Chain or belt
Opinions (chain od belt) are divided
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Re: Chain or belt
I've only got about 150 miles on my new belt. I would have to say that it seems to make the most difference at highway speeds. The bike feels a lot smoother. Less vibration, I mean. I don't normally ride more than 50 mph unless I need to though. I like secondary roads at 40 to 50 mph. At these speeds I'm in 3rd gear so the belt doesn't seem to make any difference taking out vibration.
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Re: Chain or belt
I will try a belt conversion this year, use to ride at 70 mph on "nationale" roads; I will add my coments when the season will be over
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Re: Chain or belt
I'm going belt. Aiming for a dripless Knuck & Pan. You don't want to end up like the two "utes" in Chuck's ad.
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Re: Chain or belt
I've run a belt for the last 8 years or so but with the 23 tooth sprocket equililent motor pully was definitely overrevving at highway speeds. So this year I switched back to a chain and am running a 25 tooth engine sprocket and a 25 tooth tranny sprocket. This will give me an overall ratio of 3.02. I hated to "rechain" as the belt drive has been smooth, quiet, and hassle free. I sure wish the beltdrive companies would wake up and smell the coffee and produce a range of front pully sizes. I'll let you know the results after I ride around a bit.
King
King
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Re: Chain or belt
The belt pulleys are 31 tooth motor and 47 tooth clutch for a Knuck and pre-'65 Pan. BDL says this is it. Since 1970's, all ratios of pulley teeth have been tried. Nothing but 31/47 works. What I would like to hear, is someone with a Knuck or pre-'65 Pan, run in conjunction with this motor/clutch pulley set-up,...a 26 tooth transmission sprocket and hear-back that the highway rpm's at 62 mph have lessened. This is our last hope at solving this problem. I have been told by Stett that the 26-T trans. sprocket with this set-up will "blow my mind". I'm running with it as soon as I can get one of these machines back on the road.
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Re: Chain or belt
VintageTwin -
If your wheel sprocket is 51T, at 2800 rpms you will be running a little over 74 mph. Your engine to wheel ratio will be 2.97 to 1. Way too tall. Are you running a stock bore and stroke? Or, is this a big-inch engine? Either way, you will need to keep it tached up.
Jack
If your wheel sprocket is 51T, at 2800 rpms you will be running a little over 74 mph. Your engine to wheel ratio will be 2.97 to 1. Way too tall. Are you running a stock bore and stroke? Or, is this a big-inch engine? Either way, you will need to keep it tached up.
Jack
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Re: Chain or belt
0.010" over 74". I ride at 62 mph maximum on the freeway getting to an off-ramp to a web of farm roads. I ride 55 mph tops, on those roads with occasional blasts up to 65-70 mph on long-arced, banked (rubberized) asphalt secondary roads. 32 (r/t) mile runs minimum or i don't ride it. The absolute good as i can get feel to what i want at 62 mph and less, with great ratios between all gears is with a chain primary, and stock gearing in my '36-64 transmission with a 24-T motor sprocket, a stock toothed clutch sprocket, a 25-T trans sprocket and a 51 tooth rear sprocket. This is the feel i want in a belt drive at 62 mph. I'm in the same position as everybody else with a stock, 31/47 tooth motor/clutch/ pulley assembly and a 26-T transmission sprocket is said to make the motor lope along real slow at 62 mph. What i hear everyone saying is that a belt primary with a 25-T trans. sprocket feels geared too low at 62-65 mph.
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Re: Chain or belt
VintageTwin -
Download the following program. It has a bunch of utilities that I put together over the years. The last program on the menu is for calculating ratios, rpms, speeds, and times of your bike, with all the sprocket numbers. I have put suggested numbers at each input. These are for a stock 45 WL.
Overhaul Calculator
All your data is saved to a .htm webpage type file. It asks for a name for the file, each time you run it. Give it a different name, each time, and you can print them out to compare the different ratios. When you download the program, put it in a folder to itself. All the data files generated by it are stored in the same folder. Saves a lot of pencil trimming, and punching on the calculator.
Jack
Note - 31T Eng, 47T Clutch, 24T Trans, 51T Wheel, 5.10x16" Tire, and 2500 RPMs will put you at 61 mph in high gear.
With: 24T Eng, 37T Clutch, 25T Trans, 51T Wheel, 5.10x16" Tire, and 2500 RPMs will put you at 62-63 mph in high gear.
Download the following program. It has a bunch of utilities that I put together over the years. The last program on the menu is for calculating ratios, rpms, speeds, and times of your bike, with all the sprocket numbers. I have put suggested numbers at each input. These are for a stock 45 WL.
Overhaul Calculator
All your data is saved to a .htm webpage type file. It asks for a name for the file, each time you run it. Give it a different name, each time, and you can print them out to compare the different ratios. When you download the program, put it in a folder to itself. All the data files generated by it are stored in the same folder. Saves a lot of pencil trimming, and punching on the calculator.
