shaft driven bicycle vs chain drive

Anyone use an old school intercom between house and garage. Some say motorcycle riders only wear black t-shirts and jackets because old chains used to cover them in oil. But if it did, I could change it myself for $300. Quick Tips and a Unique Lightweight Tool for Chains, Harley-Davidson’s Pan America; ADVRider Inmates Speak, Charley Boorman Shares Harley-Davidson Pan America Photos. Chains are the most common motorcycle drive system because they have more strength and can be used effectively in high-powered bikes. Your email address will not be published. Each setup has it’s own pros and cons, but which system is best? We will keep you up to date on the cool stuff only. One was designed to spray oil on to the chain and the other dripped oil on to the chain. So why use a chain in the first place? Early Harley-Davidsons were fitted with two systems to oil the chain while riding. I think that’s a good story but not based on real world experience. They rarely require maintenance and have the additional benefit of the shaft system inherently stiffening up the swing arm, which increases stability and handling for a well planted feel. Chain Vs Belt Vs Shaft Drive: Motorcycle Final Drive Systems Explained With Their Characteristics . It used a flexible shaft and two bevel gears to transmit torque from the rear wheel, driven by a conventional bicycle chain with derailleurs, to the front wheel. Reviewing the 2020 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES - WOULD I BUY THIS? But yes, it needs maintenance, and that too time and again. Early automobiles were also largely driven by sprocket and chain mechanism, a practice largely copied from bicycles. The belt drive sits in the middle of the chain and shaft, working very much like a chain drive but with a Kevlar composite belt and pulley(s) instead of a chain and sprockets, the ride is smooth and quiet with the belt requiring very little attention. Shaft Drive For A Trike. Note we said “low maintenance”, not no maintenance. A drive shaft system weighs more than a chain system, usually 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lb) heavier. Some custom chopper builders even switch back from belt to chain because it’s easy to change gearing when fitting different gearsets and playing with different size motors. If shaft was eating 15% of engine power it would be continuously glowing if molt melting while riding (dissipating 10kW+ in heat in 70HP motorcycle). There is no perfect drive system. Harley transitioned its product range from chain to belt drive between 1980 and 1992. BMW has a used them since the R32 in 1923 and Moto Guzzi has used them since the 1960s. It does, however, come with some cons. What is a Belt Drive Bicycle? They rarely require maintenance and have the additional benefit of the shaft system inherently stiffening up the swing arm, which increases stability and handling for a well planted feel. As a comparison, a chain drive soaks up around 5% in efficiency loss, so if you want an extra 15% H/P going to your Vmax back wheel, do a chain drive swap. Drive belts are made of a fairly tough Kevlar/rubber composite, but can shed teeth as they age. With good maintenance, any of the drive systems should see you happily down the road… although in saying that, I’m happy I don’t see a lot of chains anymore. Early belts were not very reliable and lasted as little as 20,000km. Oil pressure was used to recycle the oil back into the sump for filtering. My bike is chain, And I have driven shaft bikes before, and when I go for another bike, I'm looking everywhere else around getting a shaft driven bike. All good! The bike now has 29,000kms on it and it has been perfect. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This power loss is a myth. BMW even use them to success on their GS off-road models. This guide outlines the pros and cons of chain vs belt drive bikes to help you decide which drive system is best for your style of riding. Yes in may not have 96 – 98% efficiency if chain but I would doubt is worse than 95% efficient. Belts are cleaner than chains which can be an issue for commuters who bring their bikes onto trains or into offices. Harley transitioned its product range from chain to belt drive between 1980 and 1992. Kevlar and carbon fibre belts extended the life of the drive belt so it can last the life of the motorcycle. This drivetrain requires two sprockets, one on the output shaft of the transmission and the other on the wheel, just like a cycle. Shaft drive is clean, robust, reliable and has low maintenance. Chain drive was the main feature which differentiated the safety bicycle introduced in 1885, with its two equal-sized wheels, from the direct-drive penny-farthing or "high wheeler" type of bicycle. My wife had a shaft-drive Yamaha which totally failed without warning at 70 000km . . I think my saving grace was the damage to the dead-centre of the belt – if it had been near the edge, I reckon a tear would most likely be the result and then it would have been all-over-bar-the-shouting. Shaft-driven bicycles have been around for a century, but chains and derailleurs won out due to their ability to translate muscle-power more efficiently through a range of gears. What is the best transmission for a motorcycle: chain, belt or shaft drive? I don't like