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[Kill3rT0fu]

I just saw that the zero belt is about $140. Kind of yikes, considering what a pain it is to replace if you don't have the proper jack. I see zero offers a chain conversion kit. besides lube and maintenance, what are the disadvantages of that over the belt?

[DonTom]

I just saw that the zero belt is about $140. Kind of yikes, considering what a pain it is to replace if you don't have the proper jack. I see zero offers a chain conversion kit. besides lube and maintenance, what are the disadvantages of that over the belt?

The noise a chain makes on a otherwise very quiet Zero. Also, it's a hassle to convert. I think that covers it all. But I think I would prefer a chain, I always worry about a belt snapping, which they have been known to do, with no warning. However, I have 12K miles on both my belts with no belt issues.


You didn't say which bike you have. It looks east to change the belt on the SR/S and SR/F unlike the older Zeros that give no clearance without removing the swingarms. 


But for the older bikes, the lift is cheap enough, you can order one of these.


I even use it on my SR with power tank to take the wheels off.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[Kill3rT0fu]

That's my worry. I'll be on a ride and then SNAP.. And have to get an uber home, get the truck, go back, pick up the bike, bring it back to do the belt change whereas with a chain I can just uber to a shop and get a chain and replace it on the spot.

I have an SR

[Flybuddy]

Not a big fan of chains, noisy, stretch, lube, dirt. However they are more sturdy, particularly off road. On piston engine aircraft, where the prop has to be pulled to replace an alternator belt, some owners will loop an additional belt between the flywheel and engine case. If the primary belt breaks, it's a simple job to loosen alternator mount bolt and slide new belt on. Here's a Zero thread where the OP did something similar. Also, you can get a spare Zero belt from AF1 racing for $125.
https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=6590.0

[DonTom]

Here's a Zero thread where the OP did something similar.
https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=6590.0

Where can we buy that temporary belt today?


-Don-  Reno, NV

[Flybuddy]

Here's a Zero thread where the OP did something similar.
https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=6590.0

Where can we buy that temporary belt today?


-Don-  Reno, NV

Sorry, don't know, I was just throwing out the idea.

[DonTom]

Sorry, don't know, I was just throwing out the idea.

It would be nice if somebody would make that belt again. No longer seems to be available anywhere, and it's a hassle to replace the stock belt while on the road, even if we carry a spare.


I have two stock spare belts. I carry one in my RV and leave the other at home. But if I had one of those temporary belts, I would carry it with the bike.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[TheRan]

Not so much a downside but a difference that you may want to know about, the chain conversion kit has different gearing. You'll have more torque at the wheel which is one of the reasons I want it (the others being durability and noise, I can't stand the squealing). It could also potentially lower your top speed but I haven't got an answer on that from anyone who has fit one, it would depend on if the speed limit is based on the motor RPM or the speedo reading, if it's the latter then the motor can just spin a bit faster to reach the same speed.

[2020_SRS_Commuter]

This is just my opinion but I would stick with the belt.

The reason I say this is I have commuted on a motorcycle 300+ miles a week for almost two decades now. On my previous daily rider which I still own, the chains/sprockets wore out around 15-20k miles. To be fair I ride very hard, lots of full throttle and top speed on the empty superslab portion of my ride. But that's even less than the service life of a belt, although I have not replaced mine yet. ( My zero has 9k miles on it now. ) I use an auto chain oiler on the old gas bike by ScottOiler.

You don't just replace the chain, you replace the chain and sprocket set.  The cost for all this is about double the price of a belt, if you buy a quality product like D.I.D. 

You still must jack up the bike and remove the rear wheel. This also involves owning and becoming proficient with chain rivet deformation tools and plate pressing so you can install the master link. And you may need a grinder/cutter to remove extra links if you dont buy your chain pre-cut.  This is not easy and takes time, and if you don't want all that you have to pay someone else, and and that point you might just pay to have your belt replaced. Also if you get it wrong your chain may become uncoupled, and God only knows what the result of that might be. Never happened to me, and I've done many chains and tried many brands.

I've also found that my belt needs tensioning MUCH less often than the chain needed tightening.

