BMW probably isn't making that belt anyways, there should be cheaper options available. ..and if it had a chain, people would be bitchin' about how they wanted a belt. :huh EDIT: Belt for the Aprilia Mana 850 costs about the same. It's $200 for my 300cc scooter!
thanks for the picture. I really hope this thing rides like crap. i can't really afford a brand new bike.
I had no problems with the belt drive with my ST in 36,000. It might be expensive to replace but I'm told it shouldn't have to be until about 50,000. I like the fact that it's pretty maintenance free. I was very happy with the old one except my now 40 year old body needs just a little more comfort on cross country trips! I was going to do some mods on mine but then they came out with this and I was ready for something new anyway. I was getting tired of the matte grey... Really like white!
Negative there's been more than a few people that have scoured the interwebz looking for a non BMW belt (it's made by continental) to take th place of the one that costs nearly 500 after shipping. No joy. I looked for weeks to no avail and many others before and after me did the same. If you could find one there'd be a board full of people from all over the world who would be very happy. BMW recommends replacing the belt every 24k miles but most people get between 40 and 50 on theirs before They break. Lots of folks just pick up a salvage one with used miles to keep around as a spare. I carry a spare with me on trips out of the local area especially since mine is over 42 k miles now. Sent from my iPhone
..if it truly gets 200 miles to a tank, and I can get the bars up a couple of inches, and get a huge windshield, I'm in.
That's really interesting.. I'm sure people have looked hard already, but I can't accept that there's no alternative from one of the bigger belt manufacturers on the whole planet. They make money selling belts, they should be making all the popular sizes for all bikes out there.
McMaster Carr sells belts for nearly every application you can think of. Even they don't have one. It's a teeth spacing issue as far as I can tell. Some people have modded theirs to run chains by using a GS front sprocket and custom rear sprocket. Like I said if you can find one there would be a world wide forum full of elated people. I wouldn't accept that there wasn't a belt out there that would work either until I wasted a lot of my own time looking. Sent from my iPhone
Maybe it's only $400.00 where you live, but it's not where I live. They wanted over double that at my local BMW dealers (Canada) So, obviously screw that noise, right? Internet here I come! Motorworks UK, awesome, right around $425.00 give or take. Wait, what? You refuse to ship to North America? Huh?! WTF, you won't even accept orders form Visa cards issued to someone in North America? Ooookaaaay...:huh MaxBMW, at least they're in the US. $435.00 American. Not bad. Argh, plus $$$ shipping to "International". Argh, plus obscene UPS Brokerage fees! Ack, Border customs charges! Sigh, Provincial and Federal 12% taxes. $400.00 bucks? Ya, not so much. And that's IF the belt doesn't break, wear out prematurely or get stuffed up when the rear axle/bearing goes AWOL, or the front pulley chews it's way through the front plastic cover, and goes fucking off down the road when you're out in the middle of nowhere.
Well motivated and fairly clever people have had at least 7 or so years of intense looking to try and find this "it's easy!" replacement belt so far, with exactly zero success. :eek1 I'm only aware of two people in the whole world who have ever modded their F800 belt drive set ups to accept chain and sprockets. One being Chris Pfeiffer of Corporate BMW sponsored stunting fame, and some guy in South America, who spent a lot of time and money with varying degrees of success, depending on what you view as "easy" or "success"
It's a deal breaker for me. If I feel a company is taking advantage of me, I'll walk. $400 for a belt is taking advantage.
How do you figure they are, "Taking advantage" of you because the belt is $400? How many of these belts do you think they sell globally every year? Have you ever tried to mass produce a motorcycle belt that last 25,000 miles in all conditions, globally, and make a profit? They are a business. You understand the concept of profit, right? Do you live in Russia? So, you would drop $15,000 for this BMW, but then complain because the zero maintenance belt, that required NOTHING from you for 24,000 miles, and allowed you super quiet operation, no oiling, and was lighter than a shaft drive, and had zero "shaft jacking effect", cost $400 after 24,000 miles? A new chain a sprockets is at least $200 installed for quality parts. The darn belt isn't a whole lot more. and you are spreading that cost out over 24,000 miles. Man, you folks are a surly bunch. It never ceases to amaze me how people will drop a huge amount of money on a very complex machine like a motorcycle or car and then complain about maintenance costs. You folks are like the tools that buy a Dodge Viper and then complain that the tires cost $500 each and only last 10,000 miles. It's a VIPER! You want lower operating costs? Buy a freaking Honda Scooter and STFU! Want a bunch of Marys.
Well, how do you guys feel about $ 25.00 a piece spark plugs ? But more to Sid's point, list price on a BMW drive belt is $ 434.00.....below is the price page for Harley drive belts. Bigger belt and more than 50% less. The list price price for the starter for my1100 GS was $ 304.00 I think. I paid $ 195.00 for the exact Valeo starter from a different source. And got 2 free oil filters. Ya, BMW's costs more cuz they are better right ? I understood Sid's point...I don't think you did. http://www.jpcycles.com/harley-replacement-belts
....Right. Sooooooooo, how many Harleys are sold every year? How many F800s are sold every year? Economies of scale. Google it.
Would it be a bad thing if BMW designed the final drive to used the existing H-D belt? Nope! BMW=Bring More Wallet Regards, Paul
