Belt drive-why don't more do it?

[monkey]

Anyone got any idea why sports bikes don't use belt or shaft drive? Buells have it and so does the BMW F800?
:)

[Lissa]

Dunno. Belt drives do make sense...................but God, they are ugly. Maybe that's why? Aesthetics?

[andy]

It is the width and the non split nature of them that makes them not attractive for the majority of manufacturers

[K]

But...

... but...

... then I wouldn't have the slimmest of excuses to put Gilles Titainium Chain Adjusters on my bike to match the rearsets. :oops:

[Ceri JC]

Less power getting to the rear wheel than with a chain (main reason for not having them on actual race bikes).

Looks.

Width.

They're not as practical as people make out - a good quality chain and sprockets, with a scottoiler will last as long, if not longer than most belts. If the scottoiler is set up properly with a touring kit/lube tube, the amount of maintenance/adjustment needed on a chain is negligible (IE usually need to replace tyres before the chain needs adjusting).

[Swiss]

But the whole point of the belt is that you don't need scottoilers etc etc

[arenalife]

Agreed, I had a belt drive bike. Almost maintenance free, clean and silent. Smooth gear changes and drive too. They last a long time too!

Perhaps they would have issues dealing with a hyper bike power output. I've got shaft drive on my current bike and it's good having a clean back wheel/body with no gak over everything. It's not forgiving though, you have to make good gear changes as there's less play than a chain and cush drive setup.

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

1. You need to get a dealer to adjust it (when it does need adjusting) and it's not something you could do reliably (and safely) yourself

2. If a bit of gravel/stone gets in there then the belt, the pulley, your bike and your good self will all be a bit shagged as things get chewed up and damaged and it tends to not want to keep moving. Much more likely to happen than with a chain as the belt is wider, bigger pulley makes it run closer to the ground, no holes for stuff to be pushed through...

Many of the bikes that use pulleys and belts have converter kits available to make them chain driven systems... There aren't many belt kits being sold for chain driven bikes.

[riktherider]

i personaly think the belt drive on the buells look awsome, with the tension pully down below, and i think it would be perfect for bikes like the sv, er, gsf, etc, as not huge amounts of power is being applied. i would of thought the cost of a belt drive system is a bit more than standard chain drive though

[northwind]

I reckon there's 2 main reasons here. Habit, and development. Even in the time since Buell started using them they've massively improved their belt methods, frinstance, and that's Buell- their R&D budget wouldn't build a japanese commuter. Chains, on the other hand, are an extremely developed, tried and tested solution. So, it makes sense to use chains which are already a known quantity, rather than developing belts which most owners blatantly don't want.

Belt power losses can be lower than chain, incidentally, as is rotating mass. And as for conversion kits, chain kits are easy to make as the parts are either available already, or easily made, but belts aren't easy to find in the right sizes. I think the SV kit uses all BMW parts, but has issues with the front sprocket size due to the SV engine layout, for instance. It's just not practical to make bespoke belts for such an application, especially when demand is so low, but if you want a 520 chain with 100-odd links, you just buy one. If it's too long, you cut a couple off, can't do that with belts of course. And sprockets are easy.

[jambo]

It should also be noted that replacing a belt involves taking the swing arm off, if you use a rivet link for a chain you don't have to. This means the chain is cheaper to replace if you're paying for someone else to do it, and less of a pain in the bum if its you doing it.

[wyrdness]

I've seen kits advertised for converting chain to belt drive. I suspect that most people are happy with chains, and belt drive costs more. Belts have improved a lot recently. They're now very strong and have a very long life. I've owned belt, chain and shaft drive bikes and prefer both shaft and belt to chain for ease of maintenance and cleaning.

[Swiss]

It should also be noted that replacing a belt involves taking the swing arm off, if you use a rivet link for a chain you don't have to. This means the chain is cheaper to replace if you're paying for someone else to do it, and less of a pain in the bum if its you doing it.

Not always fella ;)

[andyaikido]

But...

... but...

... then I wouldn't have the slimmest of excuses to put Gilles Titainium Chain Adjusters on my bike to match the rearsets. :oops:

K you are such a tart. :D

Are you getting the paddock stand lifters too? I would but I can't get them for my '04. :(

[gomez]

See this link, I think it is just too exspensive to do at £800+ to be worthwhile, you can buy a lot of chains for that kind of money.

http://www.mp-foorumi.com/gallery/picture.php?size=medium&picture=f2423b91eea123564fa8d7eb766d7f93.jpg

[kwak zzr]

i did hear that buell are charging about 800 notes for a belt replacment on there bikes. my mates buell just had its 3500 mile service at a cost of £295!
harley dealers really do take the pi$$.

