How important is a belt guard?
 

So, I bought a chrome pulley cover and now my belt guard seems too close to the pulley. Do I really need the belt guard? I ride solo.

Do you wear bell bottoms?

keeps rocks and debris from getting embedded into the belt, keeps your leg from being ripped off, etc. no big deal though.

I've ridden my bike without it since I bought it. No problems.

haven't ran mine in over a year, that being said, I understand that my belt is at higher risk of getting damaged by debris or something on me or the bike being caught in it...I accept the risks.

5 years no belt guard.......no problem

no belt gaurd and so far no prob

but dont listen to me i have no horn , ac cover , reflectors or blinkers

usaully when i look at my bike i say. "i should just take that off"

You don't need no stinking belt guard.

Traded mine for a case of Corona

The only guys that need one are those who ride on loose gravel.

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Wow "WS6"

That really cleaned up nice. Can I ask how you transfered the radius to the plastic guard and how you cut it so "cleanly"??

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The belt guard bracket is very important.

I didn't take mine off and hit a big enough pothole with the wife on back. That guard made the absolute difference between riding along like nothing ever happened and calling a buddy to bring a trailer.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...aw/belt020.jpg

How long are those air shocks?

Great Idea... Looks much cleaner

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6...rdafterda9.jpg

Took mine off when I went to a 70T rear pulley. They don't fit now so I have no plans of putting them back on. Been almost a year now without any problems.

Damn. Is your bike lowered?

maybe... my last belt had several holes in it from rocks ( I live on a gravel road ) from what I saw riding down my road my theory is the dang thing actually catches rocks and lets them bounce around up there until they take a trip around the pulley.
new belt ( not because of the holes) and no belt guards , two years and knock on wood ...no holes.

wife been riding many years on a fxr with no guards and has yet to get a hole , thats what led me to try this.

+1 gravel roads everywhere here in MT. Not just pea gravel either , some pretty sizeable rocks in there. I love the look of no belt guard but with road conditions here I wouldn't be without one. If you never see any bad roads in your neck of the woods you won't have to worry too much about it. Your call here.

Yes. I was running 12 inch air shocks at the time. I am now rumming 12 inch heavy duty 440s. No issues since.

I would think the most important guard would be the lower plastic guard. Debris intrusion on the lower run of the belt would seem a more likely problem than intrusion along the top run. In fact, the bagger touring models do not have the upper guard ( I think) but they do have the lower.

2007 Street Glide Air Shocks (12") P/N 54631-02B