Secondary Belts

Rear wheel drive belts

The secondary drive belts on Harley-Davidson Twins all have a 14 mm pitch. However, they are available with different numbers of teeth and in different widths. Therefore, in addition to selecting by model and year, we always recommend measuring the drive belt that is to be replaced and counting the teeth. We don't sell any no-name belts: in terms of quality, we either sell the same as the original or better. The brand names S&S and Gates guarantee a high level of quality.

Must I readjust the rear drive belt tension?

The inspection of the tension of the rear wheel belt is on the maintenance list every 4,000 km. It is retightened if necessary. However, experience has shown that retightening is rarely necessary, since drive belts hardly lengthen even after a long period of operation. If a drive belt lengthens very quickly, it is better to replace it as soon as possible. Otherwise it could tear out of nowhere.

What are the drive belt exchange periods? How does one exchange the belt?

When checking the tension, the belt is visually inspected each time and must be replaced if teeth are torn or even missing, if the side faces are damaged or if stones have embedded themselves in the soft material. The drive belts are endless, so the complete primary drive housing must be removed to replace them on Dyna, Softail and Touring models. On all other models, at least either one of the swingarm pivot bolts, the entire rear swingarm or one of the shock absorbers must be removed. Therefore, please be sure to check the workshop manual for your model.