Belt Drive

[hank43]

A question for all you Harley riders, Just how dependable is the drive belt? Is it expensive to replace? More than a chain? how long do they last?

hank

[hapbob]

A two wheel harley it's very reliable and never heard of anyone much having to replace less than 80k.
I am interested to know about the harley trike
i would be surprised if anyone has had a problem.
Hap

[Rod69]

Don't know for sure, but have 43,000+ miles on the Triglide and belt looks good. Hope it lasts another 43,000.

[msocko3]

Trike seems pretty easy on the belt, they don't seem to really stretch. The belt on the 2010 Triglide I had survived wheelies and burnouts.

[WILDBILLPHIN]

A question for all you Harley riders, Just how dependable is the drive belt? Is it expensive to replace? More than a chain? how long do they last?

hank

62,000 miles on my 2011 TriGlide and belt appears like new.

[screwball]

Well, Harley introduced the belt drive in 1980. 34 years later they haven't replaced it, or gone back to chains.

[Bikerbozo]

My belts seem to last about 60k on both 2 and 3 wheels. Went badly last time. No warning passed from HD service desk that mechanic recommended it be replaced soon. So it went on road. Rear pulley also showing wear. I told them to replace it. Then found a stabilizing bar back there that had a rusted ball joint. Had independent shop do all the work. HD's loss for being incompetent. Not a cheap job. Whole rear end needs to be taken apart.

[luzierg]

I just replaced mine (2011 TG) at 59K miles. The belt looked in good shape but I was hunting for a winter addon job for the trike. It is a MAJOR JOB! I would rather it replace it now than on the road somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Gary

[luigonza]

Hi. I own a motortrike on a Road King Police 2006. 22k miles. The belt is a bit loose so I need to fasten it. Could you please let me know how to do it??. I live in Costa Rica and the HD dealership do not service trikes other than the HDTrikes. Thanks

[Recycledteen]

Stop by or order a belt tension gauge from Harley to check it. I have one one from 1986 and have used it many times just to make sure the belt is not vibrating or slapping too much. The only time I have heard of a belt letting go was when a smal rock got lodged in the sprocket and worn a hole in the belt. The guy said he heard a clicking noise but thought nothing of it??????

[GARYD]

I had a screw in mine from almost day 1 and stayed there for the next 6 years. Didn't hurt anything.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I can tell you from experience it's a major job to replace the belt of a 15 Tri ... had a rock go through mine at 9k ... harley replaced the belt under warrantee ... would of cost $1500 without the warrantee.

The whole body comes off, the primary and the rear end also come off. According to the head tech that did the work, the hardest part is realigning the axle. Took him 2 hrs to get it back to true with the belt at the right tension. He told me the procedure uses lasers to get it all true.

On a side note, the trike handled much better and ran straighter after the belt change. I'm guessing it was out of align from the factory.

[luigonza]

Stop by or order a belt tension gauge from Harley to check it. I have one one from 1986 and have used it many times just to make sure the belt is not vibrating or slapping too much. The only time I have heard of a belt letting go was when a smal rock got lodged in the sprocket and worn a hole in the belt. The guy said he heard a clicking noise but thought nothing of it??????

Thank you very much Recycledteen (nice name!). Very likely my mechanic has a tension gauge. Best regards

[Recycledteen]

Thank you very much Recycledteen (nice name!). Very likely my mechanic has a tension gauge. Best regards

Thanks! My mom gave the name when I was growing older and it stuck! Still does!!!! She called me a recycled teenager because I refused to grow up!!!!

