Has anyone tried using a geared belt in place of the drive chain? I'm really fed up with the headaches from these chains and sprockets. Of the whole assembly, that is by far the most troublesome. There has got to be better way. I was just looking at my lawn tractor. It has a 500cc engine and there is only belts driving both the wheels and the cutting deck. The belts aren't even toothed, or the pulleys. Why would that work on these bikes?
belt drive, maybe?
- Thread starter brucemg51
- Start date
Seems like I've come up with weirder stuff than that. I was just wondering if anyone else has tried it and could maybe share some tips. If not, well then, it's back to the drawing board.
I'm sure it could be done with a gear reduction and a rear wheel sheeve. I'm thinking it would be spendy, I've been told that aWhizzer sheeve is around $100 by its self. I think you will also find you might get slippage if the belt gets wet. Keep us posted, I'd like to see where this goes...Kelly
Yep, I agree. I have a buddy at a machine shop and were workin on it. Don't know how long it will be, but if Harley can do it why can't we?
I am not sure what the problem with chains is. The chain is efficient and strong and works most reliably as a drive mechanism. If you use a strong wheel to mount the gear on it seems to hold up well.
I've IM'ed other members here myself asking this same question. For me it is about the look of the sheeve with the belt drive. Thus if you're wanting to make something that looks rather "retro" like a 1908 motorcycle which had pedals like a bicycle the project could accomplished.
I've viewed some sites where motorized bikes like we're building here were
dressed up to like some of those old early days motorcycles. The belt drive
would give it an authetic look.
I've viewed some sites where motorized bikes like we're building here were
dressed up to like some of those old early days motorcycles. The belt drive
would give it an authetic look.
Perhaps one could find a timing belt/pulley combo and adapt the big pulley to the rag mount set up?
I've done several builds with these kits and the chain/sprocket part has been, by far, the most troublesome. The chains are absolutely unforgiving as far as alignment goes. If they are not perfectly aligned between the two sprockets, the chain gets thrown off the wheel sprocket and ends up jammed between the sprocket and the spokes. Chains are heavy, and require frequent lubrication and adjustment. They are noisy and have hundreds of moving parts.
As much as Harley Davidson insists on clinging to 1950's technology, even they have recognized the advantages of belt drive. What about this?
WM BERG Miniature Precision Mechanical Components: Spur Gears, Sprockets, Belts, Timing Pulleys, Miniature Bearings, Shafts
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Cool link. I am just skeptical as the desert heat (where I live) eats up rubber and plastic stuff pretty quickly. It may be that they will work and last now, many are happy with the GEBE system. I got one and saw something too light and plastic, the ring that drives just clips on a spoked wheel and loosens up I am sure. I decided that for 700 dollars I would get rid of it new and try something else while the concept is developed more. I do hope it is just that dependability is needed. The belts are very fragile when not perfectly lined up, per DetonatorTuningSolutions
TREK 4500/ GEBE w/ GP460 build - Page 31 "so promising at 750 mls. has bit the dust at 1000mls. this afternoon.
not to bad considering this one was subjected to the drivering running eliptically around the spokes for about 500 mls. thinking the belt was stetching i kept cranking on the tension (stretching the belt for real, DOH !! )
i'm going to give this new belt a chance to get me through more than a month, if it does, fine, but either way i'm going to CHAIN DRIVE."
He also talks somewhere in this huge document about the way miss alignment side to side has ruined belts so it is critical with the GEBE belt system. Alignment is just a critical part of bike building in general.
TREK 4500/ GEBE w/ GP460 build - Page 31 "so promising at 750 mls. has bit the dust at 1000mls. this afternoon.
not to bad considering this one was subjected to the drivering running eliptically around the spokes for about 500 mls. thinking the belt was stetching i kept cranking on the tension (stretching the belt for real, DOH !! )
i'm going to give this new belt a chance to get me through more than a month, if it does, fine, but either way i'm going to CHAIN DRIVE."
He also talks somewhere in this huge document about the way miss alignment side to side has ruined belts so it is critical with the GEBE belt system. Alignment is just a critical part of bike building in general.
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Metric Timing Belt Project
Belt Drives a subject near and dear to my heart. Below are some photos of the project that I have slowly been putting together over the past year. the drive train componets are from several different manufactures.
To be continued
ocscully
Belt Drives a subject near and dear to my heart. Below are some photos of the project that I have slowly been putting together over the past year. the drive train componets are from several different manufactures.
To be continued
ocscully
Attachments
Continued from above
The clutch is from MaxTorque, the large jackshaft pulley and the driven pulley on the rear hub are from Peifer Industries, the small jackshaft driver and the jackshaft parts are from Viza Motors, the rear hub is from Nashbar. The belts to drive all of these parts will be 5mm pitch 25mm wide metric timing belts from Gates.
This is my attempt to avoid the reduction gearboxs that come with the various 4-stroke kits, as well as just to do something different.
ocscully
The clutch is from MaxTorque, the large jackshaft pulley and the driven pulley on the rear hub are from Peifer Industries, the small jackshaft driver and the jackshaft parts are from Viza Motors, the rear hub is from Nashbar. The belts to drive all of these parts will be 5mm pitch 25mm wide metric timing belts from Gates.
This is my attempt to avoid the reduction gearboxs that come with the various 4-stroke kits, as well as just to do something different.
ocscully
Attachments
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I am impressed.!! You are moving the right direction to a well mounted and beefier set-up. The belt is a lot (I think 5 times) wider than GEBE and that adds a lot of durability to the system. I love the use of a hub brake mount to mount the drive gear. That won't be getting loose with no resolution but a new plastic drive ring. You just need to Loctite the hardware and check tightness every now and again.
Are the 100 dollar "Sheeves" made of steel? I might want one. That might be perfect. Slippage in the rain might be corrected with belt dressing? That would be funny looking if it smokes like a loose alternator belt!
I get a lot of slippage on my friction drive and wondered if the whizzer gets the same slippage or better over all traction than a friction?
Anybody know?
Mama mia!!
How is it coming along? Any problems with it yet? I would love it if you sport detailed information on how it handles, top speed and error correction later when it's finished. Is that sprocket attached to the wooden bracket behind the Honda a tension pulley?
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Belt drives are definitely possible...as mentioned, it will require custom machined gear belt pulleys.
http://motorbicycling.com/f3/super-spoilers-part-1-a-7191.html
Jim
http://motorbicycling.com/f3/super-spoilers-part-1-a-7191.html
Jim
if i wanted to use a belt drive on my frame mount china girl wouldnt i just replace the 10t on the motor and the 44t on the rear wheel with pulleys of the same size and add a belt and i could even use the stock tensioner.
Maybe? Depends on a lot of factors? Type of belt, V-Belt, Metric Timing Belt, Link-Belt? Timing belts and v-belts do not come apart like a chain and due to this fact the routing of the belt around the frame stays can be problematic. V-belts don't wrap around smaller diameter pulleys very well. 2 in. is probably the smallest practical size? I'm not sure that a 2 in. pulley would fit in the housing of the 2-stroke motor? Just some of the things that need to be considered when using belts vs chain.
ocscully
ocscully.. So the larger the pully on the engine the largest possible sheeve or wheel pully would be needed... I wish I had time for this stuff. I will be looking for something at the flea markets and junk shops for a rear wheel puller replacement.
When finished this bike will be incredible.
When finished this bike will be incredible.