Timing belt Opinions

[mcgovern61]

We are in the process of restoring an '81 Standard just to safely get it back on the road fully functioning for resale. We are trying to limit money put into the parts to try and keep our costs down for resale. I am in the process of getting ready to pull the radiator and check the timing belts to see if they have been replaced. The bike has less than 21K original miles on it so there is a good chance the belts are original. BUT, you never know if the PO may have taken the steps to replace. :music3:

My questions is, I have a set of timing belts I removed from my '81 engine when I took it apart to determine the cause of the knocking. I had installed those belts and they only had less than 5K mile on them in a garage kept bike. If the bike we are working on needs timing belts, would you use these belts?

Let me add, they are not NAPA or Gates belts, they came from Saber Cycle (I know, I know) and are Chinese in origin. It is only another $40 to replace the belts, but with the other costs adding up, I am trying to keep any un-needed cost down.

Thoughts and opinions (about the belts, not Saber Cycle). :hihihi:

 

[joedrum]

id use them ...you did before ...

 

[slabghost]

I agree. At least the ones you have on hand are not 30 years old.

 

[brianinpa]

Only because I don't trust anything from slobber cycle... I'd go to NAPA and buy a new set. If you sell it to someone that knows GoldWings, you will get the price of the belts back in the sale.

 

[wilcoy02]

If you put the used ones on the bike. Would you be willing to ride it to Colorado and back?
Assuming every thing on the bike was up to par. If you said you ride it there --then put them on.
If you would say I do not know--buy new ones.

 

[mcgovern61]

wilcoy02 » Mon Jan 30, 2017 8:59 pm[/url]":20rr87rb]
If you put the used ones on the bike. Would you be willing to ride it to Colorado and back?

Back in the day when I had the '81 engine in the bike, that was the plan! But, I suppose with all that I have learned since then, I might have to think this through.

 

[dan filipi]

For me just having a question in my mind about them would be enough to replace them.

 

[mcgovern61]

I'll add this to the equation.....

Has anyone ever had the actual experience of a timing belt breaking that came from Saber Cycle? :headscratch:

 

[dan filipi]

mcgovern61 » 2 minutes ago[/url]"mubvfo1]
I'll add this to the equation.....

Has anyone ever had the actual experience of a timing belt breaking that came from Saber Cycle? :headscratch:

In all my years reading the Goldwing forums I've read of just one belt breaking and one the teeth stripped off. Both said Honda on them.

 

[mcgovern61]

Searching around on the interweb, it turns out there are at least two examples of Saber Cycle timing belts failing on 1100's. I guess I cannot do that to the future owners and will install Gates belts.

Turns out, Amazon is selling them at $13.53 right now so that is about $11 cheaper (for 2 belts total) than I had planned, so it looks like Gates belts for this bike! :thanks:

https://www.amazon.com/Gates-T274-Timin ... +gold+wing

 

[brianinpa]

dan filipi » Mon Jan 30, 2017 10:14 pm[/url]":f0sj5dsa]

mcgovern61 » 2 minutes ago[/url]":f0sj5dsa]
I'll add this to the equation.....

Has anyone ever had the actual experience of a timing belt breaking that came from Saber Cycle? :headscratch:

In all my years reading the Goldwing forums I've read of just one belt breaking and one the teeth stripped off. Both said Honda on them.

Here's my thought on that. The number of times belts have broken have been drastically cut because most of the people that own these old bikes also work on them and know the potential problems if the belts break. Therefore, they change the belts early and often any time they are in there.

 

[Steve83]

mcgovern61 » Mon Jan 30, 2017 6:44 pm[/url]":3cp9o47e]
Searching around on the interweb, it turns out there are at least two examples of Saber Cycle timing belts failing on 1100's. I guess I cannot do that to the future owners and will install Gates belts.

Turns out, Amazon is selling them at $13.53 right now so that is about $11 cheaper (for 2 belts total) than I had planned, so it looks like Gates belts for this bike! :thanks:

https://www.amazon.com/Gates-T274-Timin ... +gold+wing

Good call! I know that if I were looking to spend decent money on a bike, I'd be much more willing to pay the asking price if I knew it had quality replacement parts in it.

Back in 2011, I bought a non-running '80 1100. Turned out to be a stripped left timing belt and 4 bent valves. The belts were "Barracuda" brand (Sabre Cycle). They certainly weren't new, but they didn't look to be extremely old either. I put Gates belts on the engine.

 

[Tom_Charlton]

mcgovern61 » Mon Jan 30, 2017 9:44 pm[/url]":2ewf9ed7]
Searching around on the interweb, it turns out there are at least two examples of Saber Cycle timing belts failing on 1100's. I guess I cannot do that to the future owners and will install Gates belts.

Turns out, Amazon is selling them at $13.53 right now so that is about $11 cheaper (for 2 belts total) than I had planned, so it looks like Gates belts for this bike! :thanks:

https://www.amazon.com/Gates-T274-Timin ... +gold+wing

Take a look at Rock auto for new gates belts.

 

[joedrum]

i think most of the stories about saber cycle were planted or misguided .....truth is timing belts are not under a lot of load ....and if belts break its most likely from something else going wrong and the belt breaks cause of it in my opinion ....most likely belts not tension right when installed ....and the belts get blamed ...but there are other causes to like skidding the back tire and stopping the motor abruptly...bike stumbling and backfiring ..wacked out ignition where wires are bad and moisture in the air and rain causing firing problems ...

but all in all gates are great belts it seems ..so go with it

 

[mcgovern61]

joedrum » Tue Jan 31, 2017 8:17 am[/url]":336hep1k]
i think most of the stories about saber cycle were planted or misguided .....truth is timing belts are not under a lot of load ....and if belts break its most likely from something else going wrong and the belt breaks cause of it in my opinion ....most likely belts not tension right when installed ....and the belts get blamed ...but there are other causes to like skidding the back tire and stopping the motor abruptly...bike stumbling and backfiring ..wacked out ignition where wires are bad and moisture in the air and rain causing firing problems ...

I'm with ya Joe, except the 2 situations I found were specifically bikes using the same belts I bought from Saber. The one belt delaminated on the back side, but had not broken yet. The other situation was an actual failure of the belt. I agree that if not properly tightened (or over tightened), there is a chance of any belt breaking.

I did the same search for Gates belts, NAPA belts and Honda belts. There were failures found there to, but almost all of them were with belts that had high mileage or many years in service.

 

[steve84]

do these belts take more abuse than a belt on a harley?

 

[joedrum]

i wouldnt think so at all there resistance is just the valve springs ...a rather good system ..but belt need to be tension just right ..and time properly

 

[steve84]

i was just wondering. because i see those hd riders put against a wall an blow the rear tire.

 

[slabghost]

Timing belts are not comparable to drive belts other than basic appearance. These belts are each made for the purpose intended.

 

[Steve83]

Timing belts run at much higher RPM than drive belts, and must flex in both directions during each revolution. And although they're nut subjected to the high torque that a drive belt would be, they do stretch. They both have tough jobs to do.