Belts go 80k miles on Harleys, should last even longer on a Savage...must have gotten damaged to fail so early...You can't repair it, have to buy a new one.  Bad luck

i got a belt if you need it. I think they're something like $280 new. 15k mi's. No damage. Either way sorry about your bad luck. Rare for a belt to snap especially with so little use.

Beginners use original belts I'm on the 3rd belt at the moment. They are wear items and may need replacing every once in a while. The original went slightly before 50000 kms but the cheaper aftermarket belts don't appear to last nearly as much. I'd get a thicker and stronger heavy duty belt next if we were to keep the bike and I could be sure there's enough room around the front pulley (there's not much). Your 20000 miles seem quite low, do take care the replacement is aligned and tensioned correctly.

Rockin_John wrote on 12/03/08 at 15:49:17:


Belt is model specific, pulleys are not, original pulleys work with aftermarket belts. With slight modification you can use 'one size up' if you get the idea.
However I've never used eBay or such and if it's true there are cheap used original belts, there's little point modifying the bike for generic belts. They were an option back when used parts weren't as widely available and online breakers didn't exist.  

Rockin_John wrote on 12/04/08 at 18:58:38:


Doesn't anyone run an industrial belt here? I've used them since 1998 or 1999 and know a Finn who put one on in 1993 so this is not ground breaking or difficult. There are a few people using them in Europe. As I said, just go 'next size up'.. If you've searched belt manufacturers, you've probably searched for exact replacement which you won't find. Take the closest match and make it fit
New pulleys would be too expensive to make it worthwhile, for different gearing chain and GS sprockets are the practical choice.

Rockin_John wrote on 12/04/08 at 19:44:03:


that's 'cause he's good......really good.........Buhhhhhhuhhhhaa!....

SV og LS wrote on 12/04/08 at 23:30:46:



Just more big talk... and nothing to back it up.  It has become a pattern. One that I'm bored with. I just wondered if you would come up with the goods if pressed. Of course you didn't.

I have done the homework before, and don't care to travel that ground again. And though I'm adept with any fabrication tool outside of the machine shop; it sounds to me like re-inventing the wheel. If you have to weld and grind or do much modification work at all so you can use a slightly cheaper, but inferior belt, (by your own admission). What is the point? Sounds like you did a lot of work to degrade the quality of the bike. That type of information is of no interest to me, and best left out of the hands of "beginners" anyways.  

Not to worry though... I did a chain conversion on one of my Savages, so I know the feeling  .  All that work and expense just to have a greasy old chain. And the gear change sounds like a good idea at first, but when you have two Savages side-by-side to do real A&B test rides... It turns out that the stock gearing is really about spot on for overall use with the bike under load. I wouldn't recommend the chain conversion and higher ratio to anyone unless they are a real lightweight who doesn't pack a lot of gear on long rides. Maybe a skinny long-distance commuter, who likes to cruise at 80MPH. Otherwise, the stock belt is a much better drive system.

OTOH, I've been really tempted to gear one of the Savages WAY down to where the red-line in top gear was about 75-80mph, and have some serious fun with the low gears; tractor torque, and some tight curves!