Belt Drive Arrives

Crescentius Vespasianus wrote:

If a belt weighs less than a chain, then the chain is on the way out
regardless of what consumers want.

(Belt + belt-compatible transmission) will have to be lighter than
(chain + derailleur transmission). Not likely, but who knows?

In the motorcycle world, there are probably a lot more folks who would
switch from chain to belt if they could, than from belt to chain.

Chalo

Still Just Me wrote:

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Chalo wrote:
(clip) In the motorcycle world, there are probably a lot more
folks who would
switch from chain to belt if they could, than from belt to chain.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They already have. *Harleys are belt drive. *But then, Harleys can afford to
lose a fraction of a horsepower to the drive train.

If they just take out a little more muffler, that's sure to add back
any lost horsepower. We all know that the louder a bike is, the more
power it has.

It's not just as easy as that. You also have to keep your motor
running cleanly and smoothly by revving it up every few seconds while
you wait at traffic lights.

Chalo

Hi,

Chalo wrote:
Still Just Me wrote:
If they just take out a little more muffler, that's sure to add back
any lost horsepower. We all know that the louder a bike is, the more
power it has.

Well, *some* motorbikes are driven by sound, not by belt nor chain...

;-)

It's not just as easy as that. You also have to keep your motor
running cleanly and smoothly by revving it up every few seconds while
you wait at traffic lights.

Ah, you mistake that, it's to impress themselves, what great guys they
are that they can operate a gas handle ;-)

Sorry, that was a bad one...

On Nov 21, 7:35*pm, Chalo wrote:
Still Just Me wrote:

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Chalo wrote:
(clip) In the motorcycle world, there are probably a lot more
folks who would
switch from chain to belt if they could, than from belt to chain.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They already have. *Harleys are belt drive. *But then, Harleys can afford to
lose a fraction of a horsepower to the drive train.

If they just take out a little more muffler, that's sure to add back
any lost horsepower. We all know that the louder a bike is, the more
power it has.

It's not just as easy as that. *You also have to keep your motor
running cleanly and smoothly by revving it up every few seconds while
you wait at traffic lights.


It's always fun to pull up to guys doing that in the city and offer to
lend them a screwdriver so they can fix their idle speed...

"landotter" wrte: It's always fun to pull up to guys doing that in the city
and offer to
lend them a screwdriver so they can fix their idle speed...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They probably miss the sarcasm. That engine behavior is characteristic of a
hot cam. Something to be *proud of* after you have invested thousands of
dollars in performance modifications. Since no one can be aware of these
"improvements" while you're riding along, it's important to display them
while you are idling at lights. Besides, it's almost as embarrassing to let
the engine die as to drop the bike.

On Nov 24, 10:44*am, landotter wrote:
On Nov 21, 7:35*pm, Chalo wrote:





Still Just Me wrote:

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Chalo wrote:
(clip) In the motorcycle world, there are probably a lot more
folks who would
switch from chain to belt if they could, than from belt to chain.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They already have. *Harleys are belt drive. *But then, Harleys can afford to
lose a fraction of a horsepower to the drive train.

If they just take out a little more muffler, that's sure to add back
any lost horsepower. We all know that the louder a bike is, the more
power it has.

It's not just as easy as that. *You also have to keep your motor
running cleanly and smoothly by revving it up every few seconds while
you wait at traffic lights.

It's always fun to pull up to guys doing that in the city and offer to
lend them a screwdriver so they can fix their idle speed...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Oh, sure, hand them a pointy tool and then insult their bike. Right.

I'd rather ride through a herd of squirrels with a low-spoke wheel on
a carbon fork.

On Nov 24, 1:50*pm, Still Just Me wrote:
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:00:24 -0800, "Leo Lichtman"

wrote:
They probably miss the sarcasm. *That engine behavior is characteristic of a
hot cam. *Something to be *proud of* after you have invested thousands of
dollars in performance modifications. *Since no one can be aware of these
"improvements" while you're riding along, it's important to display them
while you are idling at lights. *Besides, it's almost as embarrassing to let
the engine die as to drop the bike.

You don't think it's just that they ride old POS Harleys that won't
idle properly ?

:-)

I'm withe the above on this. As much as I detest cars on 2 wheels,
most of them I'm aware of (and in the places I live and hang out, I
come across many) are modified, and the motor rev is actually required
to keep the bike running and running clean. Of course, thousands of
dollars into what was a severly overpriced bike to begin with, those
oversized machines still can't keep up with a decent crotch rocket
with 1/2 the displacement, but then again their riders would rarely
fit on those bikes anyway. I've silenced many a loud-mouth speaking
fondly of how fast his 2 wheeled car is with offers to race it against
a much smaller bike for substantial amounts of $ or pink slips. Of
course, that's best done in company you know and places you're known
and comfortable - not the best technique at a strange biker bar or HD
cookout. I used to ride with a guy who saw me pull that move once or
twice at our (not his!) local bar, and he tried it at a cookout
surrounded by HDs and their riders. From what I hear it was only a
lot of fast talking and the sympathy of a couple local HD riders who
knew him that stopped the plan to "lynch his bike" and leave it
hanging from a tree over the fire. He didn't get to stay for long to
enjoy the cookout. The kicker to that particular story is, having
ridden with him in the past, I can say with some certainty that had
the faster of the HD guys taken him up on his challenge he'd have lost
his bike and taken a cab home. After all, no matter what the bike,
it's only as fast as it's rider.

On Nov 24, 3:28*pm, Brian Huntley wrote:
On Nov 24, 10:44*am, landotter wrote:





On Nov 21, 7:35*pm, Chalo wrote:

Still Just Me wrote:

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Chalo wrote:
(clip) In the motorcycle world, there are probably a lot more
folks who would
switch from chain to belt if they could, than from belt to chain..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They already have. *Harleys are belt drive. *But then, Harleys can afford to
lose a fraction of a horsepower to the drive train.

If they just take out a little more muffler, that's sure to add back
any lost horsepower. We all know that the louder a bike is, the more
power it has.

It's not just as easy as that. *You also have to keep your motor
running cleanly and smoothly by revving it up every few seconds while
you wait at traffic lights.

It's always fun to pull up to guys doing that in the city and offer to
lend them a screwdriver so they can fix their idle speed...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh, sure, hand them a pointy tool and then insult their bike. Right.

I'd rather ride through a herd of squirrels with a low-spoke wheel on
a carbon fork.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You've got to assess where you are and the rider. While this is not
represented in my area, in most areas the vast majority of the HD
riders are actually suit & tie middle-management workers trying to get
away and look cool. They'd be better suited with a touring bike or
reliable, comfortable cruiser the majority of the time. Of course,
this is not the case with all of them, and there are still some
hardcore guys left. The HA vests and "Known Associate" sweatshirts
are still a fairly reliable indicators to steer clear or show a little
respect.

On Nov 24, 3:28*pm, Brian Huntley wrote:


Oh, sure, hand them a pointy tool and then insult their bike. Right.

I'd rather ride through a herd of squirrels with a low-spoke wheel on
a carbon fork.

OK, that made me laugh!

- Frank Krygowski

On Nov 24, 4:29*pm, " wrote:

You've got to assess where you are and the rider. *While this is not
represented in my area, in most areas the vast majority of the HD
riders are actually suit & tie middle-management workers trying to get
away and look cool. *

Several of my friends are Harley riders. One's a Roman Catholic
priest. No joke.

- Frank Krygowski