So we just got a break in the weather and I thought I would take my bike on a maiden voyage with my new wheels, tires, pulley and rotors. I could only find a 1" pulley due to the style i wanted, and I left my 20mm belt on the bike. So I noticed that the belt was sitting all the way to left on the pulley, but when I coasted it would move all the way to the right. Not sure if this is a big deal, as long as it's not rubbing? I'm also wondering if I could just go up to a 1" belt (Which HD should have had on there to begin with!) I've measured about 5 times to make sure the Wheel is centered in the swing arm.... Any thoughts?

 

A belt will alway go to the high (Tight) side. so if its moving from side to side then one of the sprockets is moving a little. Not staying perfectly parallel, don't take much, even a few thousands will make it do that.

IF its not rubbing anything or climbing up the edge of the sprocket I am thinking its ok..
Thats from my experience of being a skilled trades Maintenance guy for 38 yrs where all conveyor belts and drives were one of our job to built and take care of.

 

Thanks for the info!!

 

The Drive Sprocket at the Transmission is made slightly conical in shape. This causes the Belt to run up against one side of the Wheel Sprocket when the Drive Train is applying power to the Rear Wheel and then on Coast when the Rear Wheel is driving the Engine/Transmission the belt will run up against the other side of the Pulley. This is normal and intentional in the design of the system.

Try this: Put the bike on a stand so that the rear wheel is off the ground. With the Engine Off and the Transmission in Neutral spin the rear tire by hand 3 or 4 rotations in the forward direction and then do the same in the reverse direction. You will be able to watch the Belt move from one side of the Pulley to the other when you do this.

 

ALERT: Bringing thread back to life.

What does the belt do at the transmission end though?

Turning the back wheel backward sees the belt move to the edge of the front pulley. Is that what should happen?