Jump to content

Belt Drive


BVEBRAD

Recommended Posts

Has anyone done any research to see if the kevlar belt used on the 900 SCR is adaptable to the FJ09?  It would be great to get rid of the chain noise (IMHO).  I didn't know the SCR used belt drive until I saw it at the dealer the other day.  It got me wondering.
Brad
Selbyville, DE
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 950 SCR? It hav a vtwin engine. https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport-heritage/models/scr950
The XSR 900 used the same triple as the FJ and is chain drive.
https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport-heritage/models/xsr900
I'd like/ prefer to have belt-drive on any future (real) tourer version of our machine...

Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You'd prefer it right up until the belt snapped 100 miles from anywhere. Trust a former Buell owner on that one. Belts are absolutely great when they are working. Unfortunately since they never need adjusting, there is no way to know when they are gonna fail. My first belt went 35k miles. The second, 3k. Belts are great for low horsepower, very low suspension travels cruisers. They are not good for the opposite of that. The way the power can hit in A mode would kill a belt. Your original comment was about the chain noise. Buy earplugs and remember it's a motorcycle not a Lexus is my advice. Motorcycles are noisy and dirty and they often vibrate and generate heat. Deal.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
You'd prefer it right up until the belt snapped 100 miles from anywhere. Trust a former Buell owner on that one. Belts are absolutely great when they are working. Unfortunately since they never need adjusting, there is no way to know when they are gonna fail. My first belt went 35k miles. The second, 3k. Belts are great for low horsepower, very low suspension travels cruisers. They are not good for the opposite of that. The way the power can hit in A mode would kill a belt. Your original comment was about the chain noise. Buy earplugs and remember it's a motorcycle not a Lexus is my advice. Motorcycles are noisy and dirty and they often vibrate and generate heat. Deal.
Yep. My Buell 1125R shredded its belt at less than 5K, and I hadn't abused it. Only belt-drive bike I've owned; I think I prefer chains and sprockets.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to deals gap with a friend who has a 1125R. When we got to the gap I told him his belt looked kinda rough. He shrugged and we carried on for two days of "spirited" riding. When we got home his belt broke ~2 miles from his house. It is nice for the lack of maintenance but being stranded without a belt makes me cringe a little.
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to deals gap with a friend who has a 1125R. When we got to the gap I told him his belt looked kinda rough. He shrugged and we carried on for two days of "spirited" riding. When we got home his belt broke ~2 miles from his house. It is nice for the lack of maintenance but being stranded without a belt makes me cringe a little.
Don't want to start WWIII on this subject, but any part on any bike can fail at any time and if a critical component possibly strand the rider...   I had belt-drive (and shapely single-sided swing-arm) on my late BMW F800 GT - a bike not a million miles away from an FJ/ MT in purpose.  No issues with it at all - replacement was recommended as part of the 40,000km service, at a cost of around $400 IIRC.   Owners would then sometimes carry the old belt on the GT as a spare.  
P1000849.jpg
 
P1000848.jpg
 

Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
 
My previous two bikes were Buells. 25k miles on one, 40k on the other, OE belts/sprockets on both.  Never a problem.  When not commuting into SF, I was finding the nearest twisties.  Rode 'em hard and often, and even ran them both without the lower belt guard (designed to prevent debris from getting in between the belt and sprocket).  Still, never any issues.
I would do a belt drive again.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like I said, it's great right up until the belt breaks. Like anything else, belts have advantages and disadvantages. If you've never had one break, what's not to love? There's a reason you RARELY see belts on anything but lower powered bikes. Chains give you tons of warning when they are getting worn out. I am simply saying that the FJ would not be a good candidate for a belt. Fortunately, since Yamaha will never make this bike with a belt, the whole discussion will remain in the bench racing stage forever. ?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to deals gap with a friend who has a 1125R. When we got to the gap I told him his belt looked kinda rough. He shrugged and we carried on for two days of "spirited" riding. When we got home his belt broke ~2 miles from his house. It is nice for the lack of maintenance but being stranded without a belt makes me cringe a little.
Don't want to start WWIII on this subject, but any part on any bike can fail at any time and if a critical component possibly strand the rider...   I had belt-drive (and shapely single-sided swing-arm) on my late BMW F800 GT - a bike not a million miles away from an FJ/ MT in purpose.  No issues with it at all - replacement was recommended as part of the 40,000km service, at a cost of around $400 IIRC.   Owners would then sometimes carry the old belt on the GT as a spare.
I agree, and during normal riding the belt drive seems like a great option. However trying to find a specific belt at 5pm on a Sunday is a little more difficult than finding a chain or master link when your away from home. Carrying the old as a spare seems like a good choice.
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
I owned a Harley Sturgis and 2 Electra Glides with belt drives and they all had cams and other performance mods so those belts were dealing with allot of torque moving 700+ lb bikes and a nut that liked to ride the crap out of them. I never had any trouble with a belt and when I sold the last bike it had around 80,000 miles on the original belt and it still looked fine. Also, the technology going into belts they're making today are light years ahead of the one that was on my 81 Sturgis, with modern rubber compounds and cords made from Kevlar and Aramid instead of nylon or polyester. And if you have never ridden a bike with no driveline lash I can tell you it's a beautiful thing.
 
BLB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like I said, it's great right up until the belt breaks. Like anything else, belts have advantages and disadvantages. If you've never had one break, what's not to love? There's a reason you RARELY see belts on anything but lower powered bikes. Chains give you tons of warning when they are getting worn out. I am simply saying that the FJ would not be a good candidate for a belt. Fortunately, since Yamaha will never make this bike with a belt, the whole discussion will remain in the bench racing stage forever. ?
One should never say never!   But I agree it's in the realms of the unknown at present...

Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×