Great video, thank you I learned a lot from this and you dispelled the myth of putting lubricant on the belt to make it last longer. Your explanation makes a lot of sense. Thank you and keep up the good work.
I can’t believe that I haven’t seen this one yet! Excellent advice - as always. I love you obvious logic and humour too. Count to 12 😂🤣. I can get to 21 but I have to take my socks and pants off!! Thanks Dave! 😉😂 Safe rides 👍🤜
My Yamaha Road Star had 2 belts if I recall... The primary and secondary were both belts. My HD Softail has the chain primary and the belt secondary... I never had to work on the Road Star... I've had issues with the HD since day 1. Well, it's a used bike and I just took on someone else's problems. Maybe that's the reason they traded it in for a new one. Great videos by the way, on the five fluids of your bike... I learned about purging the old oil from the engine and I've been spreading the word to others as well! Even those who are deemed to be "old school," HD mechanics, don't purge the old oil out... Either they don't know about it, or they just don't seem to care, that there's another quart of old oil still in the engine. Thanks for that info and keep up the good work!
Brilliant, thanks Del. I'm the one you mentioned at the beginning, my first Harley after being a Honda bloke since 1974. First time with a belt. Just after getting my sportster in June 2019 I noticed a 'Boingggggg' noise occasionally. Turned out to be the top belt cover had snapped at the bolt. Very easy to replace, as long as you don't remove the suspension bolt completely of course! I noticed the replacement was much thicker metal than the original. Cheers and thanks again for the advice, very useful. Dave Rose (Gloucester).
Watched all your videos just making comment on the belt, I have 80,000 klm on my 2011 Fatboy and still can't see any marks on it but it's on my to-do list this winter. thanks for your videos
Great informative video as usual Del,keep up the good work,you really are providing such useful knowledge to help keep Harley owners on the road,cheers buddy!
It's supposed to be half an inch of deflection at ten pounds of pressure as measured by a tension guage . What's this about one inch as measured with a finger ?
Yeah, the manual can be confusing, dont try to cross question it too much ... just make sure, like i said, that the belt has no more then 1" of deflection. and no damage... dont worry about the transmission pulley bearing, they are real strong and can take a lot of force, the belt would snap before the bearing broke.. ..and the swing arm movement DOES alter the tension as it moves up and down, but its all within tollerance of the 1" deflection. hope that helps mate, take care.. Del.
Hi mate, thanks for your kind comments....sadly i decided to draw the line at taking our bikes apart on request....if the time comes to remove the back wheel for a tyre, then ill surely upload it as always.... thanks for watching mate.. take care, Del.
Thanks for the vid Del! I have both of the belt guards off of my Iron. After watching this I am going to put my lower belt guard back on. I checked my belt and pulleys after this and they are holding up well. Only 4K miles on the Iron at this point. Again thanks for the videos very informative and easy to follow.
thanks. I don't know how much one will set me back, but I think your right and i'll start thinking about replacing it. doesn't look like it will be back on the road this side of Christmass anyhow. many thanks.
Hi mate, yeah its a common mod' to whip them off, but you then always run that risk... the bottom one is the important one, the top guard is more for safety if it breaks (it prevents it lashing up if it breaks and taking a stripe out of your arse..lol).. thanks for watching matey, and take care... Del.
+jojojeep1 Hey Jojo, good to hear from you, and im glad the videos have been able ot help you out... thanks for your kind support and enjoy the videos.. all the best and ride safe.. Del.
I Realize this is a 6 year old video I am in the process of replacing the belt and both front and rear pulleys on my 95 883 DLX Sportster(18654 Miles) belt had some damage from miss aligned wheel and a couple of small pebbles through the belt also damaging the chrome finish on rear pulley i am up grading the front pulley from OEM 27 tooth to the 29 tooth overdrive pulley. your video are the bomb thank you and keep it going.
This is a good vid, i am at the present changing my bike from a bandit 1250, to a hd, vic or thunderbird, as they all have belts this has been a good insight, and i may say that all your vids have. Regards Graham
Thank you kindly Sir, you are most generous... it seems to be a little job that foxes a new Harley owner, and good choice of bike too...And a fellow Suzuki owner....good choice.!
Thank you again my friends, you are very kind... but like you say, everythings easy once you know how. i really wanted to make the trailer too, but pricing up the basic essential components such as stub axles, hubs, hitch clamp and electrics came to more than half the trailers on eBay, so im watching a few on eVilbay and planning to then modify it so it matches the bike... that will be a mini project all by itself... Take care...Del.
