Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech possibility for belt drive

ok i found a company who designs a lot of belt drives for other chain driven bikes. www.scootworks.com makes these kits for many metric bikes and there prices are much more reasonable than our current option. i was going to email them but i cant login for some reason. i will email them tomorrow and see if i can get more info. but i think it may be worth checking out

Frank

Nice!! Looks like they are in Zebulon NC. I have a cousin named Zebulon... No kidding... I call him Zeb
What can't you log into? Your own e-mail? Obviously you can log into this site, duh Let me know if you think more people e-mailing them would help, or if they need to SEE one of our bikes, maybe a local can help out.

Hey , thanks Frank for the legwork. Let us know what you find out.

I emailed them a few years back. Can't remember for sure, but I think their response was something on the order of; no plans to produce one at this time. Thanks for your interest. Or something like that.

Let's Hope for the Best!!

Not that I want a belt drive but out of curiosity what ever happened to the sportster belt drive possibility?

i am emailing them tonight and i will let you know what they say

Frank

Nice find Frank. Keeps us informed,

Ah the belt drive thread...
Probably just talking out of mu butt here, but...
Last month at a bike show that biker, mrs biker and I went to, there were a lot of vendors selling HD bits and several Snorster belt drive systems (complete with belt) were being sold for next to nothing, about $75 average for two pulleys and a belt. We started thinking, hmmm, why not buy one of these and just plasma cut the front sprocket center out, weld a same sized piece from one of our sprockets in the center (just like Ozzie does at QPD by the way....), then just drill correctly spaced holes for the rear and give her a try??? Might have had to buy a different length belt too. But anyway, another thought for those of you with welding skills and access to plasma cutters.

Quote:

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But anyway, another thought for those of you with welding skills and access to plasma cutters.

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Doesn't Ed have those capabilities?

The hardest part about that would be getting the pully and piece from the sprocket perfectly straight. Not sure on the belt availability either could end up between sizes.

I thought someone was trying a swap at one point using all the parts as is. I never worked on a sportster so am not at all familiar with any of it.

ok well thye got back to me and they want to do it, if anyone lives in the Zebulon NC area and is cool with losing there bike for a few weeks they will design a kit, and whoever lets them use there bike will get one for zippo. anyone interested?

Frank

To bad its not closer to NH I would do it in a heartbeat. For the good of the Triumph community really.

Willthethrill is 'near' there .... greensboro.

hmmm, would they not just need a 18t front sprocket and a 43t rear off a Triumph? That way they have the connection points, the pulleys are basic.

If they can do it that way I have an extra 18t they can have.

They probably want the bike mostly to be sure the belt length is correct and the pullys don't rub anything.

Oh man.... SOOOO tempting!! Come on! Someone go do it!!

Frank, any idea what their costs are like?

I am pretty close to Zebulon...but I really don't want a belt. Chains are cool.

Will

Will, take the bike to them get the free belt drive. I will buy it from you retail. You win bucks we win belt drives.

Considering they don't want 800 bucks for em like the other guy.

Yeah, what he said.

I put a Scootworks Belt drive kit on my Honda ACE 750 in the fall of 2005. Precision made parts in a well designed kit and a straight forward install. It was quite an improvement almost like gaining an extra gear in the tranny. I never missed the chain or the constant lube and adjustment routine.

If they were only closer to me in NJ, Doc says no riding for at least 3 more weeks after back surgery. Is there a Dealer near them that may work with them??

If I had a truck and a long weekend, I'd bring my bike down.

seems most of there costs for there kits are like 550-650 which is much more reasonable than out current option. some are also highly polished and come with a belt tension gauge. if i was closer i would do it in a heartbeat

Frank

Truthfully, I never was able to master the tension guage (it's a spring loaded plunger) so I emailed the Scootworks folks and their tech tipped me to a trick; if you pluck the belt it should be pretty close to a "D". I tuned my Honda belt with my guitar tuner and haven't had to adjust it since.

That's awesome!! Might be a little hard to tune with a sax, but I can give it a try... I should get a tuner one day anyway

This was the response I got when I emailed them about it:

No we do not have one for that bike, and as of yet have no plans for
one. However I will give this to our R&D Dept. so they can contact you
if they decide to make one.

David Ragan
Scootworks Technical Support

Doesn't sound real encouraging, but I'll let you guys know if anyone from their R & D department contacts me.

