressing to me because a number of years ago we actually prepared lists (Level 1, 2, 3 based on prior years sales volume) and did all the background work for the dealer. The response "you can't make me". How alarming. In fact, I may generate a list of "10 Deal Breaker" questions that folks should ask a salesmen before signing a purchase contract. However, the instant problem was promptly getting our colleague fixed up with a belt. The dealer, from all appearances, placed a "down bike" order and should, if they did this, have a belt tomorrow. Let's get through that part first. Court | ||
| Rainman |
Hey Court, when you get your homework done (no, I'm not mocking you)and you've got some time, make up that list. I've got a bunch of friends I've conned into taking th MSF course I teach and they're all looking at this bike and that bike, including Buells. They, and I, could use the list. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I second that. I would like a list to hand the parts manager and tell him this is what he should have on the shelf. I know the guy and I don't think it would piss him off........... | ||
| Naustin |
I may generate a list of "10 Deal Breaker" questions... Do you have a belt for this bike I'm thinking about buying in stock right now? NO? OK, BYE. I like it!!  | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
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| Wolfridgerider |
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| Panhead_dan |
There are no perfect bikes and no, I'm not making excuses. There are therefore no perfect final drives. Lets compare what's available; Chain Belt Shaft and hydrolic, I suppose. OK, what's it like to live with each of these "imperfect drives; Chain- the most maintainence intensive item on your bike. On average, the most expensive over the life of the bike also. A failure has proven to be kinda catastrophic sometimes. Belt- theoreticly maint free for the life of the bike. A failure has been a quick easy fix on an XB, historicly. A bit pricey for the belt but that's probably all you'll need. Shaft- some maint but theoreticly trouble free. A failure means a towtruck, some downtime and expense. Hydro- who the hell knows and why is that even here. Remember the first paragraph. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Just got back from a belt hunting trip. Its been on the road for over 24 hours but the 2nd pic shows a very straight "crack" on the belt. There is another one a few inches away from the first. Just thought I would post a pic because I thought it looked strange. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
That's an odd looking break. Does the other side look the same? Can you post some clearer, closer pics? It looks like it's been pulled in half. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I think it was a small miracle that "I" was able to get those 2 posted | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Honest question for those who work on/with Buells (looking in Cityslicker's direction) What kind of failure rate has their been on the new belts? Or what have you seen. I am not trying to debate which is better, chain or belt. All things have a % of failure. I am just curious how often it really happens. Wolf - To me that photo looks like one of the layers failed, stressing the other layer till it failed. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>What kind of failure rate has their been on the new belts? << I asked that very question of Robert Dennert - 'platform director VRSC motorcycles' and he said. 'We have had some still going strong at 250,000 miles - some have been broken by an errant rock 200 yards from the dealers.' And he would say no more about it. dd | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
>>What kind of failure rate has their been on the new belts? << I had a 2000 Road King that had about 44000 miles on it when I traded it for my Uly. I spent way to much money on building the motor. It had 110rwhp and I flogged it every chance I got. The belt didn't seem to mind but the back tire hated it. That bike tipped the scales around 750lbs + or - the Uly is about 450 + or - It just seems that the Road King would have been a lot harder on belts than the Uly  | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Just curious. Did you see any marks on any of the pulley???? Just wondering if you picked up some junk off the road????? Sounds to me like I need to have one on hand. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I didn't see anything at all. I wish they would have had one in stock so I could have done the work myself. I am 99.9% sure that I am going to go with a chain in the near future. Iron Pony has chains in stock and they cost a lot less. I may keep one under the seat. | ||
| Court |
My Buell belt has NEVER failed and it's seen several Thanksgiving dinners . . .   | ||
| Cataract2 |
Court, is that seriously a wearable belt there? | ||
| Court |
I am both pleased and distressed to report that it is. I was either a gift, or an insult, from a group of the R&D folks at Buell. I think they were sending me "mixed messages" as they accompanied it with a model of a test rider that exploded when it hit something. Hey . . . sure, I've had a few "incidents" over the years. . . but, hey. . . For a while there I was the "Let Mikey try it . . " of Buell testing. Great times.  I am an innocent victim of this sport. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
If I used the belt as a "belt" it would be under more strain than when it was on the bike. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Hey . . . sure, I've had a few "incidents" over the years. . . but, hey<< oooh yeah. I've visited 'this-one-comes-back-damaged-and-it's-change-caree rs-ville.' | ||
