Many thanks for this video Greg! Yesterday my belt was broken within the Haspin Acres/Indiana offroad area which was disappointing. I was happy to catch two people in order to get the Zero out of the mud. After 22oo mi about - 95% street use. I am considering also now to convert - your video is a big helper - much appreciated.
The fish link will come off because of the rubber it's passing through. If you roll it backwards a lot. I went for a normal motorcycle chain master link fits through without touching the rubber.
When it's time to replace I'll of course use the rivet link, I just used both because I followed Zero's instructions without checking first and had to put the chain back together.
Thank you for this informative video. Did the chain guide come with the kit? The note in the Zero accessories catalog makes it sound like it's separate, but I don't see one for sale anywhere that says it would fit.
@@GregHassler thanks, I installed the kit and now it bogs and stutters at higher speeds. The motor has lost power, I guess I wasnt carefull enough taking off the front sprocket
Greg, great video, thanks for posting. With the chain conversion is there any performance difference? Also, does the chain conversion kit reduce the mileage you get out of the bike per charge?
The chain is geared lower / shorter, so yes it affects performance. You'll have more accelleration and easier wheelies with less top speed. Great for trails and lower speeds, worse on the highway. A Zero dealer can fix the speedometer with programming. Consumption, especially at high speed, I believe suffers a little but I have no data.
Hi Greg, thanks for the video with the valuable instructions. Small questions, did you notice any degradation of the splines on the motor shaft in the meantime? I am considering to get the chain kit, but I have seen some reports of spline damage due to the thin sprocket and that it would be better to get a sprocket with wider splines. Thanks in advance.
I didn't notice any damage on the splines, but I didn't have high mileage on the bike. I wasn't aware of that being an issue for anyone, but if you ride off road the chain kit is a must.
Great tutorial, I've a FX '17 and I've bought a jt front sprocket JTF565 12T www.jtsprockets.com/fileadmin/code/images/large/JTF565.png but central bore looks a little bigger compared to original belt sprocket, I'm talking about 0.5-1mm of inner diameter difference (sprocket inner bore is bigger). Did you notice it too while installing the front sprocket? Or can you tell which JTF model do you have installed? Thanks
Excellent video, thank you. I have been hesitant to install my chain conversion on my DSR for quite some time, now. Your video has eased a lot of my apprehensions about doing the install. Thanks for taking the time to show a detailed install. I am curious though, how did you keep the motor shaft from spinning so you could torque down the new front sprocket? Take care and ride safe!
Yes, I realized I skipped over that. Honestly I dropped the loctite on the bolt and just popped it on with a battery-powered impact gun, it looked like it spun 1/4 or 3/8 of a turn past hand tight, so I'm hoping it doesn't come off and I don't die. They say it should be torqued to fifty-something ft/lbs, but you can't get to the bolt while the swingarm is on. You could arguably lop the chain over the sprocket to hold it in place and secure the chain somehow.
+ Greg Hassler Thanks, Greg. Turns out I neglected to recall that the 2016 model has a set screw and a sprocket shaft key that I will have to be mindful of. Sad times at Motormount High.
@@pinaero yes, I noted it in the description but any pre-17 Zero has the keyed shaft. However pullers are readily available and inexpensive at pretty much any auto parts store. It is an extra step though.
+Greg Hassler Yep, I feel silly I bought a 3 jaw puller some months ago for this exact purpose. I was just so excited to see your video I thought to myself, "let's do this!" then I was like "hm... maybe I am not ready." haha
So, trying to use your video practically, I'm wanting to know whether or not the amount of sprocket/motor spline play I'm seeing is ok. Also, properly torquing down the bolt for the motor/front sprocket is tricky since most 3/8" drive T45 or 6mm hex drivers won't fit through the swingarm threads. You totally skipped over that part. As someone trying to actually get help with this job, this video covered everything I didn't need and totally skipped over two things I actually really want to know...
I don't remember having issues with either of those things. There shouldn't be much play, if any, on the splines on the motor shaft to the sprocket. Do the splines look worn? It's not really an area prone to wear. I'm not following your torque issue, how did you get it off if your driver doesn't fit through the hole? I don't remember having any issues with that either, mine clearly fits through the hole fine in the video. It was a T50. Just get a new Torx socket set.
I forget if I pulled it, I don't think so, I just cleaned it and masked it. I sprayed it with whatever matte black rattle can I had laying around the garage. It did end up flaking off a bit, but wouldn't be hard to respray it occasionally. Powder coating would probably be more ideal long term.
Greg Hassler thx man. Thinking powder coat is the way to go but I’ve also had some great results with this apoxy rattle can paint on my trucks and it’s VERY VERY durable.