Hi David, simple enough procedure, push the wheel right forward on its adjusters, drop the right shock absorber off, the front pulley cover off, belt guards off, and with enough slack you can just slip it off and fit a new one....probably good to change the front pulley at the same time as it does 3 times the work of the back one..and will wear 3 times faster.....hope that helps.. del.
I'm very lucky to have my belt come close (year apart). I was at a stop light waiting to turn, try to move#, looked down,Belt broke, repaird my 03 roadster.Thankx the Lord Above.
High buddy, yeah could do, got a heap of things to get done today, but ill see what i can do this eveing once Penny Pitstop is home.... thanks for watching... Del.
Thank you young man, I am relatively new to biking but your videos have really been a source of inspiration and give me the confidence to do things I would usually have had to pay good money for someone else to do. It never ceases to amaze me how simple things are once you know how. Keeping an eye on your trailer project (very clever stuff), I assume you are going to be using a ‘purchased’ / ready built trailer or do you have enough scrap for one of those as well? lol.
Del, on my Road King, we changed the belt at right around 92,000 miles. The shifter linkage seal was leaking, necessitating removal of the inner and outer primary covers, and the swing arm bushings were fatigued, so the swing arm was coming off anyhow, as well. As 90% of the work was done, I changed the belt and both sprockets as preventive maintenance. The sprockets were somewhat worn, with chrome lifting on the rear, but the belt still looked like new and could probably have easily lasted another 10,000 miles. I check my belt regularly, keep it at the correct tension, and clean it with an old toothbrush at service intervals. So 100,000 miles would appear quite reachable in my experience, and I have friends who have gotten upward of 200,000 miles out of a belt. Then again, this is on touring bikes, rarely taken on gravel. The thing that kills a belt quickly is a flint getting past the guards and cutting the belt.
Hi Tom.. I'm a firm believer in preventative maintenance.. but i also hold the view that "if the cart aint broke, don't fix it".. so its is a balance for sure.. You are right to change the pulleys, the chrome eventually lifts up and forms slivers of sharp metal that cut into the belt and will end its life sooner.. or even damage and weaken it enough to compromise its strength, 100k from a belt on a bike thats sympathetically ridden and maintained is not a problem, and 200k is logically possible with the right care and attention to the pulleys.. i read a great story of a couple who rode their 1340 Tourglide around the world...over 450k kms (Australians), and they only replaced one belt..! (ill send you a link to the story of you like.?) Great to hear from you as ever Tom, take care and thanks for contributing, Harley's take understanding... like the saying goes, "if we have to explain, you wouldn't understand"..!! Ride Safe..Del.
Trigger "theres an old saying, look after your broom Rodney "and your broom will look after you?" Trigger "no dave, its just look after your broom" Quality.
Hi Jon, ill be loadin the video this evening, hope it makes it all clear... torque for the axle nut is just "FT" if you want to be anal, then take it up to about 90ft lbs...but its made a mention of the nut marking method, so use that and its better than worrying about exact torques.. should take a fare while to load, but its under way mate... thanks for your question, Del.
Hi mate, 40k is drawing towards the end of it's life, pay attention equally to the pulleys, you are looking for chrome peeling off in the grooves and rough edges - the rubber they are made from has a silicone content with the kevlar which gives the silky feel and makes it self lubricating, I would say from here on avoid enthusiastic heavy launches off the lights or running it out of tension, as it won't be as strong as it was, may be time to start putting bucks away in readiness for a new one!
After installing a new rear tire I noticed the upper belt Guard on my sportster ROADSTER was broken at the shock bolt mount.. I've been waiting for 6 weeks for the replacement and not riding for fear of stone damage. Gravel roads unavoidable. Relieved to hear that the lower guard protects from stones, and that the replacement guard will be thicker, I hope! Good thing I had my older BMW R1200R to ride!
Delboys I still have the factory belt with 64 000 on my Storty. Did the following. It’s like new. I don’t have a garage so she sleeps in the house room temp 2009 next I don’t think Harley shop never change my brake fluid I would bet they never did. I’ve watched the video on front brake. I’m gonna give go. Thanks.
Hi mate, good call in re-fitting your lower guard, i have seen the results of a stray stone, its not pretty.. PennyPitstops harley has done 10k miles, and thats the belt in the video, still pristine, if you take care of them they truly will last almost the life of the bike... take care buddy, and ride safe... Del.
