Belt drive limits

[Wookie3011]

At what HP, TQ is the limit for stock belt drive? Will a Stock HD Belt hold 150-160 Squared?

[kd]

That totally depends on condition, how it is adjusted and how hard it is shifted.  It didn't hold the 150ish in my RGU for me but the axle kept slipping and I pounded the shifts hard.  Then I got a 530 chain and swingarm, the axle doesn't shift and I pound the shifts.  The new weak spot was it kept stripping the teeth off 3rd gear.  Now I have a GrudgeBox and I have been waiting for over a year to find the new weak spot. It's all connected somehow. 

[JW113]

Agree, depends on the application. If it is for bar hopping or high speed passing, belt is probably fine. If you are drag racing with it, tell me how may Hayabusas you see with belt drive.

-JW

[Hossamania]

It's quite surprising to see how much abuse they do take without breaking. Until they don't.

[Wookie3011]

Rite on, does chain conversion require alterations to the swing arm for adjustability? Any recommendations?

[Hossamania]

Delete, wasn't relative to the specific question.
Do a search here and you may find some answers, and someone will probably chime in shortly.

[billbuilds]

Rite on, does chain conversion require alterations to the swing arm for adjustability? Any recommendations?

     Yes, it's my understanding that it does, Can't make a recomendation but check out RB Racing and Trac Dynamics to get an idea of what's available and what RB does to your stock swingarm.

[kd]

Some folks just use a kit to lock the axle from shifting.  They don't increase the adjustment range.   I use an RB Racing swingarm / chain conversion.  It has a 2" slot for adjustment that allows me to use several sprocket sizes with the same chain.  Quick and easy.  It's not cheap inexpensive but I can't speak highly enough about it.  And that's not just because I have one. 

[rigidthumper]

I think the factory adjusters and swingarm are OK on your softail. Kits are available.

[Wookie3011]

Thank you, while I have it all apart figured I might as well address or eliminate a possible weak link.

[Ohio HD]

The belts are pretty tough, but enough abuse and they can snap.

Several guys have drag raced with pretty large motors and an OEM belt. They hold up for awhile.

My Ultra will have my current 124" in it with belt drive. My new 124" going into the Street Glide will be chain. It's all in how they get ridden.

[Hossamania]

I've broken two belts running only 100 horsepower. It was not the belts' fault.
It does make me a little gun shy to bang second gear with a full on redline quick shift.

[FXDBI]

The weight of the load on the bike will make a difference when hard riding/abusing the bike has well. Bob

[Hossamania]

So you're saying I'm a load? (I'm not doing the bike any favors...)

[Hossamania]

The weight of the load on the bike will make a difference when hard riding/abusing the bike has well. Bob

Well you don't have to get personal...

[FXDBI]

The weight of the load on the bike will make a difference when hard riding/abusing the bike has well. Bob

Well you don't have to get personal...

Nothing personal Hoss just facts bigger the load the more the strain.   Bob

[Tireman]

I'm still running a belt after 6 years with 124" with not such a light load rider 250# OL 175#. We run it hard but don't abuse it mostly touring. The Trike 117" has taken over for Touring! A broken belt might be in the near future for the 124"!!

[Deye76]

If it's going to be launched on a prepped track, and usually the pulleys and belt are cold, it won't last get a chain. If street use, and the pulleys and belt are warm, and the belt isn't loose, you'll be surprised the abuse a belt will handle

[Hossamania]

The weight of the load on the bike will make a difference when hard riding/abusing the bike has well. Bob

Well you don't have to get personal...

Nothing personal Hoss just facts bigger the load the more the strain.   Bob

There you go again!
 Just giving you a hard time, I strain the hell out of it. Like I said, it wasn't the belt's fault.

[Buglet]

  Like everybody says it's how you drive it. I had two guys one with a stock 88 inch break belts even bent the axle over time and the other stock 96 inch break belt faster the you can install, then went to chain then the transmission went out. Both guys abuse there bikes bar hopping.

[Hossamania]

A friend is running a '20 Ultra 114 stage 2, loves launching burnouts, he has now learned how to do wheelies. I expect the belt is not long for this world.

[Wookie3011]

Sounds like chain will be a good idea. I ride hard and pound on it. Redline shifts sideways corners. That's what I needed to know.

[jsachs1]

I built a 143 cu. in. S&S engine, a little over 170 h.p. It's in a 2012 CVO Street Glide, owned and ridden by a 300 + lb. rider. Never broke a belt, and it CONSTANTLY gets tortured. It also has a bulletproof clutch.
John

[billbuilds]

I built a 143 cu. in. S&S engine, a little over 170 h.p. It's in a 2012 CVO Street Glide, owned and ridden by a 300 + lb. rider. Never broke a belt, and it CONSTANTLY gets tortured. It also has a bulletproof clutch.
John

     Curious as to whether this guy has the stock rear axle and adjuster setup or something aftermarket to keep axle in place?

[Wookie3011]

I built a 143 cu. in. S&S engine, a little over 170 h.p. It's in a 2012 CVO Street Glide, owned and ridden by a 300 + lb. rider. Never broke a belt, and it CONSTANTLY gets tortured. It also has a bulletproof clutch.
John

Interesting, is there a more robust unit that one can go to or does HD have this nailed already?

