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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Belts-R-Us! /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1569597256 Message started by Armen on 09/27/19 at 08:14:16 |
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Title: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/27/19 at 08:14:16 So, one of my early goals was to keep the belt drive on my Savage project (no name yet, but a bunch of lame possibilities). Thanks to the clever research by Dave, I modified a Kawi front pulley to swap for the original. Good news, lower revs. Bad news, the wheel sits so far forward I had to open up the axle adjuster slot with a die grinder to be able to adjust the belt tension. And I had to cut the swingarm brace to clear (also using an 18" rear wheel). Here is the axle position with the OEM belt and a little slack. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/27/19 at 08:20:47 A few people have tried to find replacement belts for the bikes. But no reported success. One thing that I just couldn't stand was how wide the belt was. 40mm. Over 1-1/2". For a lightweight bike making maybe 25 HP. Kinda goofy. Lots of belt drive heavier/more powerful bikes using MUCH narrower belts. So, I decided to narrow the belts and pulleys. Cut the belt down on a table saw and whittled the pulleys on the lathe and milling machine. Now 25mm/1". Much less goofy looking. And I offset the lower shock mount (of the shock itself) and shortened the top shock mount on the frame by about an inch/25mm. Much less goofy looking. Not wanting to have only one belt, I bought a used one on Ebay to modify. New OEM ones are a few million dollars, so I bought used. Looking closely, I saw that both were in various states of dry rot. And one had a hole in it :-0 Not thrilled. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/27/19 at 08:30:18 I happened to be digging through the factory service manual and came upon the alphanumeric code for the belt. I called up my favorite belt and bearing people (Worldwide Bearing in Fairfield NJ) and read off the number. "Does this exist?" I asked. "And, any chance it exists in two teeth longer, and only 25mm?". Hmm Lots of head scratching and Chris come up with 3 possibilities. He can get the equivalent of stock, with a fiberglass cord. Or, they have a MUCH better/stronger one. Or, they have a MUCHMUCHMUCH stronger steel braided core one. How about the widths? I ask. Hmm Seems this belt comes on a roll. They cross cut it to whatever width you want. At this point I have the stock width 40mm pulleys, a set of 25mm pulleys, and a 22mm-7/8" wide front pulley that I never made a matching rear one for. "Any idea of the load ratings of these 3 belts? No, but the manufacturer claims the steel core one is Much stronger than the middle grade one which is much stronger than the OEM type. Doing a completely non-scientific comparison, I figure that the OohBabyOohBabyOoh steel one is prob what big heavy bikes are using. So, I order one cut to 25mm/1", as I haven't finished modifying a rear pulley, and I kinda want to finish the bike before I die of old age. A few days later a wonderful new belt, 2 teeth longer (140) shows up in the mail for a very reasonable $170 or so. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/27/19 at 08:31:20 Of course I check the new belt with the OEM rear pulley and the fit is perfect! |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/27/19 at 08:32:31 And the best part, is I now have a belt that puts the adjuster in the happy zone. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/27/19 at 08:36:34 My original test machining was done on a pretty nasty rear pulley. The chrome was flaking off, and so forth. Once I saw that the gag should work, I modified a second one. Here is a stock front pulley for reference, and two of my modified rear ones. Now have the thinner, cleaner, happier one on the bike :-) |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by DragBikeMike on 09/27/19 at 14:13:24 Wow! That is sweet. You are a genius Armen. 8-) Can you share some of those alpha numeric numbers, maybe the part number for the stock replacement in the mid-strength grade, the part number for the narrow belt you purchased, manufacturer, stuff like that? Really nice post. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by springman on 09/27/19 at 18:40:05 That was impressive Armen. Cool!! |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Hiko on 09/27/19 at 18:51:14 You really are a genius Armen I too wondered why the belt was so wide compared to much bigger bikes I suspect the narrower belt will track better too especially in concert with the double row rear pulley bearing mod. Incidentally I have foung a smidgen of silicon grease on the pulley flange on each side quietens that annoying belt chirp It takes hardly any at all to do the trick. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by zevenenergie on 09/28/19 at 01:02:27 Sweet :) |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/28/19 at 04:51:25 Thanks for all the kind words. Hiko- I did DBM's double wide bearing mod. I'm sire the carrier runs true and will stay that way. I also Loctited the stepped spacers into the double wide bearing from both sides to give a much longer engagement surface with the axle. It ain't going anywhere. DBM-I'll dig out all the numbers and post them soon. thanks, -Armen |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by ohiomoto on 09/28/19 at 06:25:00 But you could have sliced that million dollar OEM belt and had two of them and saved even more weight!! Those 2 extra teeth and all that steel is adding so much weight!! Now your are going to have to get the mill fired up and put some more holes somewhere. ;D ;D |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/28/19 at 07:29:51 Yeah, Ohio, I sure your concern :-) I'm going to put some pics up of the side stand. That def saved some weight. Maybe you'll feel better after you see those pics ;) |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by BrokeAss on 09/28/19 at 14:01:05 Chain converson FTW... |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by ohiomoto on 09/28/19 at 16:47:37 72415E565D330 wrote:
I love your pictures and can't wait to see more as the build progresses. And to be clear, I poke a little fun, but I actually love your work and your desire to cut weight off the bike. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Serowbot on 09/29/19 at 16:16:10 Could you possibly post us a link to this company, and the correct spec/info to ask for a stock belt replacement?... It would be good info for the Marketplace Section... I'm sure business will come their way... |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 09/29/19 at 17:02:33 No prob Will do that tomorrow. Nice folks, love to help them out. FWIW, this means I have a few stock belts in various widths that I no longer need... |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Serowbot on 09/30/19 at 07:27:19 PM sent |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 10/01/19 at 06:40:47 Belt info |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 10/01/19 at 06:41:24 Belt part number |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by stewmills on 10/01/19 at 06:57:57 Scroll down that image a little further. We can't quite see your CC#. |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by zevenenergie on 10/02/19 at 04:33:02 Dear Armen, I'm looking at the belt number: 1890PLT14M-25 Would you say it's a Trapezoidal Tooth Profile? If you look at the belt? Or the teeth are round? Tanks, |
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Title: Re: Belts-R-Us! Post by Armen on 10/02/19 at 04:57:36 I posted a pic of the belt and sprocket. I can take a close up of the belt. |
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