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[Richard230]

Were we supposed to get a belt tension tool (I have a 2012 DX)?

I also prefer the belt over chains - I like to ride as quietly as possible!

You have to buy your own belt-tension gauge.  Amazon sells a Gates tension gauge for a very reasonable price.  I believe I started a thread about this subject almost  year ago on this forum describing the gauge.

[trikester]

A chain can really take a beating, much better than a belt. Chains can even crush some rocks. Even a small stone between the belt and the sprocket will break the belt. A chain can easily be repaired or replaced in the field if the tools and parts are carried. I carry a chain break tool, extra quick links, and a short section of chain. Also, if I ever had to push the bike any distance I would remove the quick link and chain for easy rolling.

Of course chains make noise, require lubing, and frequent adjustment, if I was only riding pavement or smooth dirt roads then the belt would be my choice.

I saw a broken motorcycle belt lying on a busy city street. My first thought was that somebody had a bad day. Second was wondering what broke the belt on paved street?

Trikester

[WindRider]

I ride a lot of dirt, gravel, and decomposed granite roads.   I travelled a lot of dirt roads with Buell belt drive and never got stranded.

I love belt final drive for how light, clean, low maintenance and simple it is.

The Zero belt design makes it a pretty small target but there are no rock guards to keep debris out of the belt drive sprocket so I wonder how it will hold up for me since I do ride a lot of dirt.

I wish someone made an emergency spare belt drive that would clamp together and just get you out of the woods if the worst thing happens.

[WindRider]

Here is the belt tension guage that I use:

Krikit V-Belt Tension Gauge (91107)

http://www.amazon.com/Krikit-V-Belt-Tension-Gauge-91107/dp/B000AOEJOE/ref=pd_sbs_auto_5

[trikester]

I think if the bike still has the factory equipped tires there is probably less chance that a rock will be kicked up because those are dual-sport for mostly pavement and lees dirt riding and have a shallow tread (FX has a little deeper tread). The Kenda K270's I use are rated 50% pavement 50% dirt and have a fairly deep knobby tread but still not as knobby as a pure dirt riding tire (non- street legal). So I think the tires used would have a big effect on the probability of a rock getting onto the belt. I hear rocks being thrown from my tires quite often.

Got my 2013 FX today. It is a fantastic bike is my opinion from just a little street riding. The handling is amazing! Doing a very slow, very tight, 360* turn I felt like I was on a mountain bicycle. I think it is going to be a great single track trail rider. Too bad a lot of single track around here is closed to motorcycles. 

Trikester

[trikester]

For someone reading this thread I figured I should post the same photo that I posted on the 2013 Zero forum.

Trikester

[craigq]

Got my 2013 FX today. It is a fantastic bike is my opinion from just a little street riding. The handling is amazing! Doing a very slow, very tight, 360* turn I felt like I was on a mountain bicycle. I think it is going to be a great single track trail rider. Too bad a lot of single track around here is closed to motorcycles. 

Trikester

Congrats!   

[WindRider]

Congrats on the new FX Trikester. 

That is a great looking ride and should be a complete blast.   I used to run the same tires as the FX uses on KLR650s and I really liked them for a DS tire. 

[trikester]

I am changing to the Kenda K270 tires (rated for more dirt riding). I've used them on the last two bikes and I like them, especially for sand because they have better traction there. They are dual-sport so they are designed to have lower rolling resistance on pavement than pure dirt treads do, but probably more than the tires that came on the bike. The K270's are rated 50% pavement and 50% dirt riding.

I'm going 1/4" wider on the front and 1" wider on the rear. The rear will require me to use a wider rim (2.5" in place of the 2.15" factory rim).