Jack
Note - 31T Eng, 47T Clutch, 24T Trans, 51T Wheel, 5.10x16" Tire, and 2500 RPMs will put you at 61 mph in high gear.
With: 24T Eng, 37T Clutch, 25T Trans, 51T Wheel, 5.10x16" Tire, and 2500 RPMs will put you at 62-63 mph in high gear.
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Re: Chain or belt
Is 2,500 rpm's in 4th gear at 62-65 mph slow for rpms. If so that's what i want with a belt primary/ chain drive. Get me that with a 26 tooth trans sprocket and I'll be happy.
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Re: Chain or belt
VintageTwin -
31T Eng,
47T Clutch,
26T Trans,
54T Wheel,
5.10x16" Tire,
and 2500 RPMs will put you at 62.59 mph in high gear.
Jack
31T Eng,
47T Clutch,
26T Trans,
54T Wheel,
5.10x16" Tire,
and 2500 RPMs will put you at 62.59 mph in high gear.
Jack
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Re: Chain or belt
No 2,500 rpms means nothing to me. I don't have a tach, never used one. Don't see one offered in my '58-68 "Parts Manual". I have to guess at rpm's. I only know what feels good at 62 mph. If 2,500 rpms at 62 mph feels good and according to Jack's figures it does, then I want that in a belt drive set up. However, I have noticed that Jack put a 54-T rear wheel sprocket on my machine instead of the 51-T rear sprocket. Could you re-formulate those last fig's. Jack and give me the speed output at 2,500 rpm with a 51-T sprocket? Thanks.
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Re: Chain or belt
VintageTwin -
The 2500 rpms comes from plugging the speed of 62-63 mph into the equation, with your chain setup, and a 51T wheel sprocket. You asked for the same ratio with a 26T countershaft sprocket and your belt drive primary ratio. You will need a 54T wheel sprocket with the 26T countershaft, to do so. In a previous post of mine (count 5 posts before this one, where I have the program for download), I put your exact chain drive setup at the bottom. I, again, plugged the 62-63 mph into the equation, and came up with 2500 rpms. If you run your present chain setup at 62 mph, and you have a 5.10x16" or a 5.00x16" tire, you will be taching 2500 rpms. No magic numbers. Just calculating your engine speed from the data you provided. Let me know if I can be of any further help.
Jack
P.S. - I forgot to answer your last question:
2500 rpms,
31T Eng,
47T Clutch,
26T Trans,
51T Wheel,
66.27 mph.
The 2500 rpms comes from plugging the speed of 62-63 mph into the equation, with your chain setup, and a 51T wheel sprocket. You asked for the same ratio with a 26T countershaft sprocket and your belt drive primary ratio. You will need a 54T wheel sprocket with the 26T countershaft, to do so. In a previous post of mine (count 5 posts before this one, where I have the program for download), I put your exact chain drive setup at the bottom. I, again, plugged the 62-63 mph into the equation, and came up with 2500 rpms. If you run your present chain setup at 62 mph, and you have a 5.10x16" or a 5.00x16" tire, you will be taching 2500 rpms. No magic numbers. Just calculating your engine speed from the data you provided. Let me know if I can be of any further help.
Jack
P.S. - I forgot to answer your last question:
2500 rpms,
31T Eng,
47T Clutch,
26T Trans,
51T Wheel,
66.27 mph.
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Re: Chain or belt
OK. Fine. Thank you. Now, is there anyway to tell me what the motor feels like at 2500 rpm. Geared with the belt drive 31/47, 26-T trans. sprocket and 51 rear sprocket,..... does the motor sound like it's "winding-out" (high revving) to accommodate the 62 mph I want to travel as we are cruising along.?
You see..... I want my 74" ride mellow. I want my exhaust baffled. I want an enclosed 1-1/2" belt primary. I want to wear small foam earplugs and my protest-beanie and drive no faster than 55 mph with occasional burst of excessive speed, for relatively short intervals..... and most importantly I (me personally) want to be able to THINK while I'm riding. I don't want to be pestered... by the sound of my motor... that keeps whining..."Hey, dad, I'm having to turn too fast to keep up with you! Gimme' a fifth gear!"
Jack, can you take us there?
You see..... I want my 74" ride mellow. I want my exhaust baffled. I want an enclosed 1-1/2" belt primary. I want to wear small foam earplugs and my protest-beanie and drive no faster than 55 mph with occasional burst of excessive speed, for relatively short intervals..... and most importantly I (me personally) want to be able to THINK while I'm riding. I don't want to be pestered... by the sound of my motor... that keeps whining..."Hey, dad, I'm having to turn too fast to keep up with you! Gimme' a fifth gear!"
Jack, can you take us there?