| Author | Message | ||
     Bluzm2 |
How my day started yesterday.   About 3 miles from home on my way to work. I take off from a stop sign and take a left, accelerating briskly. Go to hit 2nd gear, nothing.... try fanning the shift lever again just in case I missed 2nd, nothing.... I knew immediately what had happened as I just replace the belt last spring!!! Darn belt has only got about 5000 miles on it. A close look shows no rock hits or the like. Not a failure from high HP/torque as it's a stock 95 S2 motor... I wonder if HD/Buell does failure analysis of these belts, I'll send it to them if they want. I'm going to try the XB belt this time around. I've got one on the way from Stone Mountain, no one in town had one, Dave S was temporarly out of stock... Glad it's the S2, not the M2, the S2 is MUCH easier to change out. Brad | ||
| Mikej |
Ouch. By the way, is the front of your front fender okay? | ||
| Firemanjim |
Yeah,well at least yours involved a bike and sunshine!!! | ||
| Djkaplan |
I worry about the belt every time I ride now. Does Buell make an updated tuber belt using the newest construction? | ||
| Jimincalif |
There are rumors that the Uly belt will fit the S1/S3 family tubers. Am looking for confirmation on that. If so...that would be THE answer for my bike. Dunno if that in turn will fit an S2. | ||
| Jimincalif |
Linky: http://www.americansportbike.com/shop/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F143619&rnd=84282 45&rrc=N&affl=&cip=69.160.135.44&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=17057&cat=&catstr= Apparantly the Uly belt ain't the right one, but this is almost as good, a 2006-spec belt that's a drop-in fit... | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Mike, Yup! The fender has issues. Been that way since I got it. I'm now trying to match paint on a spare. See my thread on the demise of old Sikkens paint codes.... Brad | ||
| Daves |
Jim is correct, it is NOT the ULY belt that will work but the newest edition of the XB12R or S belt | ||
| Iamike |
Sorry Brad, I already gave my spare away. I would have traded it for a shock though. BTW, I think we're back on for the Cities this weekend. Mike, he did that to his fender pushing cars out of his way! | ||
| Firemanjim |
Brad,I was at my friends bodyshop and asked about matching ,he says he can match any color given a good sample.He just repainted my Honda SL 100 gas tank the stock metallic green with no problem--1971. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
My first belt lasted 48000 miles or so and the replacement (said "sportster" on it) only lasted less than 15000. Neither had anything on it that looked like a rock took it out. Thought the first belt looked overall beat. Daves set me up with the XB belt for $140 I think. He got it to me pretty fast too! | ||
| Blake |
Brad, Could I get you to send your broke belt to me for some personal R&D? If so, I'll send you my address.  I'm interested in trying out some really simple side of the road repair schemes and my old broke belt is in too many short beat up pieces. Thanks, Blake PS: How do you set the tension on your S2's belt? Suggest it should be as shown below instead of where some earlier owner's manuals (pre-1999 I think) showed.  Some even set it looser than 1.75". | ||
| Swampy |
Tramp advocates "Silly Loose" | ||
| Chasespeed |
Tramp advocates "Silly Loose" I second and third that.. Mine is actually stupid loose..it has polished the top of the swing arm(at the front).. It has never jumped a cog, through smokies, wheelies..HARD acceleration/shifting Have 40k on this one...getting ready to order a spare and keep it with the bike though...and it doesnt even look rough... My brand new dunplop is looking rough though, and i need a new front... The 06 XB will work on the tubers huh? May look into that...after riding my buddies chain drive x1...uh..no..not without teh cush drive on the street... Chase} | ||
| Newfie_buell |
I've had the chain on my S1 longer than the first two belts lasted. As for a chush drive, I have no complaints or problems, I keep the chain a little on the slack side as a belt would be. I may put another belt on it once the chain requires changing but for now the chain is great. The chain and sprockets take about 1hr to completely change and the last time I did a belt about 3-4 hrs. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Us X1 owners have it easy. We have a "secret panel" for belt replacement. The first time I did it, it took me 2 hours. The second time? more like 45 minutes. BTW: Both of my belt failures happened when it was less than 45 degrees outside. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Blake, Shoot me your address,the belt's yours. I run my S2 and M2 belts "scarey" loose, always have. More like 2+ inches in the above diagram. My M2 belt has about 30,000 on it with no signs of problems. As mentioned eariler, this is the second belt in two years for this bike. The first one really shredded, this one just broke across a single lug. There is a bit of wear on the sides of the belt but from what I can tell from my other bikes it's normal. I'm going to very closely check my pulley alignment. The belt that broke is VERY stiff compared to my old one. Very plastic feel instead of rubber. I have the XB belt on the way. Mike, I hope it gets here before Saturday... Brad | ||
| Mikej |
