I walked past my bike in the garage and just happend to notice the belt is fraying/ripping. Only had the bike a month. I have no idea how long it has been like this. I guess its time for a new belt. I think ill try to replace it my self. Hopefully it will hold for a few more weeks until i get around to it.
Here is a pic of it

 

If the belt is tracking on the pulley like in the photo, it is running against the outside flange of pulley and out of alignment. Probably the rear wheel is out of alignment, this would ruin the belt. Fix it and ride it.

 

+1

Looks like your pulleys or out of alignment causing the belt to rub on out side of pulley. Of course this is just repeating the obvious.

There are 4 steel belts running through the belt and none of them are exposed, so if you fix the alignment problem the belt should last a while longer.

BUT, you would be pissing up a rope if you don fix the problem and just replace that $147 belt, because if you don't, you will get to replace it again shortly.

I would guess the simplest answer could be, if someone replaced the rear wheel lately they may have swapped the rear wheel spacers, (lift/right right/left), or replaced the pulley and added/subtracted spacers on it, or used wrong pulley.

Any way you will have to remove the primary to replace the belt, at which time you can check to make sure the transmission pulley isn't coming loose on the output shaft.

All this won't take very long, and isn't that bad of a job to do yourself. Parts will need to be ordered because most HD dealers don't stock the drive belt. Theirs is way to expensive anyway, order one from J&P, I've got a couple thousand miles on mine now and it seems to be as good as the HD one. Which I only got 115,000 mi. on.

 

I agree with the above. Look at how bad your belt is tracking to the left. It's getting cut up on the pulley. Then look at the large gap on the right side of the pulley. Your rear wheel is either very misaligned or your spacers are wrong and the entire wheel needs to be moved to the left.

I would try adjusting the rear wheel first. Just try a 1/4 to 1/2 turn on your left side adjustment moving the wheel back a little. See if the belt tracks more centered on the pulley. Ideally you'll have just a puss hair of spacing on on both sides of the belt. You'll need to ride the bike a bit to see how the belt is tracking between each adjustment.

Good luck with it.

 

After you get the alignment corrected and if you continue to run the current belt for any length of time, I would trim off any torn pieces like that in the photo. Those loose pieces flapping around may continue to tear faster than if you trim them off.

 

full on alignment check as outlined in the manual.

the belt will move from the inside to the outside of the pulley depending on whether the bike is moving forwards or back ( which you can see just rolling the bike in the garage).

If this is an FXR or Touring model the swingarm comes off to replace the belt, so be ready to replace the bushings.

air impact tools should not be used on the compensating sprocket or the clutch hub or tranny nuts but can be used on the swingarm pivot.

Mike

 

Further to Mike's comments, there are vehicle AND wheel alignments, either of which are likely to be wrong on your bike. Check both before going any further.

 

thanks for all the info guy. I will try to straighten everything up first and hope that works. im glad to hear the belt is not trashed. I will also trim up the part that is ripped on the belt.

 

oh no, that belt is trashed.

Unless you like standing by the road ( in the dark, in the rain, no cell service...)


You just know that when it goes it will not be convenient !


However mine went in the dealer parking lot (!).
Called the wife, she came with the truck and ramp, I went inside and bought a softail belt and an intl pulley and went home and converted the FXR to overdrive.

Mike

 

Think about what could happen when (yes when, not if) that belt goes, all the different places it could get caught, like the rear wheel, the primary, what else it could break, what it could do if it locked up the rear wheel, even if only for a second. I would definitely be replacing it after you figure out what is causing the issue.