Belt is lookin rather shabby on my old 96 1200 sporty and im thinking of swapping over to a chain as its alot cheaper and gives me the opportunity to change ratios. Oh and it looks way better:p
It's not a special chemical, it's just silicone ...in hot weather it can make them soft as the added slippage between rubber and teeth builds up heat and thus leads to wear and fluid does not have to be sticky to attract dirt otherwise grit wouldn't stick to your bike in the rain ...there's always a company that will sell you a product, but the very best way to run a belt is bone dry - that's how they are designed!
Great videos man, much better than any other similar videos on the youtube. Could you make one on how to change the rear wheel of the sporster. I'm pretty sure it's something I could do in my garage given the proper instruction. Thanks again.
Thank sounds like both Pulleys too, and yeah, thats a lotta money man, probably mostly labour mind, these days all dealers are charging the same hourly rate as premium car showrooms... WTF.??? take care and ride safe mate.. Del.
Thx Delboy yr in to it. I'm pretty good with my hands and I'll start to watch more of your videos. Tip. Try to use a collar mike and tlit yr cap back. Cheers from Ian
Can you do a video on how to fix and diagnose the common “squeaky belts” on Triumphs? I have a 2014 Thunderbird Commander thats squeaking and I’d like to fix it myself. Ty ty!
Hey Del your belt is on the wrong side of the bike. Is that because you drive on the wrong side of the road? Love ya bro just messin with ya. Great video as usual
iv'e noticed while I have my pulley off, that the chrome has a few tiny chips ion it in places. in your opinion, would you say that i need to replace it? god, I hope not, but if i do .. bugger. great video as always, even if it is several years old.
Not necessarily mate, if it's only a few small chips, or sharp edges, then gently remove them by hand with some emery paper, gently rubbing down any sharp edges, this will prevent them from cutting in to the belt and should prolong the life of the set up, but now you know it's begun to de-laminate, perhaps factor in a new pulley at some stage in the future as it'll only ever get worse!
That sounds to me like typical dealer exaggeration, the truth of the matter is that it will start to suffer at about 35-40,000, depending on how it's treated, so take care of it and you may even get half way to his enthusiastic total LOL!
i should have watched this sooner. i got on my hog this morning to ride. dropped her in first let the clutch out and nothing. snapped the belt. 30 thousand on her. its a 96 but i cant for the life of me figure out why it broke. beautiful in upstate ny this week and mines in the shop. As always though i learned how to take care of it (which i never did) Thanks delboy i always learn alot from you vids. btw the belt was 168. it hurt! lol.
Sad news buddy... i guess as your harley wears and ages, these costs will roll down your way now and again... but i guess it'll now last another 30k+, and thats peace of mind.
That was my thought as well. Another 30k for 168, ill take it. after hearing that the bike can lock up im glad it did it when i clicked it into first rather than fifth and making me a lawn dart!
Just replaced mine today (10/21/17) because it broke last night on the way home from work (cost $221.14 plus tax, plus an exhaust port gasket & 2 flange nuts for the rear cylinder header - only the slip-on V&H muffler had to be removed on the front cyl). Belt had picked up a pebble at around 25k, which I promptly removed with a pocket screwdriver (left a small 1/16" hole near the center, no damage to the pulleys). When it finally broke it had 45,152 miles. The only warning I got was a noise similar to chattering brake pads as I backed it into my carport the past couple of nights. I should've inspected it like Delboy just showed us, instead of assuming that it was the humidity affecting another component (the rear brakes). Thanks, Delboy! That was a great video - well done.
i adjusted my shock to setting 1 on standards on my iron 883 and the belt look like its below deflection window. how much play should the belt have in the window an inch i dont wamt to take it to dealer
Hi Rob..... i knew you wouldn't get that .. We had a classic comedy show over here called "Only fools and horses"....and it was a famous scene from that, one of the carachters was real stupid, and the quote has become legend... i cant post a link, but just Google "Trigger's Broom Quote"....you'll love it...
another lesson learned as how to take care of the bike,thanks,btw when I bought my 2013 iron,the dealer told me belt will last 100,000 miles lol,go figure more bull crap
$1500 to replace and fit @ the dealers in Australia ouch! pays to look after them. road gravel stay away from it. good tip to the unwary . nice helpful upload
Hi there, I'm a bandit owner and have just followed your brake calliper seal replacement vid, which was spot on. Looking at belts on the Harley they seem to last longer than a chain, is there a conversion kit from chain to belt for Bandits, and why don't more companies use belts? Dave
Belts have always been the reserve of cruiser bikes, and i think the factories wont use them on sporty bikes for fear of tainting the 'go-fast' image with a cruiser bike item on their bikes.....so its nothing more than marketing because they are perfectly fine for any use... They are however very expensive to buy, and you must take the swing arm out in order to fit the belt as you cant separate it....so cost and grief fitting them is also a put-off... not sure if there is a kit, never had the inclination to look... but have a search and see if you can find one out there in internet land and let us know... good luck with it buddy.. all the best, Del.
