Belts vs chains

[rac3r]

After seeing the Buell in the pictures section I was wondering why more bikes don't use belts in stead of chains? (I'm talking final drive)

Presumably a belt snapping would make less of a mess than when chains snap? Also I'm not sure but I'm guessing belts don't need oiling either
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[Benson_JV]

I think it's something to do with belts not being as efficient as chains?


(I may be completely wrong...)
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Willson - "If you go out on that CBR600 in the winter, you're going to do more miles on your side than on your wheels."
Riding: CBR600FW Driving: Audi A6
Previous Bikes: '96 Bandit 600, '96 GPz305

[The Artist]

When belts get wet they can slip

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

You need the tensioner etc. on a belt so IIRC they also come out a wee bit heavier.

Modern belts are fantastically strong. Could well be a case of the stigma attached to them as well.
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[Pete.]

Belts don't slip when wet coz they are toothed, and they are more efficient than chains, but they have two huge disatvantages:

1. You cannot easily judge their condition and remaining lifespan, and they can snap without any warning despite looking in perfect condition. Once they snap you can't cobble a repair to get you home.

2. You have to remove the bloody swingarm to fit them.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[The Artist]

[ClockworkJesu...]

Chains are more environmentally friendly, since metal is 100% recyclable.
Only thing I could think of that hadn't already been said.

Guess you could also make the argument that fanbelts are toothed, but they still slip and squeal like hell when they wear down. After sufficient stretch, you just replace a chain after judging by eye.

[rac3r]

[D O G]

[zest]

After 35 years of bikes with chains, I now have a Triumph 1600 twin with a belt and it is fine.
But there again it is not a sports bike, which may be more suited to chains. Buell being the exception.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Chains are more efficient than belts, when in good condition.

Belts are difficult to change and cost way more to replace than a chain. When belts first appeared on bikes for final drive this was less of an issue as endless chains were fairly common. Short of putting the final drive outside the frame and swinging arm there isn't really any way of getting away from having to remove the swinging arm to fit a new belt (or endless chain).

Tension is a problem. In a way more critical with a belt than a chain, and with a bike suspension it still varies as the suspension compresses.

All the best

Keith
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[stinkwheel]

Belts are brilliant. Pretty much zero maintainance between changes. No oiling, tensioning and generally pissing about with them. The way to get around belts snapping is exactly the same as they do with cambelts, you replace them at a fixed interval.

That interval is usually pretty long, maybe four chain and sprocket sets worth. This makes dropping the swingarm less of a hardship.

In fact, dropping the swingarm isn't much of a hardship anyway. It's usually just one nut and bolt, it's not like you have to dismantle the whole thing. Probably less of a fanny about than joining chain when you get right down to it. I only ever fitted one endless chain to a bike (a GPZ500) and I did that in a bike shop carpark with a 17mm tube spanner and a big adjustable. I don't recall it taking very long at all.

Of the various ways of getting the drive from the engine to the back wheel on a motorbike, I reckon belts are the best (hydrostatic has potential but is too inefficient as yet).
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[Ingah]

[Gazz]

Shaft-drive FTW!



That is all.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[Rogerborg]

I'm liking the belt on my GPz 305. It's clean, smooth and quiet compared to a chain.

There's no tensioning gear, and it does want the tension set quite accurately. No big hardship, and it doesn't seem to go off as quickly as a chain.

However, it does get a bit of low speed squeal on and likes a dab of vegetable oil on it every so often.

I can't speak to efficiency, and I doubt that many other people can, at least authoritatively. You'd have to compare a belt to a chain (both in various states of tension and lubrication) on the same application to get meaningful figures.

Cost-wise, I doubt there's any particular reason why belts are inherently more expensive than a sprocket and chain set, it's just that they're not as common and there's no competition in the market. If and when the belt goes on my GPz, the bike is essentially junk.

Heh, that said, there's one on eBay just now for £75 "BOUGHT NEW BY ME ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO AT GREAT COST, MY GPZ305 SEIZED ITS ENGINE BEFORE I COULD FIT IT".
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[stinkwheel]

[Kickstart]

[HD]

I know someone with a Buell XB12X I think it is. And its quite expensive to have a belt done. I think it was £200+ inc. labour.

I mean there are probably fuel people here who would take it to a garage so I'm not sure about initial price but it can't take much more than an hour for a decent mechanic? So say £40 p/hr.

That means £160ish for the belt





I may be wrong, and am willing to accept the fact, but thats what I vaguely remember.


EDIT: Look at this fecker.

Although most on there seem to be £100 + or - £20.
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[0ddball]

As said, the price is only so high because of the rarety. A car cambelt is only £15 and a bike drivebelt looks to be made the same, probably needs beefing up a bit but they should still be well under £50 if they were common enough.

If there were a sportsbike conversion kit i'd switch to beltdrive.
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