Brad, side note not related to this particular topic: I might be horse trading the a/f off of my S2 for a stock "proper" one. If for some reason I don't then your friend still is in the running for it. Okay, back to the topic at hand. Blake, Sure wish they had the emergency belt available for these that can be installed on the side of the road with some push-pins. I'm thinking there might be a way to come up with a serrated/jagged cutter and small insert piece to slip into the modified broken portion of the severed belt. Either a form of heavy duty short handled tin snip, or a chisel die cutter that would fit into a tool kit and be able to be used with a roadside rock for a hammer and the nearest pavement for the anvil to cut the broken belt with. Then some sort of hand-drill to open up holes to insert the containment pins into the belt nubs sort of like the existing Harley emergency belt system. I can model up the modified belt that I'm thinking of, but I'd get fired if I used the system here to do it with. Hard to describe in words what I'm thinking of. Wouldn't be drag-race strong, but would get someone down the road 10-100 miles maybe on a cold wet mid-summer night in the middle of nowhere. ===]...]=== ===[...[=== ===]...]=== ===[...[=== ===]...]=== Hard to draw lines with text. | ||
| Mikej |
Here's a pic I found of the 2000+ H-D Softtail emergency drive belt from a dealership site:  You would need an extra insert piece due to not wanting to shorten the belt by 12 ribs or so as shown in the picture. | ||
| Iamike |
Brad, Is the M2 down too? I've been watching the weather and it looks like it might be ok on Sat. Drew may come home this weekend also, if he does maybe we'll ride up if we can get his bike out of storage. The owner is on vacation this week. I'm putting a new rear tire on the S3 tonight. I have the old one down to where I see the little strip down the middle appearing. | ||
| Blake |
Mike, Been thinking along similar lines as well as some others too. If it would last 100 miles of easy on the clutch and throttle cruising, that would be perfect! Now, where do I find kevlar in a tape form? | ||
| Mikej |
One complete belt should net you 4-8 usable sections with a serrated format. Might even work with a simple v-notch and the insert in the shape of an elongated diamond. Kevlar tape source | ||
| Crazy_col |
 Hey Natex.. did you say you ride an XB?.. cos a local well known guy over here did a belt job on my xb12r and replaced it also with a sportster one... the obvious factor being the sporty doesnt kick out any where near what my xb does.. hence not even 30 feet up the rd the belt went . ping!! went back and had a buell genuine one fitted at no more cost.. the sportster belts do fit ..but they aint no where near man enough for the buell. col... | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
No. I have an X1. | ||
| Tramp |
I have a spare which Iamike sent me- I'll happily pass it along- lemme know! | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Mike, The M2 is rideable, I'm pulling the primary cover to check the crank nyt to see it that's what is makeing the noise. Otherwise I'm just going to ride the bugger. Tramp, Good to hear from you! I'm hoping the new belt will be here tomorrow, they are a snap to install on a S2 (as you well know). Thanks much for the offer though. Precisely one of the reasons I ride a Buell. Brad | ||
| Oldog |
Col: I am not sure but I bet that the XB belts are unique to the xb bikes, none of the other bikes have an idler ( the belt does not get bent back wards ) HP is not realy the issue. | ||
| Iamike |
Brad, Have the new tire on, have work off Fri. so I'll go out and scuff it up a little. They want to go out for dinner Sat. eve. for the BD so I'll run up there fairly early Sat. morning. We just had a tornado down in Iowa City. That's part of my territory so I hope I don't have to go to work tonight until..... | ||
| Rotchcrocket51 |
Having the belt, what may seem like "stupid loose", may not be as "stupid" as one would think. If you have someone help you, you may be surprised at how much the belt tightens up when your weight is added to the equation. Having the belt loose has several benefits. The major benefit is that it allows the suspension to move and do it's job. A tight belt can bind up the suspension to the point that it can't move when you want it to the most...like leaned way over in a turn and hitting an unexpected bump in the pavement. OUCH...that could hurt worse than sitting by the roadside and waiting for assistance for a broken belt....and it could prevent the latter experience also. | ||
| Iamike |
Tramp- Hadn't heard from you in awhile, I'm glad that you didn't go out and kill yourself with the belt  . Keep it and hopefully someone can use it in a pinch. It's too much work to pull my swingarm off to put that used of one back on. Brad- Well the phone never rang last night so I guess our facilities survived. I'll call tomorrow morn. before I head up there. | ||
| Crazy_col |
Hey old dog... ur assuming i am of average intelligence or more when it comes to technical terms etc.. sorry dude you couldnt be more wrong ..which is why that fella fixes my bike.. oil,brakes etc little cosmetics etc all good.. anything else.. straight over the top of my head..lol  i know its not rocket science .. but actually it may as well be.. please can you explain the theory about "the idler" and not bending the belt backwards.. my bike before this was also an x1lightning..thanks col.. | ||
| Crazy_col |
Old dog.. i am just guessing then.. but maybe am wrong .. that if i take the cover etc off the front that conceals the front sprocket/main drive.. that the belt is fed back on its self.. !! is that what you mean when you talk about bending back.. ? this probably proves my point when i tell you mr thicky still lives and is well in England!!lol. | ||
| Firemanjim |
Pretty sure the whole XB belt on a tuber was gone over some time ago and the final vote was it fit fine but Buell Co. was not endorsing it as such just cuz it says XB. Al Lighton I believe was involved. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Jim, You are correct. It was hashed out some time ago. Al says they work, I believe him. It's worth a shot, plus they are a bit cheaper then the stocker. I'll let everyone know the results. Brad |