I was not able to find much information on which of the two is more dangerous (chain vs belt). The information I did find were all specifically talking about a rear lockup when it comes to chains but a belt just ripping without any lockup (> just a free-spinning wheel). Is that actually incorrect? (Just discovered your channel and can't stop watching all the videos!!!)
I bought a low km 08 xl 1200c last year 6000km . You mentioned about 40,000 miles on a HD belt. Is there a age limit specified for the belt? Another question regarding tire age limit that you go by ? Tire brand replacement recommendations ? Now it has the original Dunlop . I certainly plan on changing front/back . back still has enough tread. Ive head mixed age limits on tires . Good videos . thanks .
+Tad Wolfenden Hi Tad.... this factory Dunlops are pretty rubbish in the first place...so if they're old, they always worth replacing... and the belt will be fine as long as it hold its teeth and doesnt crack up.... give it a good look over, a bike like that, with that mileage should be good to ride for a few years with no issues..
Great video, thank you I learned a lot from this and you dispelled the myth of putting lubricant on the belt to make it last longer. Your explanation makes a lot of sense. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Most welcome Eric, glad the information could help you!
@@Moonfleet41 Thank you my friend, keep up the good work!!
Straight simple to point. Love how you explain taking care of the belt bro. Thx
Most welcome Ted, thank you for your kind feedback!
I can’t believe that I haven’t seen this one yet!
Excellent advice - as always. I love you obvious logic and humour too.
Count to 12 😂🤣. I can get to 21 but I have to take my socks and pants off!!
Thanks Dave! 😉😂
Safe rides 👍🤜
As always Del, pedagogical and concise 🎉 Thanks man! 👍🏽 🫶🏽
Much appreciate your kind words mate, glad you enjoyed it!
My Yamaha Road Star had 2 belts if I recall... The primary and secondary were both belts.
My HD Softail has the chain primary and the belt secondary...
I never had to work on the Road Star... I've had issues with the HD since day 1.
Well, it's a used bike and I just took on someone else's problems. Maybe that's the reason they traded it in for a new one.
Great videos by the way, on the five fluids of your bike... I learned about purging the old oil from the engine and I've been spreading the word to others as well!
Even those who are deemed to be "old school," HD mechanics, don't purge the old oil out...
Either they don't know about it, or they just don't seem to care, that there's another quart of old oil still in the engine.
Thanks for that info and keep up the good work!
Brilliant, thanks Del. I'm the one you mentioned at the beginning, my first Harley after being a Honda bloke since 1974. First time with a belt.
Just after getting my sportster in June 2019 I noticed a 'Boingggggg' noise occasionally. Turned out to be the top belt cover had snapped at the bolt. Very easy to replace, as long as you don't remove the suspension bolt completely of course! I noticed the replacement was much thicker metal than the original.
Cheers and thanks again for the advice, very useful.
Dave Rose (Gloucester).
The info you provide is awesome... understanding how things work is very helpful :-)
Glad it was helpful!
I don’t have a Harley or a belt driven bike (ride a Suzuki) but still found this very interesting, informative and useful. Love your vids mate.
Watched all your videos just making comment on the belt, I have 80,000 klm on my 2011 Fatboy and still can't see any marks on it but it's on my to-do list this winter. thanks for your videos
Great informative video as usual Del,keep up the good work,you really are providing such useful knowledge to help keep Harley owners on the road,cheers buddy!
Thanks Martin, most welcome buddy, im glad you find the videos helpful... all the best , Del.
It's supposed to be half an inch of deflection at ten pounds of pressure as measured by a tension guage . What's this about one inch as measured with a finger ?
Yeah, the manual can be confusing, dont try to cross question it too much ... just make sure, like i said, that the belt has no more then 1" of deflection. and no damage... dont worry about the transmission pulley bearing, they are real strong and can take a lot of force, the belt would snap before the bearing broke.. ..and the swing arm movement DOES alter the tension as it moves up and down, but its all within tollerance of the 1" deflection. hope that helps mate, take care.. Del.