| Reepicheep |
Actually, wasn't Court in the opposite camp? He was in the "don't bring this back until you broke it or died trying" role. Sounds like Court and Dave should have been working together | ||
| 2_spuds |
"That bike tipped the scales around 750lbs + or - the Uly is about 450 + or - It just seems that the Road King would have been a lot harder on belts than the Uly" My uly is a bit heavier, it weighed in @540+ with the racks but no bags on. The owners manual says 498 dry,did I get a porker?  } | ||
| Court |
>>>He was in the "don't bring this back until you broke it or died trying" role. That's pretty much it. Those were the days. . . flying into Milwaukee, waiting for darkness to fall and then launching for Topeka, KS, 590 miles away, to arrive before I was caught by the sun. Early mornings, passing Wanamaker Road at sunrise and meandering out Highway 4 towards Waubaunsee Lake with my package of flour and my chalk crayons to mark wind direction on the road. I'd ease over towards Highway 99, meander up past the stone buildings North of KSU, around Tuttle Creek, buzz up to Concordia for lunch, detour through Nebraska, head accross and come back down through Iowa and grab at bite up by Amerlia Earhart Field in Atchison, do my "timed loop" around Perry Resevoir, loop down my Clinton Lake and then take the Farmers Turnpike home . . . We learned alot. | ||
| Jaimec |
FYI: The 1,500 lbs, 300+ hp Boss Hoss motorcycles and trikes all use belt drive too... | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Just made a follow-up phone call to the Dealer. When they called back on Monday afternoon to check on it, it had been packed and was waiting for the UPS man to pick it up. Now the waiting game begins........... | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
I have been waiting all day......so is it fixed yet?????????????? | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
If the stars stay in their current position I should be picking it up for lunch tomorrow. I'll keep you posted, but the eggs haven't hatched yet.  | ||
| Crusty |
I've been following this thread and trying to stay out of it, but I can't. My first belt driven bike was an '88 FLHS. At 8,000 miles, it picked up a stone and punched a hole through the center of the belt. I rode with that belt until 38,000 miles (I noticed cracks starting to spread toward the edges). The replacement belt lasted until 80,000 miles, when it broke without warning on I-71 at 65 MPH. At 98,000 miles, I replaced the belt with an O-ring chain that was still on the bike when I sold it with 125,000 miles. My '98 S3-T ripped the teeth off its first belt at 43,000 miles, while running down the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The second belt lasted just 15,000 miles, and snapped on the way to work one morning. I don't know why; I was too pissed off to go back and pick it up. My 2000 M2 broke its first belt while sitting in the driveway. I was going to work, and when I shifted into first from neutral, the belt snapped. I did find a hole where a stone had poked through. That caused me to buy the Baker chain drive kit. (Extremely overpriced, and not worth it)After a week, I replaced the junk Diamond chain for a Tsubaki O-ring chain. That worked well for about 15,000 miles, but then the chain was clapped out. Plus, I had to run it so loose to compensate for swingarm travel that the drive was really sloppy. Lots of lurching. After a 5,000 mile trip to Colorado and back, I was fed up with the chain, and put the new Goodyear belt and new sprockets on the bike.. Both belts and chains have their good points and both have their weaknesses. Belts are quiet, require minimal maintenance, and MIGHT last a long time under ideal conditions. Belts give very little or no warning when they’re about to fail. Chains aren’t fazed by gravel, and it’s easy to tell when they need to be replaced, but they stretch, and should be lubed (even O-ring chains). Price wise, an O-ring chain is almost as expensive as a belt, but chain sprockets are a lot cheaper than belt sprockets. And belt sprockets do wear out, but not as fast as chain sprockets. In the end, I think they cost about the same On an S3, S1 or M2, changing the belt is a pain in the ass. On a Big Twin Harley, it’s also a pain. Maybe even more of a pain. I haven’t had to change a belt on my Uly, yet, and I hope I never do. However, it doesn’t look like it will be anywhere as much work as it was on my Tubers. All in all, at the present time, I prefer belts. | ||
| M2nc |
To Belt or not to Belt, that is the question! Nothing like a broken belt to get the debate going. I stepped away from this thread a day ago and now it took me 25 minutes of reading to catch up. For me, I have had on chain failure at 20,000 miles and one belt Failure at 32,000 miles. In both cases I was able to ride it home. The Belt was more expensive to fix but since the chain lasted less time, I give the Belt 1 point. Now, my Uly is at 19,000 miles. 1000 miles to go and it too will out last my Honda Chain. What! Can this be a route? Stay tuned! (Stretched the chain coming out of a corner hard on the Honda. The chain stretched past the adjustment range and popped badly all the way home. It lunched both sprockets and the chain. The M2 stripped teeth off the belt at the Drag Strip. I rode it home lunging when accelerating.) I say do what you want. The chains are noisy and messy, plus can tear things up, while the Belts give little warning and if you are not carrying a spare, can leave you on the side of the road. Its a toss up. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
That is good news wolf.......I am not only surprised but impressed that the dealership took care of it that quick. Hmmmm why the surprise. |
