Spyder Belt

[che57vy]

Any chance of chain drive system being made for spyder getting away from belt? Checked mine today with Kriket 240 lbs from dealer

[Dudley]

Why a chain?

[che57vy]

I had a lot less problems thru the years with a chain

[freebob]

I had a lot less problems thru the years with a chain

On my second Spyder never a problem with belt...Even BMW uses belt drive.....

[boborgera]

On .Even BMW uses belt drive.....

Only on their cheaper bikes.
Shaft is the way to go.

[Bootie]

Only on their cheaper bikes.
Shaft is the way to go.

Shaft means extra weight for a vehicle that is already pretty heavy.
Shaft also loses more energy than a chain or belt.

[Lamonster]

Shaft means extra weight for a vehicle that is already pretty heavy.
Shaft also loses more energy than a chain or belt.

All us guys with a shaft like my 109 wish we had a belt or chain when it comes to getting hp to the ground.

[SpyderWolf]

Some of the Spyder pictures I have seen from the European owners have chain drives. I also know that Camtech Customs converted one to chain drive and put a 360 on the back. A member of this forum owns it right now. So, yes, it can be done.

[Bob Denman]

Aren't belt drives a lot less maintenance, noise and grease also?? How many of us really dig adjusting chain tensions?

[boborgera]

Aren't belt drives a lot less maintenance, noise and grease also?? How many of us really dig adjusting chain tensions?

It takes about 10 minutes to adjust my chain[er-6n] I then just spray it with chain wax that's it.
My VTX1800 was shaft, No maintenance, no adjustments,.

[spyder3rdr]

the is the first bike I've owned thats belt drive ... I perfer it now instant response when i hit the throttle , unlike a chain that needs a certain amount of slack which gives you a short delay when hitting the throttle...not to mention the danger of having a chain long enough to fit the and if it was to break , the damage a chain would do

[Bob Denman]

I've had shafties and chain drives also... Suspension jacking can be fun if you're playing hard in the twisties with a couple of right-angle turns in the drivetrain...
I was never able to lube a chain without getting half of that crap on me! But I never was that good with mechanical things like spray cans!

[Raptor]

Todays bikes make enough power where getting it to the ground via shaft is no problem. I'll take a shaft over a belt or a chain any day. Modern materials can negate any weight penalties, but the Spyder doesn't make enough power for a shaft to be a viable option anyway.

But, to answer the question, yes it can be done. I have seen chain conversions done on the Spyder. Nice to be able to tweek your gearing the way you want to, which is one thing the chain does offer...

[Bob Denman]

No doubt; it's a much simpler setup that even an idiot such as myself can tinker with and fine-tune... sprockets and a chainbreaker oddly enough ARE within the scope of my limited abilities!

[ARtraveler]

Belt drive seems to be the current wave of the future as most bikes have come away from chains and shafts. I have had them all--but being mechanically challenged--I don't notice that much difference. For me chains meant adjusting and lubing, shaft drive had that initial clunk when starting out, belt seems quieter and more responsive.

Never had a chain break, never had problems with shafties, and cracked one belt--my fault--went on gravel road and picked up a rock. Replaced belt before it got worse and broke.

[Questions]

30,000 miles and my belt spit half it's teeth out, At $300 a piece,, I hope the next one gives me more miles than that.

[BajaRon]

30,000 miles and my belt spit half it's teeth out, At $300 a piece,, I hope the next one gives me more miles than that.

Getting 30k out of a chain on a 700-900 lb machine would be a miracle. Have you priced a good chain and sprocket set lately? You'd probably need to double that cost for the length of chain the Spyder would need.

Nothing is perfect. But of the 3 choices I think the current belt drive is the best of them all for the Spyder.

I too have owned chain and shaft drives. If BRP put either of these on the Spyder we'd have a group complaining that they wanted belt drive. It's the nature of consumer sports....

[chris56]

made in Italy - but I don`t know the Price ..

[Noral]

made in Italy - but I don`t know the Price ..

Looks like he might need some mud grips !

[otter28169]

I have been riding ski-doo snowmobiles since I was four years old. Between my father and I we have owned the biggest and baddest sleds they have put out over the last 25 years. The belts have always done well by us. Even the 150+hp motors, like the 800R E-tec and the 1000 SDI have been belt driven. We ride hard, ie: rough trails, fast lakes, and deep powder, and I have only ever had issues with one belt. That belt was 5 years old. I like the belt driven feel. More responsive, less maintenance and, if you avoid dumping the clutch at every light, very durable. The belt is also the "weakest link" in the drive train, many times saving the motor from being destroyed. But this is only one man's opinion, and needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

[Bryk]

When/If they put a bigger engine in these I think the clear choice should be to go to shaft. With the risk of getting a rock in the belt and recking it I see it as a no brainer.

A lot of people such as myself get the Spyder because we don't want to worry about gravel. However the Spyder has the belt issue with gravel, so bigger engine, shaft drive, happy gravel Spyder riders.

Do people have issues with rocks with the belt guard addon? I of course plan on getting that as soon as possible, however I'm guessing it won't protect it 100% from a rock getting in there, just wondering if it has happened to anyone that had the extra guard on.

[Bob Denman]

Sticking shaft drive on the bike will widen it up out back; it might steal luggage space...

[Bryk]

Sticking shaft drive on the bike will widen it up out back; it might steal luggage space...

I think it could be done, bigger engine, shaft, bigger gas tank. It will be bigger and weigh more. I'm sure the luggage capacity could be increased as well. Improving the handling was obviously the first step in this direction. From here, the sky is the limit.