Hi mate, thanks for your kind comments....sadly i decided to draw the line at taking our bikes apart on request....if the time comes to remove the back wheel for a tyre, then ill surely upload it as always.... thanks for watching mate.. take care, Del.
Thanks for the vid Del! I have both of the belt guards off of my Iron. After watching this I am going to put my lower belt guard back on. I checked my belt and pulleys after this and they are holding up well. Only 4K miles on the Iron at this point. Again thanks for the videos very informative and easy to follow.
You have a way to explain things so dam well nice n easy but in detail - many thanks so many others dont
Thank you for your kind words Sir!
Thank you very much for your cool videos! And thanks to your excellent camera operator for taking the time to help out!
Your videos are very informative,first time sportster owner and enjoyed doing self maintainance.
Thank you my friend, welcome aboard - good luck with your projects!
thanks. I don't know how much one will set me back, but I think your right and i'll start thinking about replacing it. doesn't look like it will be back on the road this side of Christmass anyhow. many thanks.
Thanks Del. Big difference between belt and shaft drive. Have a safe riding season. Jim.
I also am a first time harley owner ..coming from gsxr`s ..thanks for the info .a great help.good day from Massachusetts usa
Thanks Dario and welcome to the dark side! Big change from a Gixxer... time to slow down eh?! Enjoy your bike and ride safe, Del
Hey Edgar. thank you for your kind comments, im glad i can be of help, and thanks for your support...ride safe brother... Del.
Just wanted to take a second and simply say Thank You! Keep up the great videos
Hi mate, yeah its a common mod' to whip them off, but you then always run that risk... the bottom one is the important one, the top guard is more for safety if it breaks (it prevents it lashing up if it breaks and taking a stripe out of your arse..lol).. thanks for watching matey, and take care... Del.
hey mr. delboy, thank you, I fixed my bike with the help of your video's a few time's to frank with you.
+jojojeep1 Hey Jojo, good to hear from you, and im glad the videos have been able ot help you out... thanks for your kind support and enjoy the videos.. all the best and ride safe.. Del.
Hi mate, you are most welcome, and thank you too for your very kind comments....i appreciate the support. best regards.. Del;.
I Realize this is a 6 year old video I am in the process of replacing the belt and both front and rear pulleys on my 95 883 DLX Sportster(18654 Miles) belt had some damage from miss aligned wheel and a couple of small pebbles through the belt also damaging the chrome finish on rear pulley i am up grading the front pulley from OEM 27 tooth to the 29 tooth overdrive pulley. your video are the bomb thank you and keep it going.
Ha ha.. that shit never stops being funny aye... thanks for watching mate... Del.
This is a good vid, i am at the present changing my bike from a bandit 1250, to a hd, vic or thunderbird, as they all have belts this has been a good insight, and i may say that all your vids have.
Regards Graham
Thanks Graham, glad it could help you buddy, and good luck with your new bike.. ride safe aye.. Del.
Great and professional... like every video... greetings from VENEZIA ✌️
Thank you very much for your kind comments, we really appreciate your support!
Thank you kindly Sir, you are most generous... it seems to be a little job that foxes a new Harley owner, and good choice of bike too...And a fellow Suzuki owner....good choice.!
Thank you again my friends, you are very kind... but like you say, everythings easy once you know how. i really wanted to make the trailer too, but pricing up the basic essential components such as stub axles, hubs, hitch clamp and electrics came to more than half the trailers on eBay, so im watching a few on eVilbay and planning to then modify it so it matches the bike... that will be a mini project all by itself... Take care...Del.
Hi David, simple enough procedure, push the wheel right forward on its adjusters, drop the right shock absorber off, the front pulley cover off, belt guards off, and with enough slack you can just slip it off and fit a new one....probably good to change the front pulley at the same time as it does 3 times the work of the back one..and will wear 3 times faster.....hope that helps.. del.
Hi Joe..thank you for your kind comments mate, you are most welcome..!
Spot on observations. Keep on doing these great content.
I'm very lucky to have my belt come close (year apart). I was at a stop light waiting to turn, try to move#, looked down,Belt broke, repaird my 03 roadster.Thankx the Lord Above.
High buddy, yeah could do, got a heap of things to get done today, but ill see what i can do this eveing once Penny Pitstop is home.... thanks for watching... Del.
