| Author | Message | ||
     Hunn |
The drive belt on my 06 Uly, 30.000 miles, snapped today during a trip. Been checking for new ones, $175 the going rate at the Dealers and at American Sportbike. Any alternatives? Any hints for the install? | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Make sure you start the axle a few threads before tackling the idler pulley reinstall. If you try to put the belt on the idler before trying to thread on the axle you will never get the axle started because the belt is too tight and the axle will not line up for threading. After axle is screwed on a few threads stop so that you don't make the belt even tighter. Next you should put the idler assembly back on one stud even though there are two studs. You'll have to make a lever and fulcrum out of something like a crowbar or long tire iron or pipe. Put a wash cloth between the lever and idler so that you don't chip the hard coating on the idler pulley surface. Belt should be over the idler and use the crowbar or whatever you're using to lever idler onto the other stud enough to start thread on the nut. The rest is easy. Do everything else according to the manual torque values. Good luck. (Message edited by electraglider_1997 on March 26, 2011) | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
My belt lasted 25,000 miles and since it was my first ULY belt reinstall it was tough because I had to learn the trick I've written above on my own through trial and error. When I went to change the rear tire at 30,000 miles the new belt was about 5000 miles old and had stretched so that putting everything back together was a breeze and the idler wasn't even removed. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
No need to remove or loosen the idler when changing belts. The following is the procedure I use; 1 Loosen pinch bolt 2 Loosen rear axle 3 Raise rear 4 Remove axle all the way 5 Push tire/wheel forward 6 Pull belt away from sprocket (to the right) 7 Pull tire/wheel straight back Done Re-install is the reverse. A new belt will be a little tricky, but it can be done (belt guards should be off, but it can be done with them on!) Torque to spec. Don't forget a little anti-seize on the axle per the manual. (Message edited by Paint shaker on March 26, 2011) (Message edited by Paint shaker on March 26, 2011) | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
A new belt is what he's asking about and they are very tight compared to a used belt. | ||
| Pnw_uly |
Recommend this thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52 0934 Great write-up, and easy instructions. I would recommend removing the swing arm piece, just for ease of maneuvering. Don't recommend adjusting the tensioner, but to each his own... YMMV. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I would recommend removing the swing arm piece, just for ease of maneuvering. You can't physically install the new belt without removing the swingarm piece. It has to go through the opening in the swingarm. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Hun, Hugh is correct about the swingarm piece. Just follow my above directions and it will go together quite easily. Try it any other way and it will probably be impossible. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
I put on a new belt without loosening the tensioner. Yes it was tight, but it still went on none the less. Others have loosened the tensioner to put a new belt on. Do what works for you. | ||
| Hunn |
Thanks guys. I take all of the advice gladly. | ||
| Xdigitalx |
Oh well.... at 17915 mile mine broke. Close to home but too far to push...about 3 miles. Rider insurance to the rescue. I am waiting for them with my bike as I type this.......droidx rocks. | ||
| Hunn |
Got my replacement drive belt today from "Paradise HD/Buell" in Tiggard, OR. Really easy going, great guys to work with there. But I certainly do have a hard time with the $175 price tag for a reinforced rubber belt. Installed pretty easy, soaked the belt in hot water while I removed the swing arm brace piece and idler pulley, pulled the belt over the "sprockets" first, started the axle a few threads, then used a flatbar (wonder bar?)to push up on lower part of the belt to install the idler pulley. Kudos to you guys that have done the belt replacement on the side of the road. Would have been really hard for me to do it without my shop/garage. Thanks for your help everybody  | ||
| Whisperstealth |
Great Idea on the hot water! I'll add that to what I already know! Hope you slathered the axle with antisieze! So does anybody think their is a belt out there that will work for less than $175? Any chance on sourcing one? | ||
| Xdigitalx |
Rider insurance Rocks.... they called me back within 10 mins with the name of the company towing me home. TowCo got there within 30 min. after that. 10 years ago I would have pushed it home...     | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Hun, Glad it went on nicely for you. I hadn't ever heard of hot soaking the belt, I assume to expand the length. Does that really help? Next time you need to reinstall the wheel the belt will have stretched with use and you'll not have to mess with the idler at all. Just make sure the belt is over all the pulleys before threading the axle. | ||
| Xdigitalx |
Lots of great tips guys... I am gonna need them all. Bike will be outdoors on a deck. Rain forecast for next 10 days.  I just ordered mine from American Sport Bike I should be back on the road by next weekend. I hope I have no problems. My To Do List: Home made bike lift, remove wheels, replace tires & Balance, install new belt, idle adjustment cable, spark plugs, front mount/isolator, primary & trans oil change, TPS reset. | ||
| Hunn |
Craig: Hot water made the belt a lot more pliable/workable, don't think it really expanded or stretched it. Definitely helped getting the belt levered over the idler. Mike: Are you building the bike lift to install the new Belt? No need. I used a race jack/ floor jack to lift the bike from the kick-stand side. Makes it a lot easier to remove the passenger peg mount and the swing arm brace and installing the belt. Any kind of bike lift is going to be in the way for belt install. | ||
