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[princec]

...and frankly I've had enough. I've now spent all the savings I've made on petrol on fucking belts.

The internet is awash with similar tales and I really can't condone the SR/F now for the one thing it's really good at, which is commuting, because you can't reliably get to your destination.

However... I did see someone post on Facebook that they'd managed to convert the SR/F to using the wider DSR/X belt and sprockets. The DSR/X belt is 25mm wide as opposed to 20mm wide, so I'm guessing it's at least 25% stronger. It's got a slotted rear sprocket but that's not so much interest to me as I don't off-road.

Does anyone know if this conversion is indeed as simple as it sounds?

Cas

[TheRan]

I vaguely remember discussing this in one of the DSR/X announcement threads, I think the conclusion may have been that there's not enough width to spare between the old swingarm. You'd be able to tell better by having a look as you actually own the bike, presumably the extra width is added on the left side because the front pulley will extend further out from the motor body.

Is there a chain conversion kit for the DSR/X or do Zero consider the belt good enough now?

[Specter]

Get an Energica and don't worry about belts.

Aaron

[DonTom]

...and frankly I've had enough. I've now spent all the savings I've made on petrol on fucking belts.

The internet is awash with similar tales and I really can't condone the SR/F now for the one thing it's really good at, which is commuting, because you can't reliably get to your destination.

However... I did see someone post on Facebook that they'd managed to convert the SR/F to using the wider DSR/X belt and sprockets. The DSR/X belt is 25mm wide as opposed to 20mm wide, so I'm guessing it's at least 25% stronger. It's got a slotted rear sprocket but that's not so much interest to me as I don't off-road.

Does anyone know if this conversion is indeed as simple as it sounds?

Cas

When did you buy the last belt that broke?  I recall hearing something somewhere about a bad batch of SR/F belts around four years ago or so.  Fairly new belts were breaking, even during test drives at dealers:


https://youtu.be/fOMwuhotyng?t=222




-Don-  Auburn, CA

[princec]

To be fair this was the 2nd hand belt that Davant Bikes fobbed me off with when I ordered a new one. Won't be dealing with them again. So who knows how old it really was.

Cas

[2020_SRS_Commuter]

Wonder why your luck with this is so bad. I've never had that issue, and just about to turn 56k miles on mine.
Replaced the first belt at 26k, second at 48k. Third belt is fine. I use on average one full throttle application per ride, and many more that aren't quite full throttle but close.
Are you installing and tending these belts yourself, or does a shop do it?

[princec]

Both. The first two belts snapped right after the dealer over-tightened them, so I wasn't going to fall for it on the third and made sure I had it tensioned and aligned myself (perfectly). Belts always clean. Third belt was admittedly of unknown provenance but still lasted 4000 miles.

I think the roads where I live are just too bumpy. Unless I've been really unlucky with stones. There wasn't a bump of any noticeable significance when this last one went - I was just doing a full-sport-throttle-overtake a tractor at about 30mph (got up to 60, then ping whizzzz)

The belt drive needs five improvements:
1. Wider
2. Slotted to get dirt out
3. Guarded
4. A cush drive

Yes, a cush drive. I'd rather a tiny bit of transmission slop than having them snap over every bump.

Cas

[2020_SRS_Commuter]

Well if that's the case, maybe you don't have a belt problem, but a service problem. The first two were over tightened by some meathead, and the other you don't know if it was new. The cracks in the used ones can be all over but you have to see the belt off the bike and flex it back and forth close up to see them.

Id suggest buy a new belt, put it on yourself, set it to the lower end of the tension range, and see what happens.
Also suggest using the Gates app instead of those Criket things... I didn't have good luck with those agreeing with each other or being repeatable.
Further suggest be careful to check the tension at several points of rotation, as you will likely have a low and high point.

[DonTom]

Well if that's the case, maybe you don't have a belt problem, but a service problem. The first two were over tightened by some meathead, and the other you don't know if it was new. The cracks in the used ones can be all over but you have to see the belt off the bike and flex it back and forth close up to see them.

