Rear wheel drive pulley
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 107,687
Likes: 20,116
From: Ft. Worth, TX
You could try this fix from these guys:
http://www.supermax.net/
The website takes a while to load so be patient.
http://www.supermax.net/
The website takes a while to load so be patient.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,878
Likes: 1,075
From: Utah
Had a pulley on an 03 RK where the chrome wore through on just a portion of the left side wall. Caused a chirping sound that was very annoying. Bike had only 7k miles on it. $850 with new belt. Old belt had a rock hole. Don't tell me that pulley was not defective.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 102
From: Central Illinois
Hate to say it, but that is probably nothing but a too loose belt. Slipping in the grooves and over the grooves is what has caused that wear. Either the dealer never checked the tension of the belt, or worse they adjusted it like you would a chain, which would be too loose. No need to do a chain drive conversion. Just adjust the belt properly.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
I have three belt drive bikes at present and have owned several of them for over 20 years. The rear pulley gets to look secondhand fairly soon, but is remarkably durable and I have only had one replacement, due to damage from a sharp flint. The flat tops of the teeth don't make sense to me, unless they are the same width as the belt. If that is the case then a slipping belt would be the only obvious explanation, although I would also expect that the bike would ride in an odd way when it was slipping.
Best of luck old chap in bending the dealer's ear! They certainly need to explain what has been going on.
Best of luck old chap in bending the dealer's ear! They certainly need to explain what has been going on.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,476
Likes: 3,003
From: Charleston, SC
I'm probably wrong but it doesn't look like a loose belt which will round the top edges.
To me it looks like an overly tight belt causing deep gouging within the grooves and sharp edges at the top edge of the teeth.
I always run the belt on the loose side for that reason. Don't want a little bit of everyday sand to be pressed into the pulleys and cause the destruction like above.
And chain... who wants to change out chains every 15K, the noise, and oil all over the underside of the bike? Not me. Belt drive is one of the best low maintenance things Harley ever added. Just need to get the tension right.
And they should be adjusting the tension with you on the bike. It gets tighter as more weight is added. Think two up with all your bags filled with junk...
lp
To me it looks like an overly tight belt causing deep gouging within the grooves and sharp edges at the top edge of the teeth.
I always run the belt on the loose side for that reason. Don't want a little bit of everyday sand to be pressed into the pulleys and cause the destruction like above.
And chain... who wants to change out chains every 15K, the noise, and oil all over the underside of the bike? Not me. Belt drive is one of the best low maintenance things Harley ever added. Just need to get the tension right.
And they should be adjusting the tension with you on the bike. It gets tighter as more weight is added. Think two up with all your bags filled with junk...
lp
Last edited by lp; Apr 9, 2014 at 07:06 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,049
Likes: 5
From: IOWA
Never heard of the pulleys having chrome plating on the teeth. My manual says 3/8 inch w/10 pounds pressure. Then when you ride and the pulleys expand from heat, the belt becomes pretty snug. I think that is the way they are suppose to run. Every thing I have read over the years on belts says a belt is better on the tight side than on the loose side.
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 71
Likes: 5
From: CARDIFF UK
I have fitted a new pulley and inspected the belt which appears OK but does show signs of wear. Raised a complaint with HD UK and waiting for them to come back to me. I went back to the dealer who supplied the bike and did the 10k service and they reckoned the pulley was still good and suggested I refitted it! I won't be going there again! I definitely haven't ridden any dirt or gravel roads - most of the miles have been touring two up.
In the service manual they refer to a hard chrome coating on the pulley teeth and a "scribe test" When the chrome is worn away you can easily scribe or scratch a mark in the soft alloy and its time to replace. Now I applied this test to the new pulley, straight from the box, and guess what! - no hard chrome layer - it scratched very easily. I am now thinking that some of these pulleys have been manufactured without the coating.
Picture of the belt and service manual extract below
In the service manual they refer to a hard chrome coating on the pulley teeth and a "scribe test" When the chrome is worn away you can easily scribe or scratch a mark in the soft alloy and its time to replace. Now I applied this test to the new pulley, straight from the box, and guess what! - no hard chrome layer - it scratched very easily. I am now thinking that some of these pulleys have been manufactured without the coating.
Picture of the belt and service manual extract below