Will

they told me they were up for it if someone would bring there bike there

Frank

You probably want to make sure your both talking to the same guy.

I'm seriously considering doing the chain-to-belt swap. What are the performance advantages to be gained by doing it?

a little smoother and quieter. can't be fixed along the road though and have to remove swing arm to change them.

I don't think there are any performance advantages to be gained. Its silent, last a long time and takes little to no maintenance.

if someone in the area is serious give me your email and i will email them with it

Frank

so nobody in the area want to do it?

Frank

might get more takers in december or january.

Talked to them a few years ago about using my marauder for development. At that time there was the initial development/install, then you had to bring the bike in and drop it off every 500 miles for them to check wear, dimensions, etc. Was my only transportation at the time, dropping off the bike every week for the checks was a problem. Never followed through then. They're 20 miles from me, my wife works a half mile from the shop. But like Dog33 said, maybe january, time it with some snow or ice when I'd be in the jeep anyhow, would be ok. Just don't want to surrender the bike now.

I saw someone at the Georgia rally that had the belt drive on the America? I met so many people i can't remember who it was?

there is an emergency belt repair kit but you better be close to home if you want to make it there they don't last long.

I wonder if it's similar to a v-belt repair kit I bought about 10 years ago when the alternator belt on my cage broke. It lasted for about 10 miles. But it got me close enough that I could run on just the battery to a nearby service station.

The kit I saw was kind of like small staples for lack of a better word. Only made it a couple miles, if that.

At some point I'll get a belt. The only downside seems to be the "broken belt on the road" thing that's being discussed. I would be interested in hearing from drive belt users if the following would work.

Can a spare belt be installed when the swing arm is removed for the original instal? The front end would be zip tied to the leading edge of the swing arm (remove the rubber chain guide), the back end zip tied around the right swing arm fork (behind the pipe hanger area), and the middle of the belt arranged up under the rear fender somehow. This way, if a belt broke it could be replaced by removing the front sprocket cover, passenger peg bracket, and right shock.

This might be a beans / beer blowby idea , but would it work?

Heckuvanidea! Not sure as I haven't played with one of these belts yet...

Interesting idea. I don't think there's anyway to make it significantly unobtrusive.

"the middle of the belt arranged up under the rear fender somehow"

That's the problematic part. If it could be folded without damaging it you might pull it off. But the belts are of pretty stout construction. One of the biggest PITAs when installing a new belt is getting it to curve tight enough to wrap it around the small front sprocket.

When I travel I carry all the tools I'd need to swap out a new belt, except a jack and a spare belt. When my belt broke in '05, I was blocks from the dealership (~120 miles from home). With a borrowed jack from the dealership, and a loaner bike so I could run to the Harley dealership, I was able to replace the belt in a few hours.

Not ideal but doable. If I'm not near a shop? Well, that's what road hazard insurance and my cell phone are for. I know I can get a replacement belt from Harley. I don't think they'd loan me a jack, though, so I could install it in their parking lot.

Not to mention all the road dirt and debris it would be subjected to before it even gets installed.

I've never actually handled a belt. As I understand it then, the fender is big enough that the middle of the belt might loop sideways without touching the tire, the passenger footpeg bracket would cover the end that wraps around the right fork, but the radius of the belt's bend wouldn't wrap around the front of the swing arm inside of the working belt?



Hmmmm.... Evil moderator

I guess one of these could be packed as road repair jack. Kind of clumsy to pack around though.

Supplier link



Would our side stands be strong enough to use it?

Steve

Hey, I just noticed: Lethbridge. You're practically a neighbor. Are you going to the Kootenay Raid?

I guess if I was really concerned about changing the belt on the road I'd get the Rivco center stand. That should do the trick.

I've got that July weekend marked in my schedule, but it depends on what's happening at work. I don't get to pick my times off like the staff can. I need to work for someone else for a while.

I poke into southeastern BC fairly often - good riding! The stretch from Creston to Crawford Bay ferry and on through to Kaslo is considered among the best in the province.

Sorry all for hijacking your thread. I also look forward to perhaps a cheaper way of going to a belt.

Steve

Everything was belt drive -related until I brought up your location.

"My bad."

just wanted to bump this up and see if there is anymore interest

Frank

Yes