Leaving it on, any thing to cut down on maintenence I'm down wit.

 

Mine is gone. You can see it in my photo albums. I like it. Looks a little more aggressive.

 

If you really need the "scale" thingie to figure out how your belt is....then leave it!

I've always taken mine off on all my bikes since 1986 when I first started riding/racing, never had a problem.



~J

 

With monster ovals you can't see it anyway

 

I had stone get lodged in my upper belt guard! Squealed like H3LL, pulled over to dig out the d@mn stone and saw this..... a half quarter size chunk of rubber missing. It striped the chrome off the edge of the pully.

So it can happen even with a belt guard. Stones can get ya either way.

 

Removed it to clear my 180 tire. Bike is faster without it too, LOL. No problems.

 

This is the reason I have been thinking of taking mine off. I noticed the sproket on my RKC had a lot of stone damage even with the guard and I've worred the guard will hold the stone on the belt longer. Other than adjusting the belt, I'm really not sure what the guard is supposed to do.

Beary

 

years ago, on another forum, a 'professional test rider' for harley said the first thing he does is remove the lower belt guard because it catches and 'directs' rocks into the pulley. i have a quarter miles rock drive and had trouble with rocks in the belt. I removed the guard after reading the article and have had better luck with belts since then!

rem

 

thanks guys i appreciate the input!

 

I emphatically agree. Unless you ride your bike only short distances and don't mind the risk of a belt failure I would never alter the belt guard. Further, anyone who tours should leave it intact, as it is good insurance for keeping debris from damaging the belt. Just a rock can pierce the belt and weaken it, leaving it open for breakage with further use. Holes can often be fixed with epoxy, but it's better to keep out the debris that make the holes rather than taking the chance the damage can be fixed later.