Belt Primary
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,503
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From: SE Michigan
Belt Primary
So I'm looking at a 1986 FXRS with under 10k miles on it. It's nice, clean, has a little pealing chrome, but overall it's nice. It runs and rides great. My only concern is the primary. It has a belt conversion in the original primary cover. I'm not real familiar with them. Are the reliable?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: NW AR
I have not run a belt primary. I have seen a lot of people that have, back in the day, usually with issues. Most recently, about 2 years ago a guy with a shovelhead was broke down on the side of the road pulling bits of belt out of the inspection cover in his primary. I offered to get my truck, but he thought that if he got all the loose cogs out of there, it would last long enough to get him the mile or two home. I'm sure there are some that have reliably run them.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Farmington ,MS
So I'm looking at a 1986 FXRS with under 10k miles on it. It's nice, clean, has a little pealing chrome, but overall it's nice. It runs and rides great. My only concern is the primary. It has a belt conversion in the original primary cover. I'm not real familiar with them. Are the reliable?
If you have a enclosed belt you need to pop the cover off once a year and have a look...which is easy since there is no oil.
Changing it back to a chain is not a big deal.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,503
Likes: 94
From: SE Michigan
What fails? Just the belt? For now I would just replace it because I don’t know the age. I’m not going to be putting a lot of miles on it or going great distances. I’m retiring at the end of the years and it’s a project toy and “bar bike” I have always wanted an FXR.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: NW AR
From my observations of others, yeah, the belt fails. There was one kit out there that had an idle bearing. That failed too, which took out the belt. "Some say" that having the belt in an enclosed primary is not a good thing for the belt, as heat builds up and has no way to get out.
Yeah, should be pretty easy to change back. New sprocket and clutch hub (which are available), new chain, timing chain tensioner, throw some oil in there and that's about it. Otherwise, for your uses, shouldn't be a problem. You might want to inspect the inner primary pretty close. Why did someone put a belt on a bike with less than 10K miles on it?
Yeah, should be pretty easy to change back. New sprocket and clutch hub (which are available), new chain, timing chain tensioner, throw some oil in there and that's about it. Otherwise, for your uses, shouldn't be a problem. You might want to inspect the inner primary pretty close. Why did someone put a belt on a bike with less than 10K miles on it?
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,503
Likes: 94
From: SE Michigan
Who knows. It was an old guys bike and he is dead. Kids are selling it. It sounds like it was done when the bike was new. They have a box of parts for it. Maybe the old parts are there.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Lorain Ohio
I had a belt primary in my shovel head.....I ran a vented cover so the heat could escape an never had a problem but I didn't do a ton of miles on it.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2018
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From: Arizona
I looked into a belt for my FXR years ago. I have heard nothing but bad things about them. The only guy I've met who liked his didn't mind replacing it preemptively regularly. I don't consider that a gain.
I would dump that belt ASAP replaced with a genuine Harley chain system, no Chicom.
I would dump that belt ASAP replaced with a genuine Harley chain system, no Chicom.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Farmington ,MS
As long as the old belt is showing no signs of wear from misalignment ...just put a new belt on it...it will give you many years of bar hopping.