Thank you young man, I am relatively new to biking but your videos have really been a source of inspiration and give me the confidence to do things I would usually have had to pay good money for someone else to do.
It never ceases to amaze me how simple things are once you know how.
Keeping an eye on your trailer project (very clever stuff), I assume you are going to be using a ‘purchased’ / ready built trailer or do you have enough scrap for one of those as well? lol.
Del, on my Road King, we changed the belt at right around 92,000 miles. The shifter linkage seal was leaking, necessitating removal of the inner and outer primary covers, and the swing arm bushings were fatigued, so the swing arm was coming off anyhow, as well. As 90% of the work was done, I changed the belt and both sprockets as preventive maintenance. The sprockets were somewhat worn, with chrome lifting on the rear, but the belt still looked like new and could probably have easily lasted another 10,000 miles. I check my belt regularly, keep it at the correct tension, and clean it with an old toothbrush at service intervals. So 100,000 miles would appear quite reachable in my experience, and I have friends who have gotten upward of 200,000 miles out of a belt. Then again, this is on touring bikes, rarely taken on gravel. The thing that kills a belt quickly is a flint getting past the guards and cutting the belt.
Hi Tom.. I'm a firm believer in preventative maintenance.. but i also hold the view that "if the cart aint broke, don't fix it".. so its is a balance for sure.. You are right to change the pulleys, the chrome eventually lifts up and forms slivers of sharp metal that cut into the belt and will end its life sooner.. or even damage and weaken it enough to compromise its strength, 100k from a belt on a bike thats sympathetically ridden and maintained is not a problem, and 200k is logically possible with the right care and attention to the pulleys.. i read a great story of a couple who rode their 1340 Tourglide around the world...over 450k kms (Australians), and they only replaced one belt..! (ill send you a link to the story of you like.?)
Great to hear from you as ever Tom, take care and thanks for contributing, Harley's take understanding... like the saying goes, "if we have to explain, you wouldn't understand"..!!
Ride Safe..Del.
Super advice, thanks you are helpful. Keep making these video's. greating from Holland.
Thank you buddy, much appreciated!
Thank you for all the great information. Really helpful.
You're welcome Patrick, glad it helped you!
Ha ha, thank you so much, you are very kind... and PennyPitstop says thankyou for the compliment too... thank for your support.. Del.
Thx yr video my 2006 sportster belt broke 42,000km i have followed yr instruction . thx very good
Thanks Ian, glad the video helped you and I hope the belt break didn't get jammed up and cause any problems...
Trigger "theres an old saying, look after your broom Rodney "and your broom will look after you?" Trigger "no dave, its just look after your broom" Quality.
Thanks for always passing on the knowledge !
Our pleasure, most welcome mate.
Hi Jon, ill be loadin the video this evening, hope it makes it all clear... torque for the axle nut is just "FT" if you want to be anal, then take it up to about 90ft lbs...but its made a mention of the nut marking method, so use that and its better than worrying about exact torques.. should take a fare while to load, but its under way mate... thanks for your question, Del.
No more than 78ft lbs MAX' or the rear wheel bearings will be encouraged to seize.
Hi mate, 40k is drawing towards the end of it's life, pay attention equally to the pulleys, you are looking for chrome peeling off in the grooves and rough edges - the rubber they are made from has a silicone content with the kevlar which gives the silky feel and makes it self lubricating, I would say from here on avoid enthusiastic heavy launches off the lights or running it out of tension, as it won't be as strong as it was, may be time to start putting bucks away in readiness for a new one!
Another great "How To Video" buddy! Did not quit get the watch your broom comment, but I got everything else lol
After installing a new rear tire I noticed the upper belt Guard on my sportster ROADSTER was broken at the shock bolt mount.. I've been waiting for 6 weeks for the replacement and not riding for fear of stone damage. Gravel roads unavoidable. Relieved to hear that the lower guard protects from stones, and that the replacement guard will be thicker, I hope! Good thing I had my older BMW R1200R to ride!
Thanks for the info, Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom rider, just replaced both tires, info helped on belt tension and care.
Nice one Danny glad it helped you mate.. Ride safe. Del.
Classic dimwhit aye... gotta love Trigger..! cheers Pete..
Another great video although I am surprised that TH-cam has not deleted this video for the rebel flag in the background lol
I look after my broom, had it ten years ;-) it's had four heads and four handles ;-)lmao
+Phill Anderson Spot on Trigg..
is the squeaking noise just when pushing the bike about in the garage etc....or loud when riding.?
