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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: odedmaz on January 27, 2017, 05:07:28 AM
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When the Zero belt breaks, you find yourself stuck on the side of the road, or off road with no ability to replace the belt on the fly.
Replacement takes time and special tools.
to solve this problem, I had a specially made re-enforced rubber belt made to my specs, in the exact dimensions of the Zero (2013-2016) belt. the emergency belt is installed next to the swingarm and tucked away nicely in front of the motor (requiring the same procedure as replacing a belt). since the emergency belt is made of special re-enforced rubber, it can fold easily, unlike the original belt that will break if folded. once installed, it just sits there out of the way.
When the original belt breaks, all you have to do is take off the rear mud guard with an allen key, and place the emergency belt over the front & rear pulleys, a 3 minute job, and you can ride away. It is meant to get you home or to the garage, where an original Zero belt should be installed. I will not accelerate hard or ride fast with the emergency belt installed.
tried it few times already and it works great. I have no more worries of being stuck with a broken belt. I find it as important as keeping a spare wheel in my car.
made a short video tutorial, showing the installation process - <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/201203776" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/201203776">Zero emergency belt tutorial</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user307752">oded mazor</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
https://vimeo.com/201203776 (https://vimeo.com/201203776)
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Got many messages and requests for these belts, so to make things easier, I opened an Ebay account and willing to ship them worldwide.
I have quite a few as I needed to buy a bulk since they are specially made.
if interested, here is the link - http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId (http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId)
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That's awesome man. How much did it cost to get a custom belt made, if you don't mind sharing? Where does one go to even get something like that done?
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Excellent belt & video, Oded! Your belt's definitely way more flexible than the Zero one & is exactly what's needed for quick / easy replacement in the dirt, especially if you're tired and/or running out of time before sunset.
Ray
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That's a great hack! I'd also like a set of instructions for getting similar belts made, or we make a batch and mail them out or something.
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Awesome idea, I am on board. I would buy one.
Rider 7
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Me too! 😅
2015 FX ZF6.5 👹 DoD #2160,6
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When the Zero belt breaks, you find yourself stuck on the side of the road, or off road with no ability to replace the belt on the fly.
Interesting. I'm curious as to the number of people who have had belts break. In other words, how concerned should I be about my belt breaking? To put that in perspective, as compared to running over a nail, flat tire?
That said ... great job! Am guessing it wasn't cheap to have designed/manufactured.
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When the Zero belt breaks, you find yourself stuck on the side of the road, or off road with no ability to replace the belt on the fly.
Interesting. I'm curious as to the number of people who have had belts break. In other words, how concerned should I be about my belt breaking? To put that in perspective, as compared to running over a nail, flat tire?
That said ... great job! Am guessing it wasn't cheap to have designed/manufactured.
The fatter belt on most of the 2017 lineup (e.g. 2017 Zero S ZF13 still uses the smaller belt) should mean breaking belts is a lot less common. This solution would have to be modified in order to work with the new belt anyway, it's really meant for the old 14mm wide 8mm pitch belts.
The older belts do break. There are plenty of posts about it and it was definitely a factor in Zero's decision to go with the newer 17mm wide 11mm pitch belts. I have not had a belt break myself but have had some teeth come off a belt and had to have it replaced. In fact, that prompted me to buy two belts so that I have one ready in case another breaks.
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w410/TheMrwilsn/IMG_2259_zpsv6mgsptt.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/TheMrwilsn/media/IMG_2259_zpsv6mgsptt.jpg.html)
This is a really great solution for getting out of a jam. However, it seems as though it's not meant for long term use. If a belt breaks, use it to get yourself home and/or to get your bike to a shop. Order a new belt and once it arrives have it installed and return the emergency belt to it's waiting position. I mean, after all 'emergency' is right in the title of the post. Nice work @odedmaz.
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Want
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This is seriously impressive!
There have been multiple posts on this forum about torn/broken belts. Being stranded by a torn belt has always been a fear of mine. I purchased a spare belt but I would need a mechanic to replace it since I don't have the tools. Getting to the mechanic is the problem and this solves it.
Very nice.
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Belt-drive isn't really suitable for off-road use, hence the chain kit. As my mechanic friend informs me, all it takes is a small rock to lodge between the cog and belt (a virtual certainty) and the belt is history.
Having a small rock guard in the right shape and place would reduce the probability of the belt snapping. But this spare belt idea is brilliant, and IMO by itself makes it practical to off-road with a belt. It would be a completely indispensable item to carry.
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Thanks for the feedback!
this special emergency belt can & should be used, IMO, for road & off road use.
belts do break, and finding yourself on the side of the road wasting time & money waiting for a tow truck is something we want to avoid.
the importance of a belt for off road use is self explanatory.
Got many messages and requests for these belts, so to make things easier, I opened an Ebay account and willing to ship them worlwide.
I have quite a few as I needed to buy a bulk since they are specially made.
if interested, here is the link - http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId (http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId)
Thanks.
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I've considered it, but then again based on the way I ride the bike I'll NEVER be all that far from home with it and as an AMA Member I have free towing in case something should happen. But if you ever decide to market this idea of yours, I'm listening. :)
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I have several friends that have BMW models, such as the F650CS and the F800ST/GT which are belt driven, plus I spend time on both model forums. I have yet to hear of a belt actually breaking, but they well strip their teeth if you let them go too long without replacement. One fellow that I know, rode 98,000 miles on his F800ST without replacing his belt and managed to strip all of the teeth from the belt, leaving him stranded and needing a tow. But that was certainly an extreme example of lack of maintenance - considering BMW recommends replacing the $500 :o belt every 24K miles.
