Bandit Alley

GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MECHANICAL & TECHNICAL => Topic started by: ippo on December 22, 2007, 06:15:07 AM

Title: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: ippo on December 22, 2007, 06:15:07 AM
Have anyone experiences?
http://www.vh-motorradtechnik.de/products/en/Belt-Drive-Kits/Suzuki/Suzuki-GSF-1250-Bandit-Belt-Drive-Kit.htm
Title: Re: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: B6mick on December 22, 2007, 06:28:29 AM
Yep had them on my custom HD years and years ago. Loved the belt drive smoothed out the Massey Ferguson, tractor feel of the stock gear box, kept the back wheel nice and clean, never wore out never needed adjustment.

A mate had one on his stock 83 lowrider and was still on the orginal belt when he sold the bike with 120 thousand miles on the clock.

The down side, no such thing as a road side fix, and to replace the sucker means dropping the swing arm out to fit a new one, and they don't handle big heaps of HP.
Title: Re: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: CWO4GUNNER on December 22, 2007, 04:45:50 PM
So do you also mean that those with belts in the Harley crowd avoid "off the line" racing for fun because the belt will brake or the teeth tear out? Wondering because as a possible alternative to chain if it cant take power takeoffs then I would just exclude it from consideration in the case of a B1250.
:yikes: On second thought $1875 with shipping is a pretty expensive option for a rubber chain, especially for the new B1250 which has been improved to already ride like it has a belt drive.

they don't handle big heaps of HP.
Title: Re: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: B6mick on December 22, 2007, 11:43:53 PM
I am actually lead to believe, that as far as efficiency they come out on top of the chain V's belt V's shaft for transmitting power to the back wheel.
But their limits are clearly seen on the drag strip, where many of the HD crowd dumped the belt for chain, and those who ran with belts risked major belt failure. I used to work at the drag strip, and the odd ego or 2 was crushed at the tree, with belt failure. But having said that, I never rode my HD like a wimp, and it was far from stock, and I never had a problem with the final belt drive. Just maybe I was a few cubic inches short having problems, but the guys running stroker engines stayed well away from final drive belts.
Title: Re: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: CWO4GUNNER on December 22, 2007, 11:58:06 PM
Just for a comparison what does it cost for a Harley self help conversion with a domestic kit, as I suppose this is a common modification for a Harley chain drive.
Title: Re: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: B6mick on December 23, 2007, 06:22:07 AM
It is a fairly easy conversion either chain to belt as I did on my HD it would as easy to do a belt to chain, but the cost would be less. To do the chain to belt I needed to change the primary case to a unit that was made for the secondary belt drive sprocket, belts are also more expencive as well as the toothed sprockets.
Title: Re: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: solman on February 13, 2008, 03:32:07 AM
I asked a Buell guy why they switched to chain for the XB12R racing bike.  He told me it was because it was easier and cheaper to change the ratio.
Title: Re: Belt drive for bandit 1250
Post by: Johnnykat on February 13, 2008, 02:37:26 PM
I like my big ol 530 chain...it just says POWER!   :bandit: