Chain or belt

Opinions (chain od belt) are divided

Ongoing topics on interesting subjects, what did you do on/with your bike (or other things)?
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panhead
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Chain or belt

#1

Post by panhead »

Time for a new poll. Opinions are divided, so let's have a look at the figures!
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Re: Chain or belt

#2

Post by Sidecar »

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

#3

Post by dirtydistrict »

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

#4

Post by VintageTwin »

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

#5

Post by King »

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
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Re: Chain or belt

#6

Post by VintageTwin »

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

#7

Post by Jack_Hester »

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
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Re: Chain or belt

#8

Post by VintageTwin »

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

#9

Post by Jack_Hester »

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.
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Re: Chain or belt

#10

Post by VintageTwin »

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

#11

Post by Jack_Hester »

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
R

Re: Chain or belt

#12

Post by R »

Is 2500 rpm some kind of "ultimate" for a stock 74" Pan ???
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Re: Chain or belt

#13

Post by VintageTwin »

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

#14

Post by Jack_Hester »

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.
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Re: Chain or belt

#15

Post by VintageTwin »

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?
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