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Puzzled; Broken Belt

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Arthur10

Member
I have an '02 FLHR-I. My main drive belt broke over the weekend while coming out of my driveway.. This is a brand new belt, only about 4000 miles on it. The bike has 55K on it. I'm gonna replace the belt of course, but I'm wondering has anyone else had this experience and what was the situation or issue that caused the belt to break. Thanks
 
Do you know what brand the new belt is? There's a couple brands that are not worth the trouble of installing. Gates and OEM belts are quite tough, enough that a pebble can be pushed right through. Is there any signs of stress on the broken belt?
 
It is an OEM Harley Belt, If there are tougher brands or less expensive, please let me know. However, I gotta figure out the root of the problem, this will be the second belt i have had to purchase and repair..
 
Can you tell us if the break happened straight across or at an angle? Does it look like the belt was rubbing on the sides? Does the rear pulley have any sharp edges or is it worn like a rock or something got between the belt and the pulley? With only 55,000mi on the old belt do you know what happened that caused it to break?
 
The break happened straight across.. I do remember on Wednesday prior to Friday riding in a gravel filled parking lot. But you would think if it was a rock, that the break would have happened at the time I was in the lot. Not two days later..Don't see any rubs, I dont see any obvious sharp edges on the pulley
 
I have never had a broken belt, but I have seen pictures and read the stories. I know with some of the off brands they break very easy, but with an OEM belt I'm wondering if you just got a defective one. The gravel lot could be where the problem started and it took a couple more miles before it let go. I'm just guessing here.
 
Mis alignment, damaged pulleys, and tension are the biggest factors on belts breaking, a stone can go thru the center of the belt and still be a useable belt
 
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Why did a bike with only 55k need a new belt in the first place? Did you twist or bend the belt installing it. Someone once told me that is mistake a lot of people make, which can cause early breakage.
 
Belt tension is a big factor in how long a belt lasts as well as alignment, check both front and rear pulley's for damage from stones or other debris.
 
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