Yes, the chain rubbed the rubber insert a bit, especially could hear the thump of the master link going through. I think the chain will just wear it in though, already seems quieter.
Yes, I had the dealer recalibrate the speedo after this. They just punch in some numbers in the software and it's supposedly fixed, I haven't GPS tested it to see how accurate.
I had 3 Harleys and I still having a Harley V-Rod and a Zero S all of them with belt, never had a problem, are quiet, I never changed one, maintenance free, I put thousands of miles on each one and I love it, if you are not doing wheelis all day or in serious competition makes no sense install a chain kit, add noise to the quiet electric bike, need adjustment, tedious cleaning and oiling every 700 to 1000 miles. No thank you!
If you a ride a Zero FX deep in the woods like I do, then a chain kit is a must. One stick or stone gets caught between the belt and the sprocket you can snap the belt. Doing a field replacement in muddy ravine miles from home is not an easy task. But with a chain, it's most likely not going to break and if it does, you don't need to drop the swing arm to put a new chain on. Now if someone comes up with a real masterlink for a belt, that could be a game changer. Carry an extra belt with a masterlink, that could get ya home.
Many thanks for this video Greg! Yesterday my belt was broken within the Haspin Acres/Indiana offroad area which was disappointing. I was happy to catch two people in order to get the Zero out of the mud. After 22oo mi about - 95% street use. I am considering also now to convert - your video is a big helper - much appreciated.
The fish link will come off because of the rubber it's passing through. If you roll it backwards a lot. I went for a normal motorcycle chain master link fits through without touching the rubber.
When it's time to replace I'll of course use the rivet link, I just used both because I followed Zero's instructions without checking first and had to put the chain back together.
@@GregHassler Keep an eye on the fish link. Mine decided to come off despite being tied down with racewire.
Thank you for this informative video. Did the chain guide come with the kit? The note in the Zero accessories catalog makes it sound like it's separate, but I don't see one for sale anywhere that says it would fit.
Yes it was part of the kit.
Do you need to get the bike reprogrammed after the chain kit install?
Only if you want the speedo to be accurate. It will read fast, but a dealer can correct it. Otherwise everything works fine.
@@GregHassler thanks, I installed the kit and now it bogs and stutters at higher speeds. The motor has lost power, I guess I wasnt carefull enough taking off the front sprocket
Greg, great video, thanks for posting. With the chain conversion is there any performance difference? Also, does the chain conversion kit reduce the mileage you get out of the bike per charge?
The chain is geared lower / shorter, so yes it affects performance. You'll have more accelleration and easier wheelies with less top speed. Great for trails and lower speeds, worse on the highway.
A Zero dealer can fix the speedometer with programming.
Consumption, especially at high speed, I believe suffers a little but I have no data.
@@GregHassler Thanks Greg! Have you tested out the max speed on the highway with the chain conversion? If so, what was it?
@@justinwallace9349 I forget, but I think the gear reduction is close to 10%.
Hey would it be possible to tell me what tyers you are using not to sure what offroad ones to get
Hi Greg, thanks for the video with the valuable instructions. Small questions, did you notice any degradation of the splines on the motor shaft in the meantime? I am considering to get the chain kit, but I have seen some reports of spline damage due to the thin sprocket and that it would be better to get a sprocket with wider splines. Thanks in advance.
I didn't notice any damage on the splines, but I didn't have high mileage on the bike. I wasn't aware of that being an issue for anyone, but if you ride off road the chain kit is a must.
At 4:16 are you stowing/storing your charge cable in that little hole in the swing arm?
No, I've never really tried that, I'm not confident it wouldn't fall out.
@@GregHassler Ok I thought that's what I was looking at but I guess not, thx
Great tutorial, I've a FX '17 and I've bought a jt front sprocket JTF565 12T www.jtsprockets.com/fileadmin/code/images/large/JTF565.png but central bore looks a little bigger compared to original belt sprocket, I'm talking about 0.5-1mm of inner diameter difference (sprocket inner bore is bigger). Did you notice it too while installing the front sprocket? Or can you tell which JTF model do you have installed? Thanks
instablaster...
Excellent video, thank you. I have been hesitant to install my chain conversion on my DSR for quite some time, now. Your video has eased a lot of my apprehensions about doing the install. Thanks for taking the time to show a detailed install. I am curious though, how did you keep the motor shaft from spinning so you could torque down the new front sprocket? Take care and ride safe!