the feel, it steals power, and It looks like crap, low mat. However, the dark side of the shaft drive is that they are heavy and tend to transmit more of the terrain’s shocks up through the bike. They do require regular lubrication servicing. You didn’t mention one huge negative of belt drives: if a stone gets caught in it, a belt will shred to pieces. Freelance writer for various national magazines and websites, plus founder of MotorbikeWriter.com. They usually last longer than the bike. So, how do you know if your drive belt or chain needs replacing or your shaft is worn? Chain Drive requires a lot of maintenance. At 24,000kms the belt and tensioner were replaced as per the manual. Your motorcycle’s final drive is important and each type, chain, belt, or shaft all have their pros and cons. I’m now just over 80,000km and that little hole is still there, and the belt is still happy… although I have a spare hanging ready on the wall of my workshop. I have personally owned all three and I have customers who obviously have all of the above. Yes, if necessary by the side of the road! Many of the advantages claimed by drive shaft's proponents can be achieved on a chain-driven bicycle, such as covering the chain and sprockets. Belts don’t tolerate sudden torque loadings from hard acceleration and wheelies like chains. Not much was said about shaft drive so I’ll throw in a couple of comments. INTRODUCTION: The first shaft drives for cycles appear to have been invented independently in 1890 in the United States and England. A shaft driven bicycle is a bicycle that uses a shaft drive instead of a chain which contain two set of bevel gear at both the ends to make a new kind of transmission system for bicycle for getting high reliability system, and more safe system. My Buell Firebolt obviously runs a belt. Driven sets a new benchmark in drivetrain technology, increasing optimal efficiency to 99% and creating 49% less friction than market leaders. However there are other types of final drives also present like drive belts and drive shafts but chains are more popularly used in all types of motorbikes. COPYRIGHT 2013 - 2020 © MOTORBIKE WRITER. The downside of the chain and sprockets arrangement is that they wear out quicker, they are dirty, require more maintenance and cleaning of the surrounding areas as the chain spits its excess oil over your bike, and if not maintained properly the chain drive can stretch excessively, become derailed or even snap. The belt is used instead of the traditional bike chain. Shaft driven bicycle:CHAIN LESS 4. If you believe your shaft is wearing out, see your mechanic as fixing a worn shaft is very technical. The shaft costs the bike up to 25% of power transferred to the rear wheel, and power costs mean fuel costs too, and this power transferred in to the shaft system also creates run on momentum on deceleration. A snapped chain jammed between the rear rim and the frame makes for an exciting stop on the freeway though!!!! However, they now last 70,000-120,000km or higher, depending on the use of the motorcycle. Use of lightweight derailleur gears with a high number of ratios is impossible, although hub gears can be used. The popularity of the chain-driven safety bicycle brought about the demise of the penny-farthing, and is still a basic feature of bicycle design today. In a shaft-driven system, a shaft connects a gear inside the gearbox to another gear inside a hub on the rear wheel. Also look for rust and if your bike keeps slipping gears, it probably needs replacing. Thus, black quickly became the colour of choice to hide the dark oil spray … not to cultivate a tough image! They are lightweight, begrudgingly easy to service, but very reliable if serviced properly. Unlike traditional drivetrain systems, Driven eliminates friction caused by the articulation of a chain due to its innovative pinion drive shaft design. CHAIN DRIVE vs SHAFT DRIVE.....Give me a shaft drive any day. Required fields are marked *. Also please note that any links provided may be part of an affiliate programme (viz. Shaft drives were introduced over a century ago, but were mostly supplanted by chain-driven bicycles due to the gear ranges possible with sprockets and derailleurs. The manual says replace at 24,000 kms. Chains also wear out, but because they are made of metal, they also wear out the sprocket teeth. For a bicycle to travel at the same speed, using a lower gear (larger mechanical advantage) requires the rider to pedal at a faster cadence, but with less force. Sprockets. It requires a lot of maintenance lubrication as well as a lot of cleaning as it attracts dirt most of the time. Two-wheel drive. However, they now last 70,000-120,000km or higher, depending on the use of the motorcycle. Shaft drives were introduced over a century ago, but were mostly supplanted by chain-driven bicycles due to the gear ranges possible with sprockets and derailleurs. She now has a belt drive bike which has never had a failure in 120 000km. So you may not only have to replace the chain, but also the sprockets. Compared with a chain, belts are cleaner, lighter, cheaper, smoother, quieter and require less maintenance or adjustment than chains. Many other manufacturers, mainly Japanese, have used shafts over the years for touring and cruisers models. On the right type of bike, for