| Author | Message | ||
     98s1lightning |
I picked the bike up last saturday to install the new AirTech full fairing kit to get some pics. A decided to take the bike to get dinner tonight and popped the belt, WTF? I thought the belt was unbreakable, now I just hope they will still cover it. I dropped the bike off on June 3rd so I figure that if they could have fixed it within a month and gave it back, the belt would have broke still well within warranty. Any thoughts. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Good luck, most places consider the belt a wear item. Biggest problem with a belt is their unpredictable life-span. I have never heard of a way to tell if it's "gonna pop soon". I have 2 spare belts for Loretta - never broke one yet, 27k miles. I have NO extras for the Uly, but it popped one at 20k while playing in a field.  Next to the shop. Glad we had a belt... Z | ||
| Ratbuell |
Zac - closest "telltale" of a belt getting ready to go is, you can grab the tensioner and spin it easily by hand. The belt gets loose right before it gets...well...REALLY loose  I've had belts replaced under warranty, on my Uly and on friends bikes. If your belt guards are all in place and you're within your warranty term, you're covered. Yes, it's a "wear item", but it's also "lifetime" and there is no regular maintenance to be done on it (i.e. adjusting properly, etc). So its not like the consumer can "mistreat" it...other than running without belt guards. | ||
| Jdugger |
> . The belt gets loose right before it gets...well...REALLY loose Yea, that was my experience, too. I had the rubber crack in a few spots, the belt gets loose and mine even had a titch of a "wave" in it. Sure enough, the next session... POP! Luckily another Bueller had an extra on-hand at the track, and I had $200 in my pocket! I've got a spare now... | ||
| Kicka666 |
Consumable wear item, no warranty just the same as someone who buys a chain driven bike never lubricates or adjusts it.. Good luck with that. | ||
| Bobbuell1961 |
Our shop warrantees belts on a regular bases and HD pays. I would call customer service if the shop says no. (Message edited by bobbuell1961 on July 28, 2011) | ||
| Fitz1125 |
Good luck with the replacement. i've heard mixed results with people getting belts replaced under warranty. If it works, let everyone know which shop you went to! :-) My plan is to order a brand new one and keep it as a spare. My current belt only has 5k on it. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Thanks Joe and Jim. Guess I'll start making "check the tensioner" a part of my "Pre-flight checks". Z | ||
| Jules |
I can turn my tensioner by hand..not easily but I can do it.. but it's always been like that. My dealer tells me they'd be happy to replace it under warranty if it breaks and have done so for others.. | ||
| Pwillikers |
What's the proper care and feeding of the belt? Is there a belt "dressing" spray that is recommended to extend life? | ||
| 98s1lightning |
Well they told me to kick rocks. (Message edited by 98s1lightning on July 31, 2011) | ||
| Ratbuell |
No belt dressing. Just keep it clean and free of debris. "Loose" on the tensioner is the difference between turning it by hand, and sticking a single finger in the hole and spinning it that way. Don't keep a new belt as a spare. Buy a new one, and put it on. Take the one you just took off - that's already stretched some - and use it as a spare. Easier replacement on the side of the road, less tugging and cursing. | ||
| Buellitup |
If you could get the belt replaced under warranty, couldn't someone with a bike under warranty find a broken belt and claim it was theirs....and then get a new one under warranty? Before you go on rants of dishonesty, morals, ethics, karma, sticking it to HD, workin' the man, maximizing warranty value, ROI, I Ching application, and anything else you can think of.....I'm just sayin'. | ||
| Syonyk |
I'm sure you could... but that's an awful lot of hassle. I just replaced the belt on mine at 25k miles of commuting/touring - it had some cracks where the teeth join to the backing, and just looked a bit worn. I posted another thread asking about belts and the general consensus seemed to be that they're roughly 25k mile items - some last a ton longer, some last less, but replacing it around 25k is good insurance. ... given how far most of the belt driven Harleys are ridden, 25k miles *is* a lifetime item for them. Probably a several-lifetime item... Yes, a belt is $180 or so, but the way I look at it, $180 every 25k miles for *zero* other maintenance is worth the money compared to a chain and the regular lubrication/adjustment hassles. Plus, of the drivetrain options, a failure of a belt is the least significant. Belt fails, woo. I've just lost power. Chain fails, it can rip through the engine/transmission casing and possibly feet/ankles before leaving, and shaft drives tend to fail locking the rear wheel up. I'll take a failure of a belt, thanks |
