The Yamaha Road Star Warrior Forum

I am in the process of installing the gates HTD ploy chain kevlar belt and noticed that when I roll the rear wheel forward the belt tends to move outward away from the center of the primary drive pulley away from the bike.  It rolls to the outer edge!

I was wondering if it matter which way I installed the belt?!?  I installed it with the model number and letters being readable when you stand on the left of the bike facing the bike.  Does it matter?

If it does not matter which way I install the belt, anyone know why the belt is moving outward on the primary pulley?  What can I do to center and fix this?

TIA, my hand are all filthy and just ran in from the garage in hopes the gurus can help quickly...

I installed mine the other way and it also moves toward the outside of the pulley.

mdfdwarrior:

I was wondering if it matter which way I installed the belt?!?  I installed it with the model number and letters being readable when you stand on the left of the bike facing the bike.  Does it matter?

If it does not matter which way I install the belt, anyone know why the belt is moving outward on the primary pulley?  What can I do to center and fix this?

TIA, my hand are all filthy and just ran in from the garage in hopes the gurus can help quickly...

Installed mine the same as yours, but mine tracks inboard toward the wheel. Wouldn't hurt to check your alignement...

 If it's not slammed tight to one side of the pulley it's ok. I'm not a proponent of centering the belt to track. Make sure your rear axle is perpendicular to the swingarm pivot by measuring each side equally. The belt should track close to the middle o just to one side but not rub against either side of the pulley.

Thank you all very much for the quick replies.  Well, I checked the alignment as well as the tension for the x hours since my last post.  I have even ridden it around the block.  I don't think I'm out of the woods just yet though....

What bugs me is the oem yami belt, even though it favored the right of the drive pulley, stayed somewhat in the middle.  This Gates belt now favors the left but is much closer to the edge.  I do not believe it touches the left edge, but it is way closer to the edge than the yami belt.  I also didn't mind the yami belt going a little to the right (inboard towards the center of the bike) since I felt that the belt could never roll off.  Now with the Gates belt favoring the left, I have this anxiety of the belt rolling to the left off the drive pulley under long riding, high speeds, or extreme acceleration....

I'm not sure if this is worth a mention but I had the new Gates belt installed in 25 mins.   I basically took off the front pulley cover, off came the transfer gear case bracket, then the swingarm pivot nut, and then the swingarm pivot.  I then jacked up the bike to separate the swingarm (with the rear wheel still in tact) from the frame and slipped in the belt.  Was this procedure ok or did I screw something up to cause the belt to track left now?

I would greatly appreciate you all taking a look at this pic and tell me if I have anything to worry about...

Here's a shot of the belt from the rear left looking into the front primary pulley drive:

Here is a pictorial of how I replaced the belt...

Hear is the front drive pulley off and the bike lifted after the swingarm pivot has been taken out.  Notice the gap between the frame and the swingarm.  That was enough for me to slip the new Gates belt through...

Here is another angle from the rear...

the next pic is another angle where you can see the space made available by taking off the transfer gear case bracket....

Here is the Transfer gear case bracket...

Everything looks good to me. It looks like you have at least a couple of mm between the belt and the rim of the pulley in this pic so you should be good. You have a aftermarket ft. pulley if it is 33 tooth or if the belt is thick enough to contact the nylon rollers i would leave them off. I diched mine long ago overkill from Yamaha IMO. If you tighten the nut on the front pulley to the proper torque aligned the rear axle and have the proper belt tenchen then there is nothing more you can do but ride and check it every now and then. 

TRex  

mdfdwarrior ... simply put, NO! a new belt will run either way, no problema!

Once the belt has been put into service it becomes unidirectional and that's a fact

I install the lettering so that i can read it when i approach the bike from the left side as you did

You should have checked your rear axle while it was out to see if it's bent and also a thorough inspection of the frt aluminum pulley teeth for erosion!

JamesD .... put his belt on backward. I posted a photo in his topic post but he didn't listen oh well!!

rxape:

Everything looks good to me. It looks like you have at least a couple of mm between the belt and the rim of the pulley in this pic so you should be good. You have a aftermarket ft. pulley if it is 33 tooth or if the belt is thick enough to contact the nylon rollers i would leave them off. I diched mine long ago overkill from Yamaha IMO. If you tighten the nut on the front pulley to the proper torque aligned the rear axle and have the proper belt tenchen then there is nothing more you can do but ride and check it every now and then. 