[dieter]

Hello,

I made a belt convertion with used parts from BMW scarver - now 30000km (17500mls). No Problems, no oil, every time a clean wheel/swingarm, no adjustment....

photos fron details you can see there:

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=65686

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/400_6661643431363939.jpg

now we are making the same convertion on a GSX 750 AE (86hp)

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/2560_3632653264383138.jpg

greetings from rainy germany,

Dieter

[muffles]

Hello,

I made a belt convertion with used parts from BMW scarver - now 30000km (17500mls). No Problems, no oil, every time a clean wheel/swingarm, no adjustment....

photos fron details you can see there:

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=65686

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/400_6661643431363939.jpg

now we are making the same convertion on a GSX 750 AE (86hp)

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/2560_3632653264383138.jpg

greetings from rainy germany,

Dieter

How wide a belt would you need for say, a GSX-R 1000? That's one of the major reasons I read that chains are used instead - the more power you put through a belt the wider it has to be, and it becomes a little too unweildy on large power bikes. So they stick with chains...

[dieter]

If you've read the "older" thread you've seen the german faktory www.vh-motorradtechnik.de (http://www.vh-motorradtechnik.de)

They make convertions with bigger bikes as GSX 1400, XJR 1300 , Yamaha MT-1, Bandit 1250....

http://www.vh-motorradtechnik.de/index.php/cat/c1_Belt-Drive-Kits.html

No problems, look at the Harley V-Rod (120hp) or an american "Boss Hoss" (http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://phoenixbikers.com/images123/viperp.jpg&imgrefurl=http://phoenixbikers.com/bosshossv8motorcycle.htm&start=1&h=408&w=600&sz=69&tbnid=laI7bon6H3Y7QM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=135&hl=de&um=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dboss%2Bhoss%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26h l%3Dde%26sa%3DN) (Chevrolet V8 / 580HP)) with belt-drive

http://phoenixbikers.com/images123/viperp.jpg

A lot of chain-factories are in Japan -> so they use chain because they are integreatet into the motorcycle company. In america is the biggest beltdrive factory "gates" -> they cooperate with harley & buell... A lot of this is only political...

Greetings Dieter

[empty]

Hello,

I made a belt convertion with used parts from BMW scarver - now 30000km (17500mls). No Problems, no oil, every time a clean wheel/swingarm, no adjustment....

photos fron details you can see there:

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=65686

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/400_6661643431363939.jpg

now we are making the same convertion on a GSX 750 AE (86hp)

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/2560_3632653264383138.jpg

greetings from rainy germany,

Dieter
Hmmm interesting - could you keep me updated with how this goes, I've got a GSX750 too, good to see something different.

MT

[dieter]

Hello,

the GSX works good after convertion, last weekend it was our german SV-meeting. There was another BMW-used-Belt-driven-SV too, the driver had the same idea 3 years ago as i did 4 years ago...

here some photos:

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/2560_6338323865343137.jpg

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/1024_3266363135313031.jpg

http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/37/1422737/400_6130303337623032.jpg

greetings from germany,

Dieter (now 18tmls with belt)

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

Was that weld on the swingarm done by you? It's not a suzuki weld is it??

If you had it done, did it affect insurance/legal stuff - they usually hate people doing work like that to the frame and swingarm on road bikes - I'm pretty sure they wouldn't accept it in the UK.

[northwind]

Now I look at it, is that bottom pic the same GSX but with an SV swingarm welded for dual shocks?

Welding and modifying frames isn't neccesarily a problem at all with insurance- just look at your average 7/11 or Gixxer Zed, bits chopped off and welded on all over the shop. Some trick framers are built around an original headstock with the entire rest of the frame cut off for insurance and legal purposes :smt003

[dieter]

Now I look at it, is that bottom pic the same GSX but with an SV swingarm welded for dual shocks?

It's the original GSX 750 AE (Inazuma) swingarm

http://gogo.tea-nifty.com/interpot/images/Inazuma.jpg

greets Dieter

[gettin2dizzy]

I'd like belt drive. Would save money when the chain goes through the engine too :)