Thinking of installing an Open Primary kit on my Softail Deluxe, I have the company I'm thinking of getting it from, BDL. Anyone have any experience with an Open Primary? What are your thoughts? Any special considerations or modifications needed to make one work? Appreciate the feed back. The bike it will go on for reference.

 

The noise they can make was to much for me.
There are other reasons but that was enough for me.
Have ridden a couple bikes with them out of curiosity.

Is this a daily rider?

JMO only WP

 

I have always admired the look of an open primary, something about that huge open belt looks bad a$$!
However, my time working in large machine shop / manufacturing plant, Open belts would grab you!
I have this vision of somehow a boot string, jean leg or my wallet chain would grab it and I would be flopping around behind my bike some place at 1,000 rpm's.
With all that said, if I had the cash and a bar hopper, I would have a open belt!

 

Not with those boards.

 

Everyone I know who ran open primaries had their jeans torn on the left leg.

 

That's a concern, the extended boards interfering with belt. I figured they stuck out far enough to allow for it, but I'm not quite sure.

The Open belt isn't exactly open like you think, it does have a guar around it, from what I can tell. Getting **** snagged in it is definitely a con.

 

Not so much a daily rider, but I ride it a lot. I have a '57 Ironhead Chopper that's my bar hopper, this is just a long cruiser type ride. Love going down the coast a few miles and watching the surf.

 

Con - Probably have to have mid/forward controls, and definitely wont be running those boards.

 

Open primaries don't need to be lubed? Asking for a friend 😅

 

Other than the fact that some people think they look cool, I can`t think of any good reason to use an open primary.