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Let me be the first for you then, my belt broke at 6500km's last saturday. And that sucks immensely, waiting in the cold and rain for a tow truck to arrive... luckily i was in full gear included heated gloves and boots....
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Super job on the "Get Home" belt!
I have a 17 DSR will you make one for that model as well.
Thanks
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I have a 17 DSR will you make one for that model as well.
No plans at the time for the 2017 line, but I doubt you'll need it. the new belt seems much more adequate.
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if interested, here is the link - http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId (http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId)
Thanks to all who replied to my query as to how often belts break .. should I be concerned.
I'm approaching 4K miles on my 2016 SR, so am not worried about belt breakage in the immediate future. But just purchased one from your ebay store as a safety precaution. Was (very) surprised at the price .. guessed it would be much more.
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belts don't break on the SR. belt breakage is almost exclusively an FX issue.
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if interested, here is the link - http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId (http://www.ebay.com/itm/282340261998?item=282340261998&viewitem=&vxp=mtr#shpCntId)
Thanks to all who replied to my query as to how often belts break .. should I be concerned.
I'm approaching 4K miles on my 2016 SR, so am not worried about belt breakage in the immediate future. But just purchased one from your ebay store as a safety precaution. Was (very) surprised at the price .. guessed it would be much more.
It's not a "how often" issue, it's "what factors are riskiest for belts". I have two Zero's with about 18k miles each on them, still with their original belts with very little adjustment over their lifetimes.
Some have snapped their belts fairly early, maybe from muddy/sandy offroading or too many burnouts and wheelies. ;) Honestly, it can just be bad luck, or else we wouldn't be thinking about guards and spares.
The wiki gives a small overview: http://zeromanual.com/index.php/Unofficial_Service_Manual#Belt_Risks (http://zeromanual.com/index.php/Unofficial_Service_Manual#Belt_Risks)
I appreciate the EBay posting for sure. I've made an order already, thanks!
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When using the spare belt, I suggest avoiding hard accelerations & keeping top speed at 40-50 kmh.
I tested it much faster, but remember that this is an emergency belt only, and not as rigid as the original one.
For all those S DS SR riders, please share how you tucked away the belt in the motorcycle's frame. Be creative 😀
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
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I have a 17 DSR will you make one for that model as well.
No plans at the time for the 2017 line, but I doubt you'll need it. the new belt seems much more adequate.
Thanks for the reply - I was thinking with the extra torque of the 2017 DSR / SR the belt might be an issue.
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I have a 17 DSR will you make one for that model as well.
No plans at the time for the 2017 line, but I doubt you'll need it. the new belt seems much more adequate.
Thanks for the reply - I was thinking with the extra torque of the 2017 DSR / SR the belt might be an issue.
Is why on the 2017 DSR/SR they went with a wider belt than previous years. Even then I understand snapping a belt is rare. Props to the zero engineering team for trying... Over and over and over. Wider belt was the result.
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This makes me wonder, isn't it possible to engineer a belt with quick disconnect link instead ? Considering this is an emergency solution, it doesn't have to be as strong
as the original.
Found a couple of examples for other applications :
http://www.usabearingsandbelts.com/m7/Type%203L%20Accu-Link--type-3l-accu-link.html (http://www.usabearingsandbelts.com/m7/Type%203L%20Accu-Link--type-3l-accu-link.html)
http://usaknifemaker.com/power-twist-link-belt-by-fenner-drive.html (http://usaknifemaker.com/power-twist-link-belt-by-fenner-drive.html)
http://www.bdhbelt.com/link-v-belts.asp (http://www.bdhbelt.com/link-v-belts.asp)
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Thanks for the links.
I searched for an appropriate link. That would make an elegant solution. Could not find anything suitable without designing and manufacturing.
The rubber emergency belt can not take the loads (caused by torque) that the original belt drive can. It needs to be handled more gently while accelerating, but it will get you out of trouble anytime.
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belts don't break on the SR. belt breakage is almost exclusively an FX issue.
Mine broke at 13,000 miles. And again at 14,000. 2014 SR.
(Breaks were probably my fault, tension too high.)
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I'll check tomorrow and see if there are any left.
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This makes me wonder, isn't it possible to engineer a belt with quick disconnect link instead ? Considering this is an emergency solution, it doesn't have to be as strong
as the original.
Found a couple of examples for other applications :
http://www.usabearingsandbelts.com/m7/Type%203L%20Accu-Link--type-3l-accu-link.html (http://www.usabearingsandbelts.com/m7/Type%203L%20Accu-Link--type-3l-accu-link.html)
http://usaknifemaker.com/power-twist-link-belt-by-fenner-drive.html (http://usaknifemaker.com/power-twist-link-belt-by-fenner-drive.html)
http://www.bdhbelt.com/link-v-belts.asp (http://www.bdhbelt.com/link-v-belts.asp)
For the record, I tested such a thing on my SR and it did *not* work. The the small sprocket just cold not grab the flaps on the belt at all. Too much torque in too small an area, I think.