switch to belt drive

[bill acamo]

has anyone tried switching to belt drive i am thinking about trying it
out on an 79 gs750 that i picked up as a parts bike if you have any ideas let me know if it works i will let you know

[Anonymous]

what you be the benefeit of switching? (i dont know the difference)

[RacingJake]

All I can say is BIG BUCKS

My Sportster is belt drive and the belt alone is over $175, the front pulley is over $100 and the rear pulley you don't even want to know. Plus throw in all the machine work on the pullies, rear hub, frame and cover just to get a 1 3/4" belt to clear and also make some upper and lower belt covers to keep the rocks out, cause a few small ones can break the belt in a heart beat.

When my belt breaks I'm changing over to a chain and sprockets cause it's cheaper and I still take her out to the drag strip.

It might just be cheaper to buy a HD :twisted:

The good thing about a belt drive is once it's set right you can ride for thousand and thousands of mile and not worry (no oil no mess) about it until it breaks. I got over 22K on mine and it still looks in excellent shape.

[Anonymous]

One word:





















SHAFT.

[Anonymous]

SHAFT.

He's one bad motha*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$a

[argonsagas]

SHAFT.

He's one bad ####a

8O 8O He's a bad banana? 8O 8O


Well, at least he has a slick idea.

[RacingJake]

Oh great now, he'll have to mod the engine and cases too and find a shaft and rear wheel assy. By the time and cost to do it, he can buy three Sportster.

[earlfor]

Somehow, I just dont want a motorcycle driven by a huge rubberband. It would tarnish my image too much.

Earl :-) :-)

Oh great now, he'll have to mod the engine and cases too and find a shaft and rear wheel assy. By the time and cost to do it, he can buy three Sportster.

[Anonymous]

Wow, that sounds like a good idea. Except for the cost. The cost of the belt can be ignored if it'll last twice as long as a chain and everything else is a one time cost right? If you've got the cash, I say do it. This is almost a pet peeve of my father's and mine. Look way back at the old british bikes, they TRIED things, had a lot of fun, and when it failed they tried something new. Nobody tries anything anymore. Just look at the new models coming out, they all look the same, that's why the name of the maker is always in HUGE letters down the side. So if you have the money, and not much of a reputation, go for it. It'd be neat. And as far as the shafties go, you're right, shafts are clean and all that, but who doesn't own a shaft suzuki? Not many, who owns a belt drive? No one! Be unique and creative, do it.

[bill acamo]

guys forgot to tell you that i work for a engineering company and have
full use of the machine shop so i am going to give it a try thanks for the
replies

[scotty]

Bill, I probably missed why you want to do it??

[Anonymous]

Personally, changing to a belt drive is way down on my 'mod' list. But if you want to try it go ahead. There isn't much room for the belt so I'd bet you need to modify the frame among other things. Also, custom parts means you cannot go to a parts house and get replacements when you break down. Anyway - gl.

[Don Lobacz]

How about some good news and bad news:

Good news - the Suzuki Savage has a belt drive system that may adapt to your needs quite easily (and cheaply at from a junkyard).

Bad news - I once had 2 kz440 LTDs, one chain and one belt. I had to mix and match the 2 to get 1 good one. Guess what - the cases and clutch operation were completely different because the larger front sprocket would not clear the clutch pushrod! They designed a bevel drive clutch operation just for the belt model. Your GS750 has a pushrod design, so if the larger diameter front sprocket crosses over into the pushrod area, you're screwed. There may also be other interference in the case and frame clearances.