Well, with 20 years on the bike I guess that answers my question.

Which is good, because I really wanted to justify purchasing a kit.

Thank-you for the feedback, Maxdmax.

Cannon

 

My BDL setup is a 2" on my Evo chopper, I ran with the tin primary for several years til it started cracking from the vibs. Have run open for the last 10 yrs, in rain, gravel roads and oil leaks and have had no trouble. I have one pair of baggy jeans that have caught in it, no damage to jeans and it caught, spun around the pulley and felt like someone slapped my thigh hard. The Billy Lane chain primary is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen on a bike. For show only and that's questionable. The bike he put together kept breaking down on the road trip, imaginative, creative but not practical at all!
I don't know where you are pricing the Primo(unless you require all the belt guard crap), but that's way too much to pay, BDL is cheaper and I think their clutch is superior.
The belt drive is probably more durable and longer lasting than chain, even run open.

 

I love it...some people do ask stupid questions from time to time - my wife suggested I write down the 3 ones I am asked regularly and laminate the paper. Then, when I park my bike, just hang it from the bars for people to read. Either that or print them on small cards and hand them out when I'm asked.

 

i was in melbourne fl a couple years ago and stopped in a choppers inc. which was pretty cool. that bike was sitting next to a pool table with the biker build-off trophy in the corner of the room with a bunch of bras hanging off it... the primary looks cool on tv but after seeing it in person you quickly realize its mostly for show... it even looked messy sitting there like it just got done shaking a gallon of chain lube all over the place even though they were rusty... the coolest looking thing there was the bike with no rear hub. try that if you want something wild... lol wish i could attach the pics but it says they are too big and i cant figure out how to resize them

 

The open chain primary is a pain in the rear. Too much upkeep. I have run an open primary on my shovel just like maxdmax. Open primary's belong on the choppers. The only issue I've had concerning rain is a little rust on the clutch plates which make a great sound when gettin going.

 

joshh,
If your looking to put pics up,here's a link to the instructions for it;

https://www.hdforums.com/m_1130178/tm.htm

 

I want to be able to ride the bike. Every show bike I built I made to ride, and ride the living Christ out of it if you wanted. I had someone make a Trailer Queen comment about my Hayabusa show bike, which was sitting at around $70,000, so I said screw you and put 6,000 km's on a trip out East in one week to prove them wrong. No mechanical problems. Not one.

The bike sold immediately.

If I put an open belt primary on Overtime, I really don't care about cost; hell, they print money every day, I'll get more eventually. I just wanted to know it will last to many miles.

Cannon

 

here is that pic

[IMG]local://upfiles/51707/9B59A8075E094E7BB356D54C5B86D969.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/51707/E50FD3DDD18541A6AAC82E67D91BB496.jpg[/IMG]

 

1964, and I'm 11 years old. Standing in Red Hawkins' Marathon station putting some air into my bicycle tire and I hear a gawd-awful noise growing louder each second. I drop the air hose and slide out front to see what the racket is all about. It's a pack of HDs, not a barge in the lot, followed by an old Servi-Car, and then a chase panel truck. It's the first MC I've seen. One bike struck me - stripped down flattie - don't know if it was a 74 or an 80 - with that chain whirring around on the side, looking mean as a stepped-on copperhead, and waitin' to bite something outta spite. Dude ridin' it didn't have much of the lower pant leg left, but he surely looked like he was having fun!

Don't need a "kit", just chuck the inner and outer primary, add a bearing support, and you're done. Unless you've an electric foot, then you've got some work to do. You can shape the inner primary so that the front portion is gone, and the rear section stays, with its bearing and the goodies needed for the starter, etc. Better yet, keep enough of the front portion of the inner to use in aligning the engine and transmission. Won't be many like it around.

 

That Billy Lane is a real genius. I loved the bike he built with the exhaust running through his seat. He said everyone would be doing it soon. The ******* lit his pants on fire. What an innovator. Danger is cool.&nbsp\\; Open belts are dangerous. They're also what's known as an "attractive hazard". Ask your lawyer about them. I'll keep mine covered in chromium.