[kd]

   I just realized that most responses to this thread have been about touring bike swingarms.  Rigidthumper seems to be the only one that noticed "Softail" in the OP's avatar signature. The opening post did not identify the motorcycle particulars.  This is a good example of not posting the details of the motorcycle when asking a technical question.  Most of the responses (including mine) can go straight into the dumper because they are irrelevant to Softail swingarms and will only confuse the OP. 

[rigidthumper]

Pretty sure Street Glide belts are wider/stronger than Softail belts...

[Wookie3011]

Yes, I should have posted its a softail. Sorry about that. So softails have narrower belts.

[Buglet]

 Both bikes I talk about that were breaking belt were Softtails one was with a wide stock belt 2000 and the other one was with a stock narrow belt 2009 and both were Springer's.

[jmorton10]

I stripped the teeth off of 2 stock belts before switching to a chain.  I'm not a normal rider however.  I beat the cr@p out of my 124 & shift with a Pingel air shifter.  I also broke 3 trannies before installing a Baker Grudgebox. I have a Bandit Sportsman clutch also.

~John

[Hossamania]

So, not the belt's fault?

 

[JW113]

As John Morton pointed out, there is more to worry about belts than them breaking. They are made of rubber, and what is holding back all that torque on the pulley? Rubber. Is there any question that steel is stronger than rubber? Sure, I get it, some folks don't seem to have an issue with big torque and belts. But it seems a common mindset in the HD world that when you start building up the motor for high HP and TQ, you need to upgrade everything else down steam to handle it, else you will find the weak link someplace. Just my opinion here, but belt = risky, chain not so much.

-JW

[jmorton10]

Another advantage of a chain is they sure are a hell of a lot easier to change than a belt.....

Of course, as I found out on the dragstrip years ago, if you do manage to break a chain that can do a hell of a lot of damage.  When I snapped one airshifting when carrying the front wheel in 2nd gear it took out the entire primary & destroyed the tranny lol.

They said, lets go racing, it'll be fun........

~John 

[Hossamania]

Another advantage of a chain is they sure are a hell of a lot easier to change than a belt.....

Of course, as I found out on the dragstrip years ago, if you do manage to break a chain that can do a hell of a lot of damage.  When I snapped one airshifting when carrying the front wheel in 2nd gear it took out the entire primary & destroyed the tranny lol.

They said, lets go racing, it'll be fun........

~John 

 

[kd]

Yup, with big power and heavy bikes the downstream components have to do the work.  If you continually overload them it'll bite you. Chains can still break too but I'll bet the chains now are WAYYY different than the one John shot out the back  like a road snake.  We used to buy chain by the roll at the farm supply and change them lots.  Everyone I knew had full and half master links with them.  The new 530 link I use now was adjusted once after it was run in and not again.  No stretch like the old days. Somehow I think I am glad that I don't live near John.   I was killing belts and transmissions at the same rate he was.  We are the same age and I haven't grown up yet either.   

[jmorton10]

LOL, I got talked into/dragged to a H.S. reunion some years back.  I would never have gone but my wife basically dragged me to it & I ended up having a blast.

It started at a bar & I ran into some dudes I hadn't seen in years but I always remembered as being good people. Somebody started buying shots & it got pretty rowdy.  This guy I knew in HS was getting pretty carried away but it was funny as hell.  Finally, this chic I knew from HS but never liked said very loudly "jesus christ Ben, why don't you grow up a little"??  His response was classic: He said "well Sue, my motto has always been you can only be young once but you can be immature forever"!! He later amended that to her stating "or you can still be a c*** same as you where in HS" LOL LOL LOL

At that point, she got so pissed she dragged her husband out (some poor sap that nobody knew) & burned rubber out of the parking lot.  That drew a round of applause from everybody there.  Later in the night, a chic I never really knew but had been super popular in HS said to me "thank your buddy for all of us, we never liked her either lol"

~John

[Wookie3011]

Her Husband was probably living vicariously through you that night. Poor guy I know I've dated a few of those gals. I'm no gem either however. I'm looking at conversion kits for softail. Is there anything specific I should look for? Does the shifting axel still a issue with 2016 softails 200mm tire? I do like the easy factor of being able to pull a sprocket for different ratios. I'm sure a grudgebox is in my future. I have read a few that send off 3rd gear to have it annealed. What's the consensus on effectiveness with softening 3rd vs grudgebox?

[Wookie3011]

I ordered Vulcanworks 4651   Softail Chain Conversion Kit, 2008-2017 6 Speed
Options:
Sprocket-Size:   51T
Transmission Sprocket:   24T
Sprocket-Finish:   Black
Chain-Color:   Black/Chrome X-Ring

Really liked there billet rocker bases I got.

[JSD]

I use a S&S belt its meant to be stronger, I cant remember who makes em for S&S its hasn't stretched yet on a Hopped up TC 107 . By the way its 1.250 wide & Running 33 Baker F and stock 70 R