longevity, low maintenance and cost, a shaft drive is hard to beat. The chain drive system is made up of two sprockets, one on the gearbox and one on the rear wheel, that are connected by a chain. Compared with a chain, belts are cleaner, lighter, cheaper, smoother, quieter and require less maintenance or adjustment than chains. It’s all too common to see a pair of sprockets connected through a chain, driving the rear wheel of a motorcycle. That could also be why BMW riders with shaft drive tend to wear lighter and brighter colours like scooter riders with their fully enclosed drive systems. Instead of a chain and standard dereailleur, the bikes feature a shaft drive (by Sussex) and internalgear hub (by Shimano, the same type used in some trikes). It takes some serious force to damage those ring and pinion gears. Early belts were not very reliable and lasted as little as 20,000km. What is the best transmission for a motorcycle: chain, belt or shaft drive? Riding Royal Enfields in Sri Lanka, two of our fellow riders suffered broken chains which were fixed within half an hour. Shaft Drive. A shaft drive will run quietly and smoothly as long as you keep the gear oil changed at the recommended intervals. Before using this site please read the site disclaimer. The chain drive helps smooth out shock loads from irregularities on rough roads and the trusty old chain and sprockets can hold its head up high as the most efficient final drive with only up to 4% transmission loss. Belts are now used by most cruisers, many scooters, some old Buells, some low-powered motorcycles and some BMW F models. 2009 Yamaha TW200: The Ratty Pigeon could be yours! That makes them cheaper in th… I have both chain and belt drives on different bikes - they do different things but are both fit for their respective purposes. Front and rear sprockets allow quick and accurate gearing changes. If they do fail, with the right tools, you can actually fix one at the side of the road with a new master link and be on your way again. Don’t leave an inspection of your chain, belt or shaft until you are on a Sunday ride and it breaks. Get free access to the best motorcycle newsletter on the planet. The chain drive is my personal favorite, albeit a love hate relationship! Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Belt Drive vs. Shaft Drive UTVs: Which is Better? In a workshop. Learn how your comment data is processed. eBay, Amazon) which helps support the site as I will earn … Let us take a look at the options. The downside to the belt is limited customization and they are not suitable for rough stony roads and tracks and they suffer up to 15% power loss during the transmission process. Having formerly been a mechanical engineer and having trained at the country’s leading motorcycle engineering college in London, should the unlikely event of a shaft drive fail beneath me on the road I would instantly know that a roadside repair would be very unlikely. Chain drive is widely used because it is inexpensive and efficient. Have you tried to wheelie a Harley? They have a few models of street bikes, a hybrid, and even a folding bike. Beyond the custom frame and shaft drive, everything else about the bikes is pretty standard. » Compett. I hate the needy attention it requires, but love better power and fuel economy and the fact that I can change the final drive ratio at the sprockets, adapting them for my needs as I sacrifice little top end for more acceleration. are the only ones to ride in every country in the world – two-up on a overweight ElectraGlide. Its sprockets and chains wear faster than belt drive or shaft drive. However, chains require a lot of maintenance: lubrication, cleaning and adjusting. Probably the biggest issue for belts will be cost, not just of the belt itself but of the required multispeed hubs to get sufficient gear range. Chain, belt, drive shaft. Kevlar and carbon fibre belts extended the life of the drive belt so it can last the life of the motorcycle. Maintaining a shaft drive is as easy as checking your oil. Chain Drive vs Belt Drive vs Shaft Drive ... A chain drive system is used in almost all the bikes that you see on a daily basis, because it’s reliable and cheap to maintain. Shaft drive is too inefficient and heavy for practical use on a bike. No crap, we promise. I started MotorbikeWriter to bring the world all the daily motorcycle news, views, reviews and lifestyle happenings. You can also adjust the gearing with chain drive. Check out the number of heavy cruisers and touring bikes which use shaft drive. When the Shovel engine appeared in the 1960s, Harley Davidson re-designed the oil system, and plugged the hole in the primary cover to eliminate the oil leak. You might also like to read the blog of the greatest adv bike of all time (countries, distance), happens to be a Harley from Australia in that he explains its mud not stones that does a belt the most damage. But it was in 1905 that FN made its mark on the motorcycle world when it launched the FN Four that had an in-line four-cylinder engine with shaft drive. Generally, a drive belt will wear if not aligned properly, is not adjusted correctly (too loose or tight) or is not kept free of road dirt and rocks etc. With all that oil being fed on to a circulating chain under the bike, the rider would end up with a spray of oil on their