Belt drive or chain case
- Thread starter uofm
- Start date
Advantages of belt drive, to name a few,
Much quicker response
Lighter weight
Less rotating mass.
Little to no maintenance / no changing fluid!
Can carry a spare belt very easy and can be changed in the field if need be.
Advantages of chain case,
Endless gearing combinations
Some may say stronger?
I'm guessing you are trying to decide between the two ??????
Much quicker response
Lighter weight
Less rotating mass.
Little to no maintenance / no changing fluid!
Can carry a spare belt very easy and can be changed in the field if need be.
Advantages of chain case,
Endless gearing combinations
Some may say stronger?
I'm guessing you are trying to decide between the two ??????
I actually think the difference is minuscule. Swapped back and forth between a 12 and 13, 6 times, and if you were blindfolded you wouldn't know. Cheaper for Polaris. It's a money maker. Sell people a spare belt. I think they have it worked out now. The only time you break a chain is lack of maintenance. Definitely easier to swap a belt than a chain in field. I think it's a no brainer for polaris but anyone swapping on another brand is just lightening there wallet. Placebo effect. There is no huge gain. Just watched a buddy change his belt on the mountain on his gen 4. Really cold and it took him about an hour. I would have been crying with my cold fingers.
I actually wonder why belt drives aren't taking over for chains across the range and with other makes. I can't see a belt setup costing more, not when you're making it in the same quantities as chain drives anyway, but who knows? I don't hear of many issues with the RMK belt drives anymore, and when you factor in the need to change oil, it's roughly even maintenance compared to having to change the belt now and then. I'd definitely lean towards a belt drive, all else being equal. The biggest downside to my mind is the gearing options (pro gears are the only cheap option; you have to spend a lot more if you want to get lower).
Belt drive, lighter, more efficent, spools up faster, simpler, makes tracks swaps a breeze.
chaincase, is heavy, slower and makes tracks swap a much larger task.
Especially with the QD2 on the '21s and on all models I personally see absolutely no reason to opt for a chaincase now.
chaincase, is heavy, slower and makes tracks swap a much larger task.
Especially with the QD2 on the '21s and on all models I personally see absolutely no reason to opt for a chaincase now.
You can't run 1.81 or any trail gearing without a chaincase. I've found 1.80 to 2.0 are good trail gears . Like 22/40 with a 2.25
These will easily do 95-100 with said gears and 52/46 helix .
These will easily do 95-100 with said gears and 52/46 helix .
S
simnil
Well-known member
That just can't be true!
Oiled steel to steel friction must be a lot less than dry rubber to steel/aluminium!
What makes me most skeptic to belt drive is the running cost. The service life of the belt isn't that long and at least over here the belts are expensive as heck!
I've said it before and I say it again, justifying the belt drive needs a fair bit of placebo!
I might not nowadays avoid a belt drive sled but I wouldn't put one on a sled that wasn't equipped with one regardless of how much money I had laying around.
Some people still like rotary phones.
You need to try it before you comment. The longer the chain, the more the belt is noticeable. Polaris has a relatively short chain so Doo and Cat see more benefits as they are longer. That said, these belts are lasting for years. I have a TKI on my 2015 ProRide and it has over 3000 kms on it and I bet it goes to 4000 easy.
My buddy just lunched his tki belt. I agree with him. I do agree that it is a no brainer for polaris for 21 but do not think it is worth changing on another brand.
I do understand and have tested back and forth a bunch. There isn't the huge weight savings there was years ago.
I read a while back that belt drives are pretty close to chains in terms of efficiency and parasitic losses at lower speed, but suck more power at higher speeds (don't remember it being a drastic difference, but definitely measurable). Half the cars on the road have belt-driven cams and go many years and over 100,000 miles in some cases without issue, so belt drives aren't inherently short-lived. And, in the case of quickdrive, most problems were early, teething issues, with very few failures these days not traceable to external causes like a bent driveshaft. It's easy to overstate the benefits of either, but weight and rotating mass are big things in a mountain sled...
M
Motorbreath_
Well-known member
That's all??
That's all??
Well I doubt the belt is going to fail only I likely will replace it at 4000 kms just for predictive maintenance.
