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[wadejesu]

Has anyone converted to chain drive?  Pros-Cons?

[cbeng]

I hired my dealer to do the OEM chain conversion.

Pros:
- Peace of mind that it's technically more durable than a belt. I didn't have any problems with my belt, but I didn't want it to break when I go offroad sometimes
- The chain conversion reduces the gearing, so the bike accelerates even faster

Cons:
- Loud and not in a pleasant way. The chain is noisy on its own and rubs on the chain guide. It's not as bad as a gas bike but it does take away a little of the stealthy/peaceful feeling
- You have to maintain the chain. Inspect it, clean it, lube it, adjust it regularly
- Chain reduces the gearing so top speed is lower. My top speed is now ~80mph rather than ~87 like it used to be
- Dealer is not thorough and is not capable of directly reprogramming the computer to the new gearing, so the speedometer was inaccurate until I asked them twice and they had techs at Zero remotely reprogram it

Other:
- No effect on range
- Chain system rear sprocket is comically large. Nothing wrong with it but it's so abnormally large it catches my eye

Based on my experience, I don't feel strongly either way about the conversion. I don't appreciate the increased noise and maintenance, but I would hate to have a broken belt if I'm 10 miles into the woods.

[TheRan]

I'm glad you've mentioned the reduction in top speed, I've asked on here many times before and no one has been able to answer it. I had hoped that the limit was based on the speedo reading and not the motor RPM (my 11kW DS is limited to 86mph but non-11kW models are limited to 98mph). I want to get the chain conversion eventually but so far none of the dealers near me have replied to my emails.

[cbeng]

Right on. I should mention that I'm on a 2020 FX 7.2 modular

[EVFX]

I had the chain conversion installed at the dealer, then I later swapped it back to the belt myself.

I swapped it because the chain was pretty noisy and I wanted more experience with the silent belt.
Chain driven it sounds kind of like a razor scooter on steroids.

Acceleration was quicker with the chain, I'm pretty sure I did a very light wheelie through an intersection.
The speedometer gets it's figure from the motor controller, the bike is limited to 85mph, and that's 85mph on the dash, so technically speaking the bike had a lower top speed regardless of the dash. My dealer did NOT re-program the speedometer, so when I swapped back to the belt everything worked as normal again.

When I swapped back to the belt the noise difference was really prominent, IMO the slower acceleration is negligible because that electric motor really puts in the work. It is still definitely a noticeable difference in acceleration, but either way I hit my top speed pretty quickly. If you're into wheelies the chain will help quite a bit.

My intention for the chain conversion was to do more off-roading with the bike, but so far I mainly use it for commuting. I figure I'll run the belt until it breaks then swap over to the chain again, but I'm sure I'll change my mind again when that time comes.

Here's some threads with information that you might find useful:

https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=11018.0

https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=11954.0

IIRC there's a video on youtube where someone rode with a belt and again with a chain on their FXS. You can clearly hear the noise differences.