Converting late model touring to chain drive???
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Great! 
A few points, having read through all the posts. All chains need lubrication. O ring chains simply seal lube inside, for the rollers and pins, but the rollers also need lube on the outside for running on the sprockets. Belts are pre-lubed, chains aren't.
I understand the factory trikes now run with solo belts, as the latest narrow belts are much stronger than the original wide ones. Development of belts continues, just as it does for chains!
I haven't read any tests of current belts, to establish their practical performance limits, so changing to a chain is more a fashion statement, not based on actual data! Would I drag race with a belt? Why not, at least until it proves inadequate.
Belts are the new chains! Only in extreme cases is a chain appropriate or necessary. If Dragos can't help with a chain conversion, there is no hope!
A few points, having read through all the posts. All chains need lubrication. O ring chains simply seal lube inside, for the rollers and pins, but the rollers also need lube on the outside for running on the sprockets. Belts are pre-lubed, chains aren't.
I understand the factory trikes now run with solo belts, as the latest narrow belts are much stronger than the original wide ones. Development of belts continues, just as it does for chains!
I haven't read any tests of current belts, to establish their practical performance limits, so changing to a chain is more a fashion statement, not based on actual data! Would I drag race with a belt? Why not, at least until it proves inadequate.
Belts are the new chains! Only in extreme cases is a chain appropriate or necessary. If Dragos can't help with a chain conversion, there is no hope!
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Orrville, Ohio
Thanks to the suggestion on here, I found that Dragos offers exactly what I'm looking for. Luckily, I already bought a chrome Performance Machine drive pulley for my bike so I am going to send them my stock pulley to get modified to mount a sprocket. This will make it nice to be able to swap back to the belt with only a couple hours wrenching.
I do agree that a belt on a Harley is the way to go for 99.5% of the applications out there but there is that .5% where a chain provides a better solution.
Strange to me to hear so many negative thoughts about a chain though. Maybe it stems from a lack of experience with modern chains since Harley got away from them so long ago. Back then chains still sucked. Rice rocket guys never have any problems with chains and I know many that keep their bikes spotlessly clean despite putting many many miles on them with no hassle from the chain.
The biggest reason for me isn't exactly the risk of breaking a belt itself. That's just a pain in the butt that requires some maintenance. What I am concerned about is the risk of destruction or stresses placed on a $7000 engine when a belt snaps at 7000rpm. In my case the chain is a cheap insurance policy because there is no way I can snap a high quality properly maintained chain.
I do agree that a belt on a Harley is the way to go for 99.5% of the applications out there but there is that .5% where a chain provides a better solution.
Strange to me to hear so many negative thoughts about a chain though. Maybe it stems from a lack of experience with modern chains since Harley got away from them so long ago. Back then chains still sucked. Rice rocket guys never have any problems with chains and I know many that keep their bikes spotlessly clean despite putting many many miles on them with no hassle from the chain.
The biggest reason for me isn't exactly the risk of breaking a belt itself. That's just a pain in the butt that requires some maintenance. What I am concerned about is the risk of destruction or stresses placed on a $7000 engine when a belt snaps at 7000rpm. In my case the chain is a cheap insurance policy because there is no way I can snap a high quality properly maintained chain.
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Orrville, Ohio
Looks like you share my idea of what riding is!
That pic kinda looks like US129???
Something just fun about riding a touring bike like it's a GP road racer. Down on the Dragon 2 years ago, I went into a corner so hot that the picture taking guy jumped out of his lawn chair and ran! Poor dude thought I was gonna overshoot and hit him. Guess he'd never seen a bagger in a two wheel drift. Lol
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,647
Likes: 11
From: Stockbridge, GA (Atlanta)
most of my club brothers have gone to chain (107 to 145)- they purchased rims without cush drive and simply converted with the 08 and below kit - it is an insurance policy when your are running large motors and tend to do burnouts and pulling the front wheel off the ground -- I will be going to a chain on my 09 RG - as soon as I find an extra 1k laying around.
Thanks to the suggestion on here, I found that Dragos offers exactly what I'm looking for. Luckily, I already bought a chrome Performance Machine drive pulley for my bike so I am going to send them my stock pulley to get modified to mount a sprocket. This will make it nice to be able to swap back to the belt with only a couple hours wrenching.
I do agree that a belt on a Harley is the way to go for 99.5% of the applications out there but there is that .5% where a chain provides a better solution.
Strange to me to hear so many negative thoughts about a chain though. Maybe it stems from a lack of experience with modern chains since Harley got away from them so long ago. Back then chains still sucked. Rice rocket guys never have any problems with chains and I know many that keep their bikes spotlessly clean despite putting many many miles on them with no hassle from the chain.
The biggest reason for me isn't exactly the risk of breaking a belt itself. That's just a pain in the butt that requires some maintenance. What I am concerned about is the risk of destruction or stresses placed on a $7000 engine when a belt snaps at 7000rpm. In my case the chain is a cheap insurance policy because there is no way I can snap a high quality properly maintained chain.
I do agree that a belt on a Harley is the way to go for 99.5% of the applications out there but there is that .5% where a chain provides a better solution.
Strange to me to hear so many negative thoughts about a chain though. Maybe it stems from a lack of experience with modern chains since Harley got away from them so long ago. Back then chains still sucked. Rice rocket guys never have any problems with chains and I know many that keep their bikes spotlessly clean despite putting many many miles on them with no hassle from the chain.
The biggest reason for me isn't exactly the risk of breaking a belt itself. That's just a pain in the butt that requires some maintenance. What I am concerned about is the risk of destruction or stresses placed on a $7000 engine when a belt snaps at 7000rpm. In my case the chain is a cheap insurance policy because there is no way I can snap a high quality properly maintained chain.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,415
Likes: 18
From: Belmont, MI
Rick
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 701
Likes: 5
most of my club brothers have gone to chain (107 to 145)- they purchased rims without cush drive and simply converted with the 08 and below kit - it is an insurance policy when your are running large motors and tend to do burnouts and pulling the front wheel off the ground -- I will be going to a chain on my 09 RG - as soon as I find an extra 1k laying around.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 538
Likes: 3
From: Florida
Looks like you share my idea of what riding is!
That pic kinda looks like US129???
Something just fun about riding a touring bike like it's a GP road racer. Down on the Dragon 2 years ago, I went into a corner so hot that the picture taking guy jumped out of his lawn chair and ran! Poor dude thought I was gonna overshoot and hit him. Guess he'd never seen a bagger in a two wheel drift. Lol
That pic kinda looks like US129???
Something just fun about riding a touring bike like it's a GP road racer. Down on the Dragon 2 years ago, I went into a corner so hot that the picture taking guy jumped out of his lawn chair and ran! Poor dude thought I was gonna overshoot and hit him. Guess he'd never seen a bagger in a two wheel drift. Lol
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