| Ulykan |
Hunn, I mis-read your post and commented on it without re-reading it. I thought you said that no m/c jack is safe. Sorry I misunderstood. My bad. | ||
| Uly_man |
A belt for $175 is cheap. I bought a spare (UK) because the tax was going up 2.5% to 20% and even with an extra 10% discount it was $303. That was for the G0500.1AKF (the last version) but the G0500.1AKE is a little bit cheaper. The G0500.1AKF is said to be an improved version. Belts are a dealer only item. I am on my third belt at 15k miles and about 7.2k miles out of each of the first two. They both went just like this one with no warning, damage to the belt or anything else. It looks to me like stress to the fibers which is just "wear-and-tear".  I have done 13k miles of town work and think all that start/stoping, road humps, etc do not help this bikes belt much. One thing is for sure, no matter what HD say, the belt is NOT under a constant load as the swing arm moves and that is what a belt MUST have. Also the belt gets tighter, test this for your self, as the bike heats up. This, the swing arm movement and the type of riding done might be helped with fitting a FST. Which I have done and think it should have been fitted as standard to the bike. More so with the Uly, given its said off road status, than the other XBs. I do not know if it helps any but I now refit a belt in the same position it came off the pulleys. I also grind off any stone nicks to the rear pulley and make sure the belt tracks right IE it stays in the same place as this can be a sign of bearing wear. Yes I would like to get 15-20k miles out of a belt and hope, with the AKF and a FST, I might but "hey-ho" nothing is perfect and the Uly, for me, is still the best bike I have ever had. For me the ride is all but a good balance of cost helps the "smile", I like a good deal, as well. Even with my belt costs I still think the Uly gives me good value for money. One is the low cost to insure it which is just a nightmare in my part of the UK. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Ulyman, I got 25,000 miles out of the original 06' belt. You've got a Free Spirits Tensioner and are only getting 7,500 out of your belts?? How long have you had on that FST? Maybe you are somehow abusing the drive line with too many wheelies or you are very heavy or something. 3 belts?? What are you doing to snap so many belts? | ||
| Teeps |
Electraglider_1997 Posted on Friday, April 01, 2011 You've got a Free Spirits Tensioner and are only getting 7,500 out of your belts?? How long have you had on that FST? Now you've gone and done it... | ||
| Rkc00 |
Hunn, One of your friends from Long Island just emailed me that your belt broke. Bill told me to say hi. | ||
| Hunn |
Rkc00: Bill is a great friend of mine. He always looks out for me. He is a good enough friend that I can overlook that he is from Long Island. lol He tells me you have several Buells? Liked the pictures that you posted of your Uly very much, great eye for the light. | ||
| Xdigitalx |
Ha... my gf recorded the tow... I sped it up 2x. My order from American Sport Bike is getting here way faster than expected (TODAY!!) so I should be back on the road faster than I thought. | ||
| Uly_man |
Electraglider_1997. No broken two belts and now on my third at 13.9k. I bought the bike at 1.7 k, fitted the FST at about 10k, I am heavy but do not abuse the bike or do wheelies. As I have said I think it is about the bikes use. I live in London and spend most of my time riding there. At the moment there is a hole in the road every 5 foot, a mini roundabout every 20 foot and speed humps at about the same. The Uly works much better with this situation than most bikes I have had but I does have an effect on wear and tear and is known to put up suspension repair costs on both bikes and cars. In fact even with a chain bike I would need to adjust it every 8 weeks or so. I never went with HDs belt "life time" thing even though I would have liked it. I am an engineer and know better what belts are able to do. Put it this way though, if your honest. Is your mother, brother, wife, house, car, cat, dog, Fender or anything else perfect. I am sitting here drinking Heaven Hill bourbon. Its not JD or JB. Its just another tack, on the same thing, as is a Buell on another bike. A Buell is the "Wild Turkey" of bikes though. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Ulyman, Thanks. You being a fellow engineer you'll understand that the belts would be much longer lasting if the swingarm pivot and the transmission sprocket were occupying the same place. But they are not, so the belt gets tighter and looser depending on where the wheel is. I kind of gave up pulling wheelies and make it a point to not jerk the throttle so that the belt and tranny should last longer. | ||
| Rkc00 |
Hunn, Here is the list of my rides 96 S1  97 S1  09 1125CR  09 1125R  09 XB12X  06 VRSCR  Thanks for the comments on the photos. Would like to get back to the spot that most of the photos were taken with the 96 S1 but the cops have this whole area closed. Something about finding 8 dead bodys in the underbrush the last few months. (Message edited by RKC00 on April 05, 2011) | ||
| Trevd |
I kind of gave up pulling wheelies and make it a point to not jerk the throttle so that the belt and tranny should last longer That's kind of like saying you're going to give up sex because it will help your condoms last longer!  I find it too hard to ride it without pulling the occasional wheelie, and without jerking the throttle to feel the pull of that torque. I tend to ride it like I stole it! So I've resigned myself to changing my belt every now and then and carrying around a spare belt to try to help ensure that I don't get stranded somewhere. | ||
| Uly_man |
Yes Glider you are right. It is good to here from someone who has an idea of what is going on. |
