dirtrider Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Evening James The dressers went to a narrower belt when they went to the 140 rear tire. Went narrower yet later on. Link to comment
I812 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 What I'm planning on doing to my 2010 R1200RT is swap out the FD with the rear wheel setup of a modern day Harley. If it makes the job easier, I'll go ahead and swap out the transmission also since the newer HD transmissions are 6 speed anyway. Perfect solution - no more FD worries, yet it's belt for low maintenance and no chain to oil.--- Afternoon TSP Even assuming it could be done (remember the engine crankshafts point in different directions) you would still have the basic belt issue. Transverse gearbox. The power has to be turned eventually. Those belts are not as bullet proof as people think as even a small stone or other road debris that punctures the outer edge of the belt & cause a belt to tear then break. I have had Harley’s for years and had two catastrophic belt failures that required a tow on one and a trailer pick up on another. Just visit about any Harley dealer on a Saturday or Sunday and you will usually see a couple of dressers trailered in due to broken drive belts. The other thing to consider is I can install a new crown bearing in a BMW 1100/1150 a lot quicker than I can install a new drive belt on a Harley dresser. Not quite so quick, and sure more tools required on the BMW hexhead though. http://www.latus-harley-davidson.com/Emergency-Drive-Belt-Replacement-Kit-2.htm Apples and Oranges guy... Link to comment
Dave_zoom_zoom Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 dirtrider, thank you for your many contributions. +1 :thumbsup: Thank You! Link to comment
James Clark Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Apples and Oranges guy... Actually, whining about the difficulty in changing a belt on a big twin is a red herring. The BT drivetrain has evolved from back when cycles didn't even have transmissions. On Vrods and Sporties it requires swinging one shock out of the way. On XB Buells, the belt can be swapped while parked on the sidestand. Link to comment
James Clark Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 IMO as long as BMW stays with that single sided swingarm there will be issues. They just cannot seem to get it right. I have had 3 failures on 3 bikes, one last year leaving the UN and MOA in the middle of a trip to Alaska. The problem is the execution, not the concept. Twin-shock bikes used 2 bearings to support the wheel and 2 bearings to support the ring gear. BMW's single-sided solution requires bearings that aren't optimal for the tasks thrown at them. If you remove the belt sprocket from an F650CS swingarm and hang a FD off the side with a torque-arm to control anti-squat, you could have a SSSA that properly supports all of the rotating parts. Link to comment
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