Chain to Belt Drive Conversion?

[RevRoy]

Hello, all,

Does anyone know if there is a belt drive conversion kit available for our GS bikes? I have a 550E, and would love to change from the the stock chain and sprockets to a belt drive.

[chuckycheese]

Naaaahhh!

I feel pretty certain there isn't one available. It would be difficult because of clearance problems, complex (expensive) and, considering how few of these bikes are still on the road and in decent shape, I don't think there would be much market for one.

I had belt drive on my HD and absolutely loved it. I was amazed that the HD people came up with it. (I realize they weren't the first ones to think of it but their system is surely the best.)

[RevRoy]

I'm Not Surprised ....

I guess I knew before posting this that a conversion kit would be unlikely at best. I am not having any problems with the chain, I was just wondering. My 550E is mint, having never spent a night outside. Absolutely no rust anywhere, and no paint problems. I have had it four months and I ride it daily. It now has 26,000 miles (I have put 3,800 on it) and it is mechanically sound ... it's literally like new. I plan to keep it for the long haul, and I was just sitting around thinking up ways to make it better.

I am getting a bigger bike after I save enough pennies ... a GS1100 if I can find a real good one. When that happens, the 550E will go to my wife.

Thanks for your input,

[80GS750]

i would buy a belt drive conversion for my 1000 if they made it. cleaner, quieter. eaiser.

plus it would be unique and look cool too

[Planecrazy]

Do the next best thing ... get a shaftie!! I've got both (not for long), and I love the smoothness, increased safety, ease of maintenance (comparatively) and reliability that comes with shaft drive. Lots of people will tell you there's a performance hit, but unless you are racing the bike on a track the difference is so negligible that for all practical purposes it doesn't exist.

For verification of this fact, ask any of the spirited group of guys I ride with who have 1100E's whether I have any trouble keeping up on my fully dressed 1100G. I think over the years I've done my fair share of surprising the H3LL out of people who didn't think a "land yacht" like mine could perform at all, let alone "run with the big boys!" :shock:;-)

Regards,

[Grandpa]

Do the next best thing ... get a shaftie!! I've got both (not for long), and I love the smoothness, increased safety, ease of maintenance (comparatively) and reliability that comes with shaft drive. Lots of people will tell you there's a performance hit, but unless you are racing the bike on a track the difference is so negligible that for all practical purposes it doesn't exist.
Regards,

And the FJR Yamaha and the new Concours 14 are slowpokes, according to the "shafts-are-slow-because-they're-shafts" uninformed people. :-D

[bwringer]

BMW's new F800 parallel twins (and the F650 singles) are very interesting bikes, and they use belt drive. They use a narrower belt than the HDs.

Unless you just happened to have a couple of wrecked examples of these BMWs just sitting around the fully equipped machine shop you just happened to have, I think it would be far, far easier and cheaper to just buy a premium o-ring chain and sprockets once every few years.

Check what the guys at WebBikeWorld have to say about chain lube -- their top choice makes no mess and works very well:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm

But yeah, I'm obviously a big Suzuki shaftie fan, too. (No chains in MY garage, you'll notice.) You don't get any easier or cheaper to deal with than a $2 bottle of gear lube once a year.

And yes, they do handle -- much better than you might think. You can definitely surprise the squids...

[RevRoy]

Getting the Shaft is Not Always a Bad Thing, I Guess

If I get a chance on a good GS1100, the shaft will of course be a done deal. The only shaft bike I have ever ridden is a BMW, and it was unbelievably smooth. I would not rule out a BMW or a Concourse, but I sure do like the GS bikes; if well cared for they seem to be bullet proof, and all they ask is to be ridden and maintained.

BTW, is the 1100G the full-dresser? I've never been too good on the specific diferences between E, L, etc.

Best regards,

[brveagle]

Sigh... Next you'll be wanting a loud obnoxious exhaust with heavy chrome bits everywhere...

[emjay]

...BTW, is the 1100G the full-dresser? I've never been too good on the specific diferences between E, L, etc...

The G was not sold as a "full dresser" so Planecrazy problably dressed it up himself. The GK was sold with a full fairing, top case, and side bags.

Check this out for a complete explanation: http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_modelchart.htm

[bwringer]

The G was not sold as a "full dresser" so Planecrazy problably dressed it up himself. The GK was sold with a full fairing, top case, and side bags.

Check this out for a complete explanation: http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_modelchart.htm

Not to drag this off-topic, but enquiring minds want to know... Planecrazy's bike is an '83 1100G dressed with a Vetter fairing and bags, and it's wearing a KG trunk.

That means Steve's bike is the designated suds wagon -- it holds a lot of beer. :-D

[Planecrazy]

Not to drag this off-topic, but enquiring minds want to know... Planecrazy's bike is an '83 1100G dressed with a Vetter fairing and bags, and it's wearing a KG trunk.

That means Steve's bike is the designated suds wagon -- it holds a lot of beer. :-D

Hey, that's not a half bad picture of me and my "G," although I definitely have to finish the work on the custom fabbed trunk rack (the slightly rusty pieces that allow the KG slide-mount trunk to work with the Vetter bracketry)! I'm especially proud of the custom license plate surround, proudly displaying my bike designation and GSResources affiliation!!

...And there's a certain irony to my bike's designation as the "suds wagon" at rallys considering I rarely drink the stuff, but hey, we go with our strengths don't we? ;-)

Regards,

[bwringer]

...And there's a certain irony to my bike's designation as the "suds wagon" at rallys considering I rarely drink the stuff, but hey, we go with our strengths don't we? ;-)

Well, everyone knows that if you want all your beer to arrive safely, you find someone who doesn't drink beer to transport it. That's just basic Beerology 101 -- Procurement and Transport are in the second and third chapters, right after Selection.

Plus, you find a liquor store less than a mile from the hotel -- that helps, too. Less time in transit means the beer stays colder and doesn't get shaken up as much.

Yeah, I got an "A" in Beerology... :-D

(This thread has now officially strayed as far as possible from the original topic... something about belt drive conversions.)

[RevRoy]

Well, a Belt is a Belt

Whether it's a belt-driven bike, or a bike driven to get a belt (of beer), it's good to go. BTW, very nice bike, Planecrazy:-D Something like that is what I hope to find ... just saving up those pennies is what I'm doing. (Staying out of the suds helps!)

[Hap Call]

Not to drag this off-topic, but enquiring minds want to know... Planecrazy's bike is an '83 1100G dressed with a Vetter fairing and bags, and it's wearing a KG trunk.

That means Steve's bike is the designated suds wagon -- it holds a lot of beer. :-D

Cute garage monkey! Where did you get him? Does he clean chains also?


Hap