Delboys I still have the factory belt with 64 000 on my Storty. Did the following. It’s like new. I don’t have a garage so she sleeps in the house room temp 2009 next I don’t think Harley shop never change my brake fluid I would bet they never did. I’ve watched the video on front brake. I’m gonna give go. Thanks.
Good luck with it Frank, thanks for your support!
Hi mate, good call in re-fitting your lower guard, i have seen the results of a stray stone, its not pretty.. PennyPitstops harley has done 10k miles, and thats the belt in the video, still pristine, if you take care of them they truly will last almost the life of the bike... take care buddy, and ride safe... Del.
Very good explanations.
Thanks a lot and continue the good work
Best Sportster informations channel !
Belt is lookin rather shabby on my old 96 1200 sporty and im thinking of swapping over to a chain as its alot cheaper and gives me the opportunity to change ratios. Oh and it looks way better:p
Great video. Thank you very much.
It's not a special chemical, it's just silicone ...in hot weather it can make them soft as the added slippage between rubber and teeth builds up heat and thus leads to wear and fluid does not have to be sticky to attract dirt otherwise grit wouldn't stick to your bike in the rain ...there's always a company that will sell you a product, but the very best way to run a belt is bone dry - that's how they are designed!
Major help. Sorted mine yesterday. Big help this
Great videos man, much better than any other similar videos on the youtube. Could you make one on how to change the rear wheel of the sporster. I'm pretty sure it's something I could do in my garage given the proper instruction. Thanks again.
Thank sounds like both Pulleys too, and yeah, thats a lotta money man, probably mostly labour mind, these days all dealers are charging the same hourly rate as premium car showrooms... WTF.??? take care and ride safe mate.. Del.
Just looked up the cost of a replacement belt for my recently 2004 sportster, figuring should I replace it on spec.
Almost £300 at Jersey Harley!
love the channel too by the way my iron is out of warranty now so i have to do some work on it
Thx Delboy yr in to it. I'm pretty good with my hands and I'll start to watch more of your videos. Tip. Try to use a collar mike and tlit yr cap back. Cheers from Ian
Can you do a video on how to fix and diagnose the common “squeaky belts” on Triumphs? I have a 2014 Thunderbird Commander thats squeaking and I’d like to fix it myself. Ty ty!
Hi Jim, sure is mate, just good to keep it in tip top nick, then it will outlast your ownership...
Hey Del your belt is on the wrong side of the bike. Is that because you drive on the wrong side of the road? Love ya bro just messin with ya. Great video as usual
No Scott, thats normal for the UK models, its a right hand drive bike see....!lol. Have a good week buddy.. !!
Sounds good my friend!! I know it's not a huge thing but I want to be sure on torque and so forth!! --Jon
Great Information 👍Thank You From🇺🇸😀
iv'e noticed while I have my pulley off, that the chrome has a few tiny chips ion it in places. in your opinion, would you say that i need to replace it? god, I hope not, but if i do .. bugger. great video as always, even if it is several years old.
Not necessarily mate, if it's only a few small chips, or sharp edges, then gently remove them by hand with some emery paper, gently rubbing down any sharp edges, this will prevent them from cutting in to the belt and should prolong the life of the set up, but now you know it's begun to de-laminate, perhaps factor in a new pulley at some stage in the future as it'll only ever get worse!
This is excellent help. Thanks!
I have snap my belt 5 times just pop the clutch to light it up going to a chain until then is there something I could use to repair temporarily
That sounds to me like typical dealer exaggeration, the truth of the matter is that it will start to suffer at about 35-40,000, depending on how it's treated, so take care of it and you may even get half way to his enthusiastic total LOL!
Thanks mate. From Australia
My oldest belt has over 100,000 miles. Probably about time to replace it.
Thats impressive..!
i should have watched this sooner. i got on my hog this morning to ride. dropped her in first let the clutch out and nothing. snapped the belt. 30 thousand on her. its a 96 but i cant for the life of me figure out why it broke. beautiful in upstate ny this week and mines in the shop. As always though i learned how to take care of it (which i never did) Thanks delboy i always learn alot from you vids. btw the belt was 168. it hurt! lol.
Sad news buddy... i guess as your harley wears and ages, these costs will roll down your way now and again... but i guess it'll now last another 30k+, and thats peace of mind.
That was my thought as well. Another 30k for 168, ill take it. after hearing that the bike can lock up im glad it did it when i clicked it into first rather than fifth and making me a lawn dart!
