Belt chewed
 

Riding to work this morning on the freeway doing about 75 mph. I feel a slight slip; the bikes not pulling as it was anymore and at the same time I hear a brief sharp noise. I slow down to 65 motoring on and get off freeway about a mile and half down the road. Slowing down and a strange noise is evident. Sounds like a belt being destroyed. I stop and get off to inspect and find my main drive belt is chewed up. The inner approx. 1/4" is ground/gouged badly. The remaining outside section is in various states of chewed up. You cannot see any teeth.
I am 32 miles from home. Looks like I'm going to need to baby it home or till it breaks.
Sounds like I either have a rock in near the clutch or a clutch part broke.
I still think something is dragging on the belt.

sounds like you have something stuck in the swinger by the trans pully. you definately want to clear that out before riding. Last thing you want is for that to get jammed and lock up your rear.

let us know w/ u find. snapped 3 over the years acting crazy..

The clutch doesn't come within two inches of your belt. If a clutch problem ate your belt you'd have a quart of primary fluid all over the left side of your bike. Sounds like you picked up some debris from the highway & wrapped it around your front pulley. You might be able to get it out & prevent more damage on the way home. If you can stop the damage the belt might get you home if you take it easy. Good luck!

+1 meepers +1jinks Upon further inspection I discovered the issue; an exhaust bracket part had come off and the now badly deformed part was pinned by the belt and the swinger behind the removable panel. It was easy to remove. The offending part now removed I judged the belt intact enough to proceed and I made it home without issue.
The exhaust bracket part is a small support bracket that works with the exhaust clamp which sits behind the rear cylinder. The part itself is mounted to the top of the transmission and helps support the left side exhaust routing along with the exhaust clamp.
This all happened because a few days before while working on the left side exhaust I failed to tighten this part properly. :icon_screwy:

That sucks man. Glad you made it home OK......

.....you're not the first nor the last to cause yourself grief.

I'm guilty of a thing or 2.

I'll bet you never forget that part again.