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[so sweet so sweet]

Has anyone had any problems with their bike??  The first 1200 miles the tach was replaced, it just quit working.  Now at 5700 the belt snapped, the tach broke again, the led gas guage is being replaced and the front wheel bearing went out.  The dealership called to let me know they replaced the belt and bearing and the guage and tach are on order.  While riding there is still a problem with the front wheel so it may have to be replaced.  I know stuff happens, but this is rediculous.

[LRebel]

So why did the belt break??

[so sweet so sweet]

They don't know. Some say the torque on the bike is too strong, but no one knows for sure.

[LRebel]

Belts are pretty tough.  I have been pretty rough on a few through the years, and I have never broke one.  I think I would want them to make sure there is not anything wrong with the bike that is going to cause the belt to break again.

[Fired00d]

Unless you are riding really aggressive (dragstrip racing) the belt shouldn't be an issue. If it were out of alignment this could cause a premature breakage. I believe I've heard of others w/the issue concerning the LED gas gauge, and tach both. If you're still feeling something not right w/front wheel that might be something you want to insist on getting replaced.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[so sweet so sweet]

I do ride pretty aggressively, but even so they said it should not have been a problem.  It didn't show any wear or rubbing or anything that could cause it to snap.  As far as the front wheel, I had already had them replaced once. When I picked the bike up I noticed it was making a noise and had a chugging feeling.  The guy told me that it was the springer getting broken in and I should get used to the noise.  I did let him know that it was smooth before and now you could feel and hear something. This new guy said he felt and heard what I was talking about and the other guy should have listened since he didn't know what it was like before.

[ccr]

Are you having your bike looked at at your local HD shop or an independent that you have known for awhile?  Maybe just trying a new service shop might get someone who is willing to listen to you.  Hope you find the solution to the problem.  I don't think your belt should be breaking if everything is in correct alignment. 

[grc]

Belt breakage, even with the latest narrow belts, is not a common occurence.  As for the torque statement, no stock H-D  has anything even approaching the torque necessary to snap a belt.  There are plenty of heavily modified bikes running stock belts with no breakage issues.

Common causes of breakage are misalignment, improper tension, and foreign objects being trapped between the belt and sprockets.  Then there is the possibility of just getting a defective belt from the supplier.  Have the dealer closely inspect the sprockets for abnormal wear, sharp edges, etc., and then make sure the alignment and belt tension are set properly.  You will need to have the new belt checked and readjusted after 500-1000 miles.

I'm not familiar with the current springer setup, but the older versions had to be maintained, cleaned, and lubricated religiously to reduce noise and harshness.  I wonder if this has anything to do with your front end issues?  Hopefully someone with more Springer experience will chime in here.

Jerry

[bigcog1]

Belt breakage, even with the latest narrow belts, is not a common occurence.  As for the torque statement, no stock H-D  has anything even approaching the torque necessary to snap a belt.  There are plenty of heavily modified bikes running stock belts with no breakage issues.

Common causes of breakage are misalignment, improper tension, and foreign objects being trapped between the belt and sprockets.  Then there is the possibility of just getting a defective belt from the supplier.  Have the dealer closely inspect the sprockets for abnormal wear, sharp edges, etc., and then make sure the alignment and belt tension are set properly.  You will need to have the new belt checked and readjusted after 500-1000 miles.

I'm not familiar with the current springer setup, but the older versions had to be maintained, cleaned, and lubricated religiously to reduce noise and harshness.  I wonder if this has anything to do with your front end issues?  Hopefully someone with more Springer experience will chime in here.

Jerry

I agree with Jerry and the general consensus that the belt didn't break from torque output. It would also seem unlikely that the engineers at The Motor Company wouldn't account for the torque output of their drivetrains. And if they didn't, we'd probably have the knowledge by now that belt breakage was a common problem. Jerry's advice of having the new belt inspected and adjusted after 500-1000 miles tells me tells me he knows his stuff!!!

I've been a Springer guy for some time and aside from greasing the front end frequently, I've gone 20,000 miles between services for the steering head. This typically involves new races and bearings. If you bang the bike around from those wonderful potholes that seek us out, I would have the geometry checked out more often. You're not the first CVO Springer owner that has told me they're having multiple problems, and God knows what Harley has done to their tachs. I usually hit the Factory show in Rapid City during Sturgis week and that's a good time to vocalize your complaints to the guys that design our bikes. I hope they get you fixed up and In The Wind!

Joe

[so sweet so sweet]

Thank y'all for the responses.  I will update if/when they ever let me know more.  It is at the original dealer I bought the bike from this time.  It was their sister store that had done the work before.

[dagbre]

Check if the belt touches the inner plastic fender, right behind the belt guard. Look for scratch marks there.

[havoc]

My belt broke with a little more than 900 miles on it.  The reason the dealer gave was unknown, but replaced it under the warranty.  The real reason I think it broke was the belt tension.  I've gotten on it a couple of times before and it made a god awful sound.  From the tires squealing I really didn't know what it was.  Now that the belt has been replace I've been a little light on the gas.  I did get the back end a sideways the other day and nothing was noted out of the ordinary.

I do think that the extended warranty on this bike is a must!  A friend of mine has a 07 with 6500 miles on it and not a problem one and he hides pretty hard.

[Puzzled]

I agree with GRC, no current production Harley has enough power to snap a belt. Mis-aligned is my best guess.

I snapped a belt in 00 on my Softail and I believe I must have picked something up in the belt or it was simply mis-aligned. My 124" has a belt on a rigid frame and I enjoy pulling hole shots with this bike, no issues.

Congratulations on the 08 BUSA. Nice ride. I'm tempted even though when I sold mine this summer I said never again.

[Talon]

What problem are you still having with the front wheel? I agree with GRC, or Puzzled. If you kicked up a rock and it got in between the belt and the pulley it could damage the belt and cause a sharp edge on the pulley causing the belt to break. The reason I asked about your front wheel, if you have an alignment problem it could cause the belt problem and could cause riding issues too, causing you to think you have a problem with the front wheel. If you've been going to the same dealer and are not getting the results, I'd try going somewhere else.

[sadunbar]

I have seen two belts break in the past couple of years.  Both on baggers.  Both had rocks impeded in the pulley that had cut the belts....