[Delf]

Does anyone know of a lower debris guard for the drive belt on the HD trike? I live in Idaho where they "chip-seal" the highways with sticky oil and a loose gravel overlay. The little rocks fly everywhere! Needless to say, they are hard on windshields, paint and especially motorcycle belt drives if a rock gets stuck in one. And as already posted, it is expensive to replace a trike belt! I can not believe HD does not protect it better! Any ideas? Thanks

[pcombe]

A question for all you Harley riders, Just how dependable is the drive belt? Is it expensive to replace? More than a chain? how long do they last?

hank

Hello, hank43, I will try and give some insight?
I have a 1989 Harley tourglide ultra that I ran as a two wheeler for 23 years, I replaced the belt once, not because the belt was bad but because another component let go and cut it.
I replaced the belt with an aftermarket ($100.00) and it came to pieces in two seasons. the teeth started breaking off 500 miles from home, even at that the belt itself held together. the only Harley shop was half way between my destination at Jackson hole and they only sold tee shirts? (worthless)

I do my own work, so when I converted by bike to a trike I replaced it with a genuine Harley belt and figured it was worth the money.
In practical experience the belt would outlast the pulley in most cases I have worked on over the years.
To be safe I would replace the belts and pulleys at around 75-80,000 mi. at the most, but that's just me. You can bet they are worn, there is a healthy difference in price between aluminum and steel pulleys, bite the bullet and do it. A damn transmission pulley used to cost $35.00, Now you will think it's gold?
I gave champion $100.00 for new rear pulley and that's pretty good.

That belt is tougher than hell really.

I have seen these belts run with rock holes in them for an unreal amount of miles as long as the damage was not on the sides of the belt.
If I hear a click in the back end you can bet there's a rock imbedded in the belt, I carry a couple small picks for that, a guy is gonna have to get down on the ground, reach in there and feel between every tooth until you find it. It's not a question of if but when? I also spray belt conditioner on the teeth every 5,000 miles, It cant hurt and I get a good look at belts and pulleys.

I have a champion straight axle kit and adjusting the belt is pretty easy, easier if the body is off, but take the wheels off so you can get to things and it isn't bad, takes about an hour or so.
Lift the back wheels off the ground and let the axle hang down, Check the free play (upward belt flex) set at 1-1/2" free play, set the bike down and the belt should have around 1/2" play sitting on it's wheels and that works just fine.

I use a dial caliper on the adjustment plates and mounting blocks to get within a thousands of an inch of true.

If I have help, I can remove the body get the bike in the air remove the axle and have a belt changed and the bike on the road in about 9-10 hrs. A lot longer doing it by myself which is not at all fun but I know it's right?
Harley says they can do it in 8 hrs. They have more tools than me so I guess its true? Between labor and belt cost I figure your looking at a $1000.00- $1500.00 paying for two guys, so I can save myself $750.00-$1200.00 doing it myself. And again I have total control over work quality, belt tension, alignment, torqueing bolts etc.

To many people working at Harley are parts changers not mechanics and I don't trust em to not cut corners?

Get a motor manual for your bike (Harley shop manual) and download the installation instructions from the manufacturers website if you have a conversion and keep it right at your convenience before you start any work on your trike ok?

1-1/2" play when I push up on the belt.



Use a dial indicator checking each side and adjusting bolts until I get a thousands of an inch, between the two sides for alignment.

Check belt free play again and your done.
Don't forget to re-torque wheel bolts after 50 or so miles.

[alienwulf]

Nice read pcombe, I am going to print this out and add it to my book of truths I use to work on my bike/trike.

[pcombe]

Nice read pcombe, I am going to print this out and add it to my book of truths I use to work on my bike/trike.

I'm glad you got something positive out of it alienwolf.

I have been spending to much time on the political incorrect forum and I find I am getting to negative in my posts after enjoying myself for a spell?

It's time I got back to the better side of the forum and stop causing hate and discontent?

[Larry Sobczak]

Dealer replaced the drive belt on my 2011 Tri Glide at just over 98,000 miles while completing some other work under the extended warranty. Tech said the belt was starting to show signs of wear and it would not cost any additional labor to install while it was apart.

[Phu Cat]

Had a belt let go as I was getting on my '91 Electra Glide pulling away from a stop light. Good thing those engines have rev limiters. I had bought that bike used about 3 months earlier and it had been well taken care of. The belt had a hole almost dead center in it. Don't know if I bought it that way or I picked up a stone my self. Became paranoid about riding on gravel roads after that. But now I've added a sturdy mud flap to the bottom of the front fender of the Tglide that will hopefully keep that from happening again. Who knows? I could have picked that stone up on a non-gravel road.

PC