back. Even though they can last a long time, it is best to check your owner’s handbook for the correct replacement interval. In 1901, FN made its first single-cylinder 133 cc bike and the following year launched the world’s first shaft driven motorcycle with its FN-300. Recently, due to advancements in internal gear technology, a small number of modern shaft-driven bicycles have been introduced. It is easy to understand the appeal of shaft driven bikes to so many people and I have to say, I have never had a mechanical problem with one and the last one I owned was on a 43 year old R80/7. A shaft-driven bicycle is a bicycle that uses a drive shaft instead of a chain to transmit power from the pedals to the wheel. Try fitting s spare shaft or belt on the lighter pocket of your leather master link fits in there nice. Also look for any leaks around the seals and a lot of “play” in the rear wheel when in gear. The chain needs lubricating frequently and replacing from time to time. It would probably require expensive specialist parts that would take time to get, depending on my location! The rear wheel has no adjustment. A tensioner is part of the set up. Click here to find out how to clean and maintain your chain for a long life. In 1991, a two-wheel drive bicycle was marketed under the Legacy name. Your email address will not be published. By his measurements, a conventional chain drive consumes 2.92 watts on average, while the belt eats up 3.93 watts. Click here to see how to lengthen the life of your chain. There is a great video on the internet of Eric Buel tipping a bucket of stones into a belt drive and nothing happening. Perhaps the most common form of sprocket may be found in the bicycle, in which the pedal shaft carries a large sprocket-wheel, which drives a chain, which, in turn, drives a small sprocket on the axle of the rear wheel. As such no adjusting of the rear wheel is needed. Signs of a worn shaft are noises, vibration and metal shavings in the oil when it is being replaced. Cost us $1600 to repair. That’s why you’ll never see belt drive on anything that is intended to leave the blacktop. Shaft drive consists of a shaft connected to a gear inside the gearbox to another gear inside a hub on the rear wheel. The Chain isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. In 1994, Steve Christini and Mike Dunn introduced a two-wheel drive … This project is developed for the users to rotate the back wheel of a two wheeler using propeller shaft. Having had shaft driven bikes and knowing the joy that they can bring for their clean, hassle-free longevity, I fully understand how well respected they are. Harley-Davidson riders still cover themselves in black, probably because old Harleys had two oily drive chains: One for the primary drive between the motor and gearbox and a second driving the rear wheel. Get the best motorbike news, rumors, deals and events each week. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. A shaft-driven bicycle is a chainless bicycle that uses a drive shaft instead of a chain to transmit power from the pedals to the wheel. The drive chain of your motorcycle is often neglected while it is one of the most important parts of your bike as the power transmits from engine to the rear tyre through drive chain only. I had one of those sticky little black bastard stones from a dodgy bitumen repair go straight through the belt of my Spyder at just under 20,000km. With belt drive. A belt drive bicycle uses a nylon toothed synchronous belt reinforced with carbon fiber cords to drive the rear wheel. List of shaft driven motorcycles; Which motorcycles have shaft drive? My belt drive commuter bike is quieter and smoother than any chain driven bike I've ever owned. However, broken chains can cause huge damage to your bike and injury to the rider if they break at high speed. Having said that I have to hand applause to the Harley riders referred to by Skip D above who i However, it’s not the only final drive system used on motorcycles. We recommend using PJ1 Driveshaft Hypoid Gear Oil to keep your shaft – driven motorcycle running quietly and without problems for miles to come! is all it's got going for it. Simply greasing the shaft splines when you have the rear off to change the tyre and the drive train will last as long as a similar set up on your car, hundreds of thou k/ms. On the negative side, a drive shaft is heavy, expensive and if it does fail there is no quick or cheap fix. The main downside of a shaft drive is the loss of up around 15 to 20% of the engine’s H/P if it’s a transverse mounted engine due to the two changes in drive direction. From a maintenance point-of-view, any system works OK. Chain Drive Here in India, more than 90% of the motorcycles running on road transmit the power to the rear wheels via a ‘Chain Drive’. For a shaft-driven bicycle the gear ratio depends on the bevel gears used at each end of the shaft. And if they fail, they don’t tend to cause catastrophic damage to bike and rider like a broken chain. Dynamic Bicyclesout of Rhode Island has been producing a small line of chainless bikes for the past ten years. Having had shaft driven bikes and knowing the joy that they can bring for their clean, hassle-free longevity, I fully understand how well respected they are.

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