Id suggest buy a new belt, put it on yourself, set it to the lower end of the tension range, and see what happens.
Also suggest using the Gates app instead of those Criket things... I didn't have good luck with those agreeing with each other or being repeatable.
Further suggest be careful to check the tension at several points of rotation, as you will likely have a low and high point.

I find it is best to use neither. I know what a loose belt is just as I know what an overly tight belt feels like. I changed the belt as I changed both tires on my Zero  SR just before riding it here from Reno.


I have very bad luck using either the Gates App (shows a different frequency every time if it works at all) and the Gates click thingy won't hold long enough to look at it.


I just use my hand and see if it feels loose or tight to me. I have found that to be the very best way of all.


The old belt had less than 20k  miles  (32km) on it, and still looks like new. I examined it carefully after I took it off. Not a trace of any issue, but I decided to change my belts every other rear tire change regardless.

Belts are set tighter than chains, but I check my drive chains the same way. IMAO, such specs for chain and belt tightness are only for the inexperienced.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[2020_SRS_Commuter]

Well if you don't need the app you don't need it, but the trouble you had with it might be your phone, or ambient noise. I find it doesnt work for sht if my garage door is open, because of AC units running between the houses I suppose. Close the garage door and it works great. Galaxy S21
Edit: Another thing I did was make sines with Audacity and play them for the app in the range I use it, to make sure it reported the right frequency. It did.

[princec]

I just use my hand as well. It's very easy once you know what it's supposed to feel like. The new belt I fitted looped straight on to the sprockets and was at exactly the right tension immediately - didn't need to adjust the wheel when I got home.

Cas

[zeronimbus]

hi, I understand your problem perfectly.
I'm on my fifth belt.
I broke 4 in 50,000 km.
recently I changed the pinion and crown, and put my fifth new belt. (the pinion and crown had pronounced wear).
since then everything is fine.
the reference of the pinion that I mounted, was not the same as originally mounted 30-08210, and 30-08403.
however be careful, it is absolutely necessary that the belt is well tensioned, for me 65Hz, and that it is flush with the crown on the left outer side.
when turning the motorcycle on the center stand, the belt makes oscillations left right, which I think is quite normal, and homogenizes the wear on its entire surface.
I had posted here, I'm trying to find it again ...

[DonTom]

Well if you don't need the app you don't need it, but the trouble you had with it might be your phone, or ambient noise. I find it doesnt work for sht if my garage door is open, because of AC units running between the houses I suppose. Close the garage door and it works great. Galaxy S21
Edit: Another thing I did was make sines with Audacity and play them for the app in the range I use it, to make sure it reported the right frequency. It did.

It probably has something to do with my phone's mic sensitivity. The only reason I even try to use it is to see how far my feel is off from their middle of the accepted range.


I have done it many years ago and it worked well on a different phone. But TBH, I don't even care if it works at all. If my touch doesn't agree with the readings, I am going to go by what feels right to my touch anyway.


I trust my hand more than any other method. Of course, I still do the basic stuff such as rotating the wheel eight times and check each 45° to make sure nothing changes, including the belt alignment.


BTW, the best way for the belt replacement alignment is by starting with the edge of the belt flush to the end on the rear sprocket.  IOW, flush on the sprocket side towards the bike (IOW, the incorrect side for when completed) when the axle nut is loose.  When the axle nut is torqued to 75 ft. lbs, it will then be aligned up perfectly with around 1 mm space to the left of the sprocket.  Very simple to do.


This is for my SR and DS. I have not yet removed the wheel on my DSR/X but I assume it will work out the same way.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[zeronimbus]

https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=13158.msg126151#msg126151

[Richard230]

So far my daughter's original thin (14mm ?) Gates belt on her 2014 S is still hanging in there, even after several tire changes. As far as I know it has never been adjusted other than whatever happens when the rear wheel is replaced. It would seem to me that Zero picked up a batch of bad belts at one time in the past. Either that or they switched belt manufacturers and the quality control was not up to the Gate's standard.