I have a 2018 RT Limited with about 5,000 miles on it. I noticed the other day that my drive belt has a small "chunk" out of it on the outside edge. I' attaching a picture of the damaged area of the belt. I know taking to the dealer for a new belt will set me back around $500. Wondering if any of you have an opinion as to whether this condition is overly troublesome at this time. I know there are no guarantees, just wondering what thoughts any would have as to whether I should run to the dealer now. Many thanks for any feedback.
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Damaged Drive Belt
- Thread starter jbaker
- Start date
trikermutha
New member
How are the rounded areas that are under that chunk?
Looks like there could be more damage but you need to check.
Looks like there could be more damage but you need to check.
Woodaddict
Active member
from pic, could have run over something at rear sprocket to road, but tire missed? seems more than what a small stone could do? look at rear sprocket teeth too
BLUEKNIGHT911
Sadly Passed Oct 2024 - RIP
:agree: ... those belts are very tuff ( hole and all ) .... I would start looking for a re-placement ... I bought a new one for $150.00 on E-bay ( it has the factory numbers on it ) ..... monitor it closely and follow advise as above posts suggest ..... think about a BELT GUARD ..... good luck .... Mike :thumbup:
Look for a replacement, sure - but not at a premium price & not necessarily in any great hurry! :lecturef_smilie: I'd suggest you check both sprockets carefully for any damaged teeth, and have a squizz at the inside of the belt too - but if the damage is only superficial like that we can see on the top, and it covers no more extent on the toothed side of the belt than on the top, then I'd recommend that you just ryde on & keep a watchful eye on it - check it out at every service, & maybe even eyeball it whenever you are checking your tire pressures?! :dontknow:
These belts are a helluva lot stronger and capable of withstanding minor damage than most think, and as far as I can see from that pic, the damage to that belt IS only minor! Carefully trim off any loose/frayed bits, re-shape the teeth a little if absolutely necessary, but really, that belt doesn't appear to be in too bad of a condition! I've seen (and ridden with) worse damage that's lasted well over 100,000 miles!
Sure, there might be a bit of luck involved in achieving that, but that's just the luck of the draw! Why buy trouble before you need to? Why not just Ryde More, Worry Less?!
hyea:
These belts are a helluva lot stronger and capable of withstanding minor damage than most think, and as far as I can see from that pic, the damage to that belt IS only minor! Carefully trim off any loose/frayed bits, re-shape the teeth a little if absolutely necessary, but really, that belt doesn't appear to be in too bad of a condition! I've seen (and ridden with) worse damage that's lasted well over 100,000 miles!
Sure, there might be a bit of luck involved in achieving that, but that's just the luck of the draw! Why buy trouble before you need to? Why not just Ryde More, Worry Less?!
hyea:
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canamjhb
Well-known member
A few years ago I had a chunk (flap) come loose from the top edge of the belt on my Spyder RTL. It was about 3 times the size of yours. There was no damage to either sprocket or to the body/underside of the belt. It looked like a manufacturing defect that just came loose. I cut the flap off and smoothed the surrounding area. Could not see any chords effected. For a long time I checked it every time I rode. Then after a while, it was every 2nd or 3rd ride. Eventually I subscribed to the advice Peter gave you in his last words of his post above. It never changed and never became a problem...... Jim
Like others have said, the belt is pretty tough. I saw a demonstration at my local Harley dealer where the belt was actually cut in half all the way down the length of it in the middle. One side was attached to the handlebars on the left and the other on the right of a new Harley bagger. Then it was lifted up by a forklift just to show how strong the belt actually is. As long as the two outside steel bands are not damaged you should be fine.
Guys: Thanks for all the thoughts and comments. I did have the time today to roll it out and inspect it further. Cant's see anything wrong with the teeth on the wheel. Attaching some additional photos of what I saw all around the belt.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Attachments
Yeah, that's probably a little worse than it appeared from the earlier pics, but I reckon the same advice still applies!
If it starts tearing across the belt, then it's time to chase down a replacement, but I've seen worse (much worse!
) damage on the sides/edges of belts that've continued to work for a whole lotta miles while monitored by a watchful eye!
If it starts tearing across the belt, then it's time to chase down a replacement, but I've seen worse (much worse!
) damage on the sides/edges of belts that've continued to work for a whole lotta miles while monitored by a watchful eye! Sure, there might be a bit of luck involved in achieving that, but that's just the luck of the draw! Why buy trouble before you need to? Why not just Ryde More, Worry Less?!
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canamjhb
Well-known member
Your new pictures do show a better view of the damage. It looks worse to me than I thought from your first pic. The belt most likely will last a long, long time. But, I would install a "missing belt guard" and replace the belt if taking a trip of any length. Something has taken a good chunk out of the belt. And you do have some damage to the cogs before and after the primary damage area. You might want to do a very careful inspection of both sprockets and smooth out any burrs or sharp edges. The sprocket metal is relatively soft and will smooth easily with a fine metal file. (Voice of experience) Good luck..... Jim
Mikey
Well-known member
Do you like playing poker?? If you can not afford a new belt then ride it out! But remember when or where it blows up you will be stuck beside the road. If it just tears you may limp it home, but if it blows up like a sled belt your done! Watch it close, I would not screw around myself! Good luck
K80Shooter
New member
Unless you have a very long trip planned I would just run it and keep a check on it for a while just to see what happens.
As you can see, everyone has a different view of things. You have to choose what suites you best.
As you can see, everyone has a different view of things. You have to choose what suites you best.
If I had a choice when it comes to my ride suffering a total shut down, it would be a belt failure. Don't ask me how I know that. There is no good place for it to happen unless it occurs in your driveway, but if your luck is like mine it won't happen that way. It'll take place in a majorly busy intersection or in the middle of the desert somewhere, outside of cell range. Though not an exceedingly costly fix, it's the inconvenience it creates if you're in the number one lane at freeway speed when it happens. The best advice, get it fixed and lose the worry. Ride safe.
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