SJC69
Club Member
Whilst installing my auto primary chain tensioner and service, as I got around to checking the drive belt, which was well slack, thank you Mr Dealer, I got to thinking about factory spec for the late Tourer drive belt tension.
They seem to be run very tight now, around half the play they had for the early Evo era. Whether this is to do with the change in the belt construction I don?t know!
EG a FLH only has a 1/4 to 5/16 of an inch (6.4 to 7.9mm) of movement, that?s not much of a deflection and a bit worrying!
An 883/883R, 1200R etc have a bit more @ 3/8 to 7/16 (9.5 to 11mm) where as the Custom models are the same as a Tourers which on the face of it seems tight.
It?s fun adjusting the belt on a late TC88 Tourer with 36mm axel nuts, I now see why H-D don?t include it in the hand book, you need a bike lift and the rear exhausts silencers off if you have not got a special spanner! (See here)
Other than that it is quite simple, except I had to grind one side off my belt tensioning tool otherwise it did not fit in the belt guard, now that's progress!
They seem to be run very tight now, around half the play they had for the early Evo era. Whether this is to do with the change in the belt construction I don?t know!
EG a FLH only has a 1/4 to 5/16 of an inch (6.4 to 7.9mm) of movement, that?s not much of a deflection and a bit worrying!
An 883/883R, 1200R etc have a bit more @ 3/8 to 7/16 (9.5 to 11mm) where as the Custom models are the same as a Tourers which on the face of it seems tight.
It?s fun adjusting the belt on a late TC88 Tourer with 36mm axel nuts, I now see why H-D don?t include it in the hand book, you need a bike lift and the rear exhausts silencers off if you have not got a special spanner! (See here)
Other than that it is quite simple, except I had to grind one side off my belt tensioning tool otherwise it did not fit in the belt guard, now that's progress!