Yes, I realized I skipped over that. Honestly I dropped the loctite on the bolt and just popped it on with a battery-powered impact gun, it looked like it spun 1/4 or 3/8 of a turn past hand tight, so I'm hoping it doesn't come off and I don't die. They say it should be torqued to fifty-something ft/lbs, but you can't get to the bolt while the swingarm is on. You could arguably lop the chain over the sprocket to hold it in place and secure the chain somehow.
+ Greg Hassler Thanks, Greg. Turns out I neglected to recall that the 2016 model has a set screw and a sprocket shaft key that I will have to be mindful of. Sad times at Motormount High.
@@pinaero yes, I noted it in the description but any pre-17 Zero has the keyed shaft. However pullers are readily available and inexpensive at pretty much any auto parts store. It is an extra step though.
+Greg Hassler Yep, I feel silly I bought a 3 jaw puller some months ago for this exact purpose. I was just so excited to see your video I thought to myself, "let's do this!" then I was like "hm... maybe I am not ready." haha
Do you have to remove the rear brake to remove the rear wheel?
The caliper? It's sort of one and the same. The caliper is mounted to the axle, so it is not mounted once the wheel is removed.
What tires are they ? Also arnt the belts made for “non off-road use” or hard use atleast 😂
Kenda K270's I think.
The belt isn't made for hard off-road use, which is what I subject the bike to.
Did you try the carbon belts?
@@dcktater7847 I was switching off of the factory belt, which is a carbon fiber belt by Gates.
@@GregHassler so even carbon sux.... Thanx that's all i needed to hear
So, trying to use your video practically, I'm wanting to know whether or not the amount of sprocket/motor spline play I'm seeing is ok. Also, properly torquing down the bolt for the motor/front sprocket is tricky since most 3/8" drive T45 or 6mm hex drivers won't fit through the swingarm threads. You totally skipped over that part. As someone trying to actually get help with this job, this video covered everything I didn't need and totally skipped over two things I actually really want to know...
I don't remember having issues with either of those things.
There shouldn't be much play, if any, on the splines on the motor shaft to the sprocket. Do the splines look worn? It's not really an area prone to wear.
I'm not following your torque issue, how did you get it off if your driver doesn't fit through the hole? I don't remember having any issues with that either, mine clearly fits through the hole fine in the video. It was a T50. Just get a new Torx socket set.
Greg- what did you use to paint the kick stand? Did you have to pull it? Hate that it sticks out so much factory silver.... thanks
I forget if I pulled it, I don't think so, I just cleaned it and masked it. I sprayed it with whatever matte black rattle can I had laying around the garage. It did end up flaking off a bit, but wouldn't be hard to respray it occasionally. Powder coating would probably be more ideal long term.
Greg Hassler thx man. Thinking powder coat is the way to go but I’ve also had some great results with this apoxy rattle can paint on my trucks and it’s VERY VERY durable.
Did you change ratios?
Is this a factory kit from zero?
This is the factory kit, but it's a shorter ratio than the OEM belt by about 10% or so. Lower top speed / faster acceleration.
Did you tighten your chain guide all the way down. Mine touched the chain a bit
Yes, the chain rubbed the rubber insert a bit, especially could hear the thump of the master link going through. I think the chain will just wear it in though, already seems quieter.
Greg Hassler thank you sire that’s what I figured
Bro can you provide me with the details of the swingarm bolt
I think it's a 10mm hex if I recall.
www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY3PZPC/
Also did you have your speedometer calibrated
Yes, I had the dealer recalibrate the speedo after this. They just punch in some numbers in the software and it's supposedly fixed, I haven't GPS tested it to see how accurate.
Greg Hassler man thank you so much for the info
I had 3 Harleys and I still having a Harley V-Rod and a Zero S all of them with belt, never had a problem, are quiet, I never changed one, maintenance free, I put thousands of miles on each one and I love it, if you are not doing wheelis all day or in serious competition makes no sense install a chain kit, add noise to the quiet electric bike, need adjustment, tedious cleaning and oiling every 700 to 1000 miles. No thank you!
Agreed! This was used extensively off-road over rocks, logs, roots, lots of wheel spin, etc. Belt was severely damaged within 500 miles off road.
If you a ride a Zero FX deep in the woods like I do, then a chain kit is a must. One stick or stone gets caught between the belt and the sprocket you can snap the belt. Doing a field replacement in muddy ravine miles from home is not an easy task. But with a chain, it's most likely not going to break and if it does, you don't need to drop the swing arm to put a new chain on. Now if someone comes up with a real masterlink for a belt, that could be a game changer. Carry an extra belt with a masterlink, that could get ya home.
@@erolsommer I understand, personally I commute in city and less noise and no lubrication/maintenance is a plus for me, Ride safe.