The eventual final drive of choice, shaft or belt?

[rboe]

Chain drive.

To rebuild a rear drive you buy a sprocket set and chain Done. A little lube, some cleaning (no changing of the drive fluids) and some adjusting, not unlike tweaking our valves and we don't seem to mind that.

Don't see shaft drive or belts going away either. Each drive method has its' strengths, I see no need to get rid of one or two. You use the one that does the job the best for your application. If you prefer one over the other then you'll limit yourself to just that sort of riding (if you are a shaft supporter then you'd give up dirt biking and moto cross, but that may not be your gig anyway 

I've never owned a belt drive bike. Not avoiding them, just never had the opportunity to get one. I do like the shaft on the Griso and the Quota but you know, modern chains are not that bad. My CB has been very good. And I don't worry about the rear drive breaking. 

[oldbike54]

Dusty, I must correct you!  146,500 miles. 

Rough Edge ...... if it hadn't been for the fact that BMW decided they didn't need to cut a keeper slot and install a $2 c-clip on the output shaft, the tranny may never have been removed from the bike.

 Damn unreliable Beemers 

  Dusty

[Tom]

Belts are fine until you break one and the replacement drill is having to drop the swing-arm off a spine bike.  Fortunately, I had the engine hoist and floor jack to lift the bike off the ground and the tension off the rear wheel.  A chain would have been faster.     

[Tobit]

Fully enclosed belt would be my choice.  Lose the weight of the shaft and rear drive.  Hell, even my '76 Montesa Cota had almost a fully enclosed chain.  There were chain tubes that the upper and lower runs ran through.  The only exposed chain was the wrap around the rear sprocket.  Other motorcycles over the years have had fully enclosed chains, why not a belt?

Here's an old Bultaco (Metralla?) with a fully enclosed chain.

[Tom]

Enclosed final drive chain on bikes have been used before with limited success and not because of the use.  Consumers didn't like the looks.  With the current usage of body plastic, the touring models could have enclosed oil baths but the o-ring chains have changed all of that.

[Shorty]

I agree with O.R. about the clutch and seal issues. I would much rather work on my clutch from the side of the bike without a major disassembly. That is more important to me than what method of final drive I have.

[Aaron D.]

Again, not all belt drive bikes are hard to repair. I think it may only be the HD big twins, with the Softail setup.

Sportsters and Scouts are super easy.

[Tom]

Buells aren't for reasons stated earlier.

[canuguzzi]

I have yet to see a shaft drive that looks nearly as good as a belt or chain. The bulbous monstrosity attached to the rear wheel looks like some played with silly putty and the swing arms look like afterthoughts.

The chains look like they belong there and the belts only slightly less. The dual beam swingarm looks more balanced and the single on a shaft bike.

Either a chain or belt can be repaired or replaced easily and quickly. When a shaft goes, unless your last name is snap-on its tow truck time. Leaking seals? Not on a belt. No oil to change either.

Even on a trip, should something happen to the belt or chain and you don't have an extra, Fed Ex get a replacement to you the next day and you continue. Experience a serious leak on the shaft at either end and you are done.

[Tom]

Yet, shaft drives work for MG.

[Aaron D.]

I have yet to see a shaft drive that looks nearly as good as a belt or chain. The bulbous monstrosity attached to the rear wheel looks like some played with silly putty and the swing arms look like afterthoughts.

The chains look like they belong there and the belts only slightly less. The dual beam swingarm looks more balanced and the single on a shaft bike.

Either a chain or belt can be repaired or replaced easily and quickly. When a shaft goes, unless your last name is snap-on its tow truck time. Leaking seals? Not on a belt. No oil to change either.

Even on a trip, should something happen to the belt or chain and you don't have an extra, Fed Ex get a replacement to you the next day and you continue. Experience a serious leak on the shaft at either end and you are done.

You are aware that a shaft drive bike can have a twin sided swingarm? In fact most built have been that way.
A bad shaft on a Tonti framed Guzzi (can't imagine this really) is not all that hard to fix. U-joint not so bad either. I certainly wouldn't call a freaking tow truck.

But of great interest to me at this minute-if you hate your bike so much why not ditch it and be done?

[jas67]

My Vespa is (very much present tense) a manual shift. My wife's is an ET4 with the CVT.

Mine by the way, despite being a 2 stroke, has been much more economical and reliable. We both just finished our 12th season on them.

The old 2 stroke Vespas are very reliable, and I'll bet fun too.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I have yet to see a shaft drive that looks nearly as good as a belt or chain. The bulbous monstrosity attached to the rear wheel looks like some played with silly putty and the swing arms look like afterthoughts.

The chains look like they belong there and the belts only slightly less. The dual beam swingarm looks more balanced and the single on a shaft bike.

Either a chain or belt can be repaired or replaced easily and quickly. When a shaft goes, unless your last name is snap-on its tow truck time. Leaking seals? Not on a belt. No oil to change either.

Even on a trip, should something happen to the belt or chain and you don't have an extra, Fed Ex get a replacement to you the next day and you continue. Experience a serious leak on the shaft at either end and you are done.

So, do you drive a car or truck with belt or chain drive?