Motorcycle riders have three driveline options when selecting bikes: chain, shaft, and belt. Each of them has different maintenance requirements, so riders are encouraged to explore the pros and cons of each and why belts are popular with Harley-Davidson owners.

It’s all too common to see a pair of sprockets connected through a chain, driving the rear wheel of a motorcycle. However, it’s not the only final drive system used on motorcycles. Belt drive and shaft drive are the other two final drive systems, though they are not as ubiquitous as chain drive systems.

For some time now there has been a trend in the bike industry toward speccing a belt drive, rather than a traditional chain, to bikes in certain categories. You might land here wondering ‘what is a belt drive and do I need one?’.

Motorcyclists commonly drive their rear wheels with sprockets coupled to a chain. Although it is one of the motorcycles' most popular final drive systems, it is not the only one. Two other final drive systems are belt drive and shaft drive, although they are not as widespread as a chain.

Which of the three primary drivetrains—chain, belt, or shaft drive—is better, is one of the most often asked issues in the motorcycle world. There is a reason why bikes have different types of drivetrains; it is obvious that all motorcycles on the market have undergone significant R&D from the manufacturers.

Well, what exactly is this solution anyway, and does it make any sense on a bicycle, and if it does, in what way? We'll try to give you a bit of an insight into the history of this invention. We'll also tell you what it's suitable for and whether it's possible to install a belt drivetrain on your bike at all.

(Changing topics this time, the following is my response to an inquiry by a Harley rider as to expected belt drive system life on his H-D motorcycle.) Before answering your question, I need to mention that the condition of the 32-tooth transmission output sprocket controls belt life to a much greater degree than the 70-tooth rear sprocket.

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