TRex  

Heh, you're the guy with the cut-back V&H Big Shots ... i used your photo the other day, thank you .... when are you coming out my way to show me how to do that exhaust mod 

AlanH:

mdfdwarrior ... simply put, NO! a new belt will run either way, no problema!

Once the belt has been put into service it becomes unidirectional and that's a fact

I install the lettering so that i can read it when i approach the bike from the left side as you did

You should have checked your rear axle while it was out to see if it's bent!

JamesD .... put his belt on backward. I posted a photo in his topic post but he didn't listen oh well!!

Thanx Alan!  I never took the rear wheel off and thus never took the rear axle off.  I inspected it when I installed the phat rear earlier this year at the beginning of the season and it seemed fine.  Do you suspect the rear axle has something to do w/ the belt breaking or it tracking to the left?

Is it normal to see the belt travel all the way to the right when I roll the wheel in reverse, and then travel left to where it is in the pic when I roll the wheel forward?!?

thanx Trex - I will just have to keep an eye on it  for awhile.  Opted not to go to bike night tonight, but will be doing some riding this weekend...

mdfdwarrior:

Thanx Alan!  I never took the rear wheel off and thus never took the rear axle off.  I inspected it when I installed the phat rear earlier this year at the beginning of the season and it seemed fine.  Do you suspect the rear axle has something to do w/ the belt breaking or it tracking to the left?

Is it normal to see the belt travel all the way to the right when I roll the wheel in reverse, and then travel left to where it is in the pic when I roll the wheel forward?!?

• If you are referring to the rear pulley it's not uncommon. Remember, the belt is new and might have taken a set by being in a tight radius in the package! Proper torquing of the rear whl to preload the brg's will affect the geometry of the pulley. You can indicate or sight the outer pulley edge with a plastic pointer to see if it's running true. If you're confident with the belt adjustment take it for a spin.

AlanH:

rxape:

Everything looks good to me. It looks like you have at least a couple of mm between the belt and the rim of the pulley in this pic so you should be good. You have a aftermarket ft. pulley if it is 33 tooth or if the belt is thick enough to contact the nylon rollers i would leave them off. I diched mine long ago overkill from Yamaha IMO. If you tighten the nut on the front pulley to the proper torque aligned the rear axle and have the proper belt tenchen then there is nothing more you can do but ride and check it every now and then. 

TRex  

That's a 31T up frt

Heh, you're the guy with the cut-back V&H Big Shots ... i used your photo the other day, thank you .... when are you coming out my way to show me how to do that exhaust mod 

 

TRex

AlanH:

mdfdwarrior:

Thanx Alan!  I never took the rear wheel off and thus never took the rear axle off.  I inspected it when I installed the phat rear earlier this year at the beginning of the season and it seemed fine.  Do you suspect the rear axle has something to do w/ the belt breaking or it tracking to the left?

Is it normal to see the belt travel all the way to the right when I roll the wheel in reverse, and then travel left to where it is in the pic when I roll the wheel forward?!?

• If you are referring to the rear pulley it's not uncommon. Remember, the belt is new and might have taken a set by being in a tight radius in the package! Proper torquing of the rear whl to preload the brg's will affect the geometry of the pulley. You can indicate or sight the outer pulley edge with a plastic pointer to see if it's running true. If you're confident with the belt adjustment take it for a spin.

actually I was referring to the side-to-side belt travel on the front drive pulley...is it normal for the belt to travel across the front drive pulley to the other side (in my case right side) when the wheel is rotated in the reverse direction and then have the belt travel all the way across the front drive pulley again (in my case to the left) when the wheel is rotated in the forward direction?  In either case, the belt stops just short of the edge of the front drive pulley...

I did take it around the block and didn't notice any issues, but I'm just afraid something will happen when I travel further...Wanna dot my i's and cross my t's before I venture out farther...last week's incident of the snapped belt leaving me stranded for hours in the dead of night while mosquitoes feasted on my back is still fresh on my mind lol! 

Not that i have a solution but just some thoughts. 

What's the condition of your frt aluminum pulley teeth in the drive & coast directions? Any excessive erosion as asked earlier.

Was your rear axle turned 180 deg or just lossened? If bent that would have an affect.

Have you chk'd the runout w/ an indicator of the frt and rear pulleys. Is the frt pulley bent?

With the aftermarket forged whl & cush hub what torque is used oin the rear wheel axle?

The 1-1/8 belt walking across the entire frt wider pulley flange to flange is not correct in my book.

My polychain had a twist (memory) in it when new & did what you are refering to. Try riding it for a couple of hundred miles it should then behave normally.