i personally believe the cons out weigh the pros on this issue, and i speak from experience on this matter.
my last ride was an 81 gn400, the precurser to the savage line, i put 98,000 miles on it in 23 years.
i ate up as many chains as i did rear tires. these machines have so much torque the wide belt was required, wider than any harley i've seen.
now if you just putter around and take it easy a chain would be ok.
then comes the left side shock mount off set, a chain would amplify that large gap.
then theres the constant lubrication, and adjustment. you will be yanking out links monthly if you ride hard.
now if i was building a show bike out of a savage, it would be a different story. hardtail struts, chain drive,
ect.
just my opinion, like an a$$ hole, every body's got one, they all stink.