Belt damage... not your average question.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,357
Likes: 91
From: Michigan
You do realize that you are looking at the outside of the belt? No teeth shown here, run it til it fails or replace your call
Road Captain
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 554
Likes: 359
From: Bristol, CT
Well it's not the business side of the belt so I'm sure you've got some time & miles. I went 7000 miles on a belt that had a small hole in it from a sharp object that caught between the pulley and belt, dug into the belt and worked its way in enough to fully pierce the belt. I always checked my tires and belt daily and remember pulling out the sharp rocklike object. It was so sharp and irregular I was sure it wasn't metal. This was a Gates Polychain / Supermax rear belt conversion we did on my '79 shovel in 1982. Fortunately the material used in the pully face was undamaged, just belt took it.
I'd be all crazy in your case trying to figure out where that bolt came from to be lodged as it was. Also any residual damage from the bolt to anything else besides the belt...?You said you didn't see anything it may have come from. Still you were inside your primary to fix a leak. I'd be second guessing myself and have look-see inside the primary.
I love how tough the belts are. I used to get a lot of jokes directed at me WAY back then as the "rubber band man" for having primary & secondary belt drive conversions. The original Sturgis model was a new novelty back then.
I'd be all crazy in your case trying to figure out where that bolt came from to be lodged as it was. Also any residual damage from the bolt to anything else besides the belt...?You said you didn't see anything it may have come from. Still you were inside your primary to fix a leak. I'd be second guessing myself and have look-see inside the primary.
I love how tough the belts are. I used to get a lot of jokes directed at me WAY back then as the "rubber band man" for having primary & secondary belt drive conversions. The original Sturgis model was a new novelty back then.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,394
Likes: 263
From: Southern California
I'd take it easy on it. Then, in the not to distant future, I'd replace it at a time and location of my choosing. For what is really a fairly simple part . . . there's an awful lot of stuff that has to come off the bike to replace it. Not something I'd want to be forced to do a long way from home . . . even if I could lay the bike on its side to work on it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,096
Likes: 4,673
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
Likes: 7,173
From: Oxford, Nc
Every time you ride out you risk a belt break, small chance though that might be. If it was a 15 minute replacement I'd do it. Since its not, I'd ride it til it breaks (at 80,000 miles or so 
)
)
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 403
Likes: 44
From: Montana
Hi all,
I had a similar thing happen with a small piece of gravel lodged in my belt guard. I had one mechanic tell me he wouldn't ride it a mile, that was 55,000 miles ago. Your gouge is slightly wider than mine. YMMV.....goldie
I had a similar thing happen with a small piece of gravel lodged in my belt guard. I had one mechanic tell me he wouldn't ride it a mile, that was 55,000 miles ago. Your gouge is slightly wider than mine. YMMV.....goldie
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