Lastly there is no comparison between keeping a belt drive bike clean vs one that flings lube all over from a chain. No comparison. Night and day.

Keep the belt.

[KrazyEd]

Many good options. I have owned 4 Zeros. Got the chain conversion kit with a 2013 FX when I purchased it, never installed.
I did the spare belt wrap around for a while, but, never needed it, so finally took it off. I have the thinner belt and have broken
two. BOTH were entirely my fault. I drag race my S and SR. I was feeling cocky one day and decided to try a throttle wheelie.
Belt snapped. Put new belt on, tried again, snapped again. No more throttle wheelies. 2 plus seasons of drag racing and no problems.
As mentioned, chain and sprockets should be replaced as a set. True, you COULD carry a spare chain, or go pick one up to replace
along the road, but, now, you will need a THIRD chain to replace once you get everything home when you get the new sprocket set.
Chain does offer more gearing options. If a lower gear gives you more acceleration, you WILL Lose top speed. If you gear for a
higher top speed, you will lose acceleration. No free Lunch. If an FX or FXS, throttle wheelies are no problem. The bike is light
enough that it doesn't seem to put too much extra stress on the belt. If you do a lot of off road, things getting between the belt
and sprockets seem to be a cause of belt breaking for some people. I am guessing that you have a newer bike with the wider belt
so problems should be less. I have seen videos of people changing the belt on the side of the road, possibly on the Unofficial Manual Site

[TheRan]

Chain does offer more gearing options. If a lower gear gives you more acceleration, you WILL Lose top speed. If you gear for a
higher top speed, you will lose acceleration. No free Lunch.

The depends entirely on whether the current top speed is a physical or a software limitation. For example on the 11kW models they're limited to 86mph instead of the 98mph of the regular models, and as the hardware is identical an 11kW model should still be able to reach the same top speed if geared lower.

[KrazyEd]

The CAPABILITY is a mathematical fact. The implementation can be different.
A Bike with a 25 countershaft sprocket and a 130 rear sprocket will have a
different speed at 6,000 RPM than a bike with a 30 tooth countershaft sprocket
and a 130 rear. The 30/130 will have a higher top speed at any given RPM at a
possible cost of acceleration.
If the manufacturer sets the speed by GPS totally separate from the
gearing, then yes, they could be made the same.
Standard gearing 100 mph at 6,000 RPM
Lower Gearing 100 MPH at 6,500 RPM.
 

[TheRan]

If the manufacturer sets the speed by GPS totally separate from the
gearing, then yes, they could be made the same.

It doesn't even need to be GPS, it just has to be based off the speeding reading and not the motor RPM. We just don't know which method Zero uses until someone slaps a chain kit on an 11kW model and lets us know if it can still hit 86mph (the non-11kW models may not be able to spin the motor fast enough to reach 98mph with lower gearing).

[mryan]

I owned a buell 1125 and it was a belt drive, but I bought my 2015 FX with the chain kit already installed. A couple notes..

The belt is practically maintenance free. I had to replace it once, and even so I wasn't stranded, the belt delaminated so a few "teeth" stripped, but I made it to my destination. That's the buell so ymmv.

The chain really is not that loud, I find the motor on the zero to make much more noise than the chain. Maybe that's because I'm always flooring it. Lubrication is annoying, but I hardly put enough miles on it to need to lubricate it that much and it's kept where it doesn't rain.

[GoneToPlaid]

I put the factory option chain kit on my DSR.  It's a little louder, but not bad.  I wanted a tougher drivetrain for off-road riding.  2000 miles so far, no problems.

The original belt drive has 20T front, 90T rear.  The Zero chain kit has 12T front, 65T rear - a 20% change.  As a result, the speedometer was reading way too high after the change.  I put a 15T front sprocket on and it's pretty good now - the dash speed reads exactly the same as my GPS, even at 70 MPH.  The ideal front sprocket would need 14.44 teeth to keep the same 4.5:1 ratio as the original drive, so a 14T front would also be pretty close.  There's also a drive ratio setting in the MBB, allowing speedo calibration, but I'm a mechanical engineer...

JT Sprockets JTF565.15 15T Steel Front Sprocket
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OP367I