Just replaced mine today (10/21/17) because it broke last night on the way home from work (cost $221.14 plus tax, plus an exhaust port gasket & 2 flange nuts for the rear cylinder header - only the slip-on V&H muffler had to be removed on the front cyl). Belt had picked up a pebble at around 25k, which I promptly removed with a pocket screwdriver (left a small 1/16" hole near the center, no damage to the pulleys). When it finally broke it had 45,152 miles. The only warning I got was a noise similar to chattering brake pads as I backed it into my carport the past couple of nights. I should've inspected it like Delboy just showed us, instead of assuming that it was the humidity affecting another component (the rear brakes). Thanks, Delboy! That was a great video - well done.
i adjusted my shock to setting 1 on standards on my iron 883 and the belt look like its below deflection window.
how much play should the belt have in the window an inch i dont wamt to take it to dealer
can we spary soap and water in the aluminum pulley as well and clean the tooth up up? thanks for sharing
hey!! love the vids!! any chance of getting a step by step on sportster belt adjustment??
Thanks Milo... every bit helps aye....oh yeah..!
Hi Rob..... i knew you wouldn't get that .. We had a classic comedy show over here called "Only fools and horses"....and it was a famous scene from that, one of the carachters was real stupid, and the quote has become legend... i cant post a link, but just Google "Trigger's Broom Quote"....you'll love it...
another lesson learned as how to take care of the bike,thanks,btw when I bought my 2013 iron,the dealer told me belt will last 100,000 miles lol,go figure more bull crap
$1500 to replace and fit @ the dealers in Australia ouch! pays to look after them. road gravel stay away from it. good tip to the unwary . nice helpful upload
Could you do a video on how to remove a back tire on a Heritage softail Classic and reistall it ? Thanks for your time
Hi there, I'm a bandit owner and have just followed your brake calliper seal replacement vid, which was spot on. Looking at belts on the Harley they seem to last longer than a chain, is there a conversion kit from chain to belt for Bandits, and why don't more companies use belts?
Dave
Belts have always been the reserve of cruiser bikes, and i think the factories wont use them on sporty bikes for fear of tainting the 'go-fast' image with a cruiser bike item on their bikes.....so its nothing more than marketing because they are perfectly fine for any use... They are however very expensive to buy, and you must take the swing arm out in order to fit the belt as you cant separate it....so cost and grief fitting them is also a put-off... not sure if there is a kit, never had the inclination to look... but have a search and see if you can find one out there in internet land and let us know... good luck with it buddy.. all the best, Del.
Ahh' I definitely love the Confederate flag in the back ground. 👍👍
This is awesome thanks mate
great info. thanks man...
20 years I've had this broom!
Any chance you know the torque spec for rear axle 2009 xl883l?
Belts are supposed to be good for 100,000 miles sometimes last longer,some little short..but avg 100k
I was not able to find much information on which of the two is more dangerous (chain vs belt). The information I did find were all specifically talking about a rear lockup when it comes to chains but a belt just ripping without any lockup (> just a free-spinning wheel). Is that actually incorrect? (Just discovered your channel and can't stop watching all the videos!!!)
+Hans Oderfest Chains or belts dont break if they are properly looked after...and a belt could still wrap itself round a back wheel if it broke...!
5 yrs ago i said it and I’m going to say it AGAIN NICE FLAG BROTHER. hope ur doin well mate. Stay safe great video also
Thanks, you too bruv!
I bought a low km 08 xl 1200c last year 6000km . You mentioned about 40,000 miles on a HD belt. Is there a age limit specified for the belt? Another question regarding tire age limit that you go by ? Tire brand replacement recommendations ? Now it has the original Dunlop . I certainly plan on changing front/back . back still has enough tread. Ive head mixed age limits on tires . Good videos . thanks .
+Tad Wolfenden Hi Tad.... this factory Dunlops are pretty rubbish in the first place...so if they're old, they always worth replacing... and the belt will be fine as long as it hold its teeth and doesnt crack up.... give it a good look over, a bike like that, with that mileage should be good to ride for a few years with no issues..
Good old Trigger!
keep um safe Del
I 've been dealing with a squeaky belt . 2016 Kawasaki voyager . I check tension , wheel is aligned . I gave up
Tray a light mist of PTFE spray along the inner face of the belt. .!
@@Moonfleet41 thank you! I will give it a shot..
Just did mine, was like metallic treacle LOL
question....squeaking noise.....adjusted the tension....alignment.....still there...lost...help please....