Hi everyone,

I hope someone can help me out on this one, it's kind of a real custom job so let me explain.

I'm building a reverse trike (2F1R) out of a full size go kart. For a rear wheel I purchased one from a 2009 Road King FLH. Clearance requirements means I have to use the shortest possible belt I could find - 125 teeth, these only come in 1&1/8 inch and 1.5 inch withs. The sprocket on the rear wheel is 1 inch wide and 68 teeth and is one piece with the Isolated Drive System, so I can't just swap the pulley for a wider one.

The belt I purchased is 1.5 inches wide. As far as I can see I have two options.

1. cut the belt down to size.
2. somehow get a rear sprocket to accept the 1.5 inch belt.

Now I prefer the second option because I think the 1.5 belt cold handle more torque and HP. The trike will weigh 500 Kg fully loaded and I have about 50 Hp on the driven axle. I don't know if the 1 inch belt can handle that much - can't do the math.

I heard about Super Max overlays, but so far they haven't gotten back to me. Do you have any other ideas on how to drive this rear wheel with a 1.5 inch belt?

Open to suggestions...

 

You seem to have gone into this with your eyes closed! Wide 1 1/2" belts were used from their introduction until around 1999, so if you had bought a wheel from that period you would have no problems getting a pulley. The narrower 1 1/8" belt was used on Sportsters through the 90s and introduced on the big twins around 2000 and used until recently, so that was another option. By buying a 2009 wheel you've made life real difficult for yourself!

As for your options, #1 is out. Don't try messing with the belt. I suggest you find an earlier wheel that will take a wide pulley.

 

or figure out a way to take up the slack in a longer belt with an idler pulley on the bottom side ( like Buell used).

have you fully sorted out your gear ratios? can you go bigger pulleys front and rear to allow a longer belt?

Depending on wheel, you could run into axle diameter changes by going early.

The belt can't be split reliably.

MK

 

Get a pulley to match the belt. OR a belt to match the pulley. You might want to contact Gates Corp in Rochester Hills MI and ask for their application engineering department and see if they make a belt or pulley that will fit your application.