You should include how to align the belt. It's something most owners struggle with. 👍

Just when you think an older bike is easier to work on 😢

I need to go and have a lay down after all that work Del👍

Now you have to do a Harley belt. Lovely precise work.

"It's an hour long and who watches that on KZread anymore..?" I do! That's what drew me to this channel years ago. 😁

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks mate.. i wish more people thought the same.. sadly it's changed so much over the years, the average YT video view time is now just 6 minutes ! and with reels and shorts taking over, it'll only ever get shorter !

@Japjongetje

11 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 6 minutes? I wonder if youtube takes into account the numbers of who wtaches what? Speaking for myself here: I watch videos on people building bikes, cars, houses.. carpentry, even long form builds (like Project Binky). Reels and shorts just doens't cut it for me and I'd like to believe more of us that are subsribed to your channel feel more or less the same way. This channel and other channels that I follow have taken the place of old skool Discovery Channel's A bike is born/ A car is born/ A helicopter is born series with Mark Evans. Yes, KZread is mainly for entertainment, but I love picking up new skills that I can actually put to good use.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

I think largely it's all recorded and noted.. and im like you, i love to watch half hour videos too.. but looking at the statistics, we're in the minority, one this is for sure, a lot of the old creators have gone now, and content has changed so much due to the behaviour of trolls and haters.. which is one things that just didn't happen years ago !

If anyone wants to know why it's better to know how to do the job yourself (if you know how) than taking it to a dealership, this is the video for them. The cost that this would be at the dealership would be STUPID money! This is no easy task, and I think it would scare off the average rider from attempting it. But this is why your channel is so important. It shows, with the with the proper tools, knowledge and patience, you can do it. Cheers, brother!

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

You're most welcome Brother, and if you're interested? Are you sitting down? At your Harley dealer parts and labour for belt and both pulleys, is £1,400!! Go buy them spanners....

@DrRockter5150

11 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 Yeah, that is an INSANE amount of money! And you can't buy the satisfaction of fixing or upgrading your ride yourself. It's so gratifying. My wife has a running joke. She tells me, "You're a musician. You might not be able to fix it, but you can write a song about it!"

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

@@DrRockter5150 Aha, so that's where The Blues came from...lol!

@wobblysauce

11 ай бұрын

Yep, got a few service hours into it even with no broken bolts

@Goldwing1500rider

11 ай бұрын

As always said…. In place of labor…. Buy your own tools in both savings and labor….

I know belts don't need changing often but what a palaver! I think all bike designers should be forced to do jobs like this themselves so they learn what its like for future owners & mechanics. And I hope this T'bird's owner was generous with his appreciation?

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

You're right mate.. it is a lot of work. And you're right, if the designers had to do maintenance they'd be thinking differently about a lot of what they do !

Ah, Thunderbird. The big block Bonnie, so much work to change the belt. I know a bloke that had one, but was not badass enough so he got a Ducati Diavel. Me, if I was so inclined, I'd have bought a Rocket 3 !

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Yeah, all cool bikes... and bigger bikes mean bigger maintenance! Have a good weekend there!

Another great job Del. Thanks for sharing it.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Most welcome buddy, enjoy your Sunday!

Thinking about your ticker there Del with all that physical exertion while using the strongarm, etc. Hope you are keeping well, my friend, and it's always good to see people helping others and sharing the love. Every blessing D%P x

@Moonfleet41

9 ай бұрын

A little light exercise does no harm aye..lol! Thanks buddy.. always good to hear from you. God Bless. D&Px

That is one involved job. You knocked it out without missing a beat and even dealt with busted fasteners. A true professional!

@Moonfleet41

10 ай бұрын

Thank you kindly Sir!

I have 2 Kawasaki 440 both have belts but not as stiff like you did… incredible job and video. Enjoyed it.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video mate, thanks for your feedback!

Nice job. I've never changed a belt drive, only chains. With chains you need to change sprockets, too. That belt seems to be gentler on the sprockets. Hope your friend enjoy his TB 1600. Cheers, Günter/Nürnberg

Reminds me of the fitting of a longer swinging arm on the bandit video Del, and that was a bun fight to 😂

Thats a lot of work to change a drive belt I will stick to my shaft drive nice job Del

I watched a 2hour 19 min KZread vid this morning loved every second of it. Vice grip garage I think you would enjoy it Del

Very good job!

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thank you!

That was a proper fight! Well done for staying calm and methodical. 👍❤️✌️🤗

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thank you buddy😁, glad you enjoyed it.. and jobs like this are actually quite rewarding to walk through, makes for good practice too.!

Del, I cant believe that! Got a friend here in Brazil riding a midnight, impresed! Labor

You’re the best mechanic ever !!! Thanks to ya I have done my brake job on my Road King Special for pennies to what the Stealership quoted me. Just some elbow grease and Delboys vids…job done!!🤘🤘🤘 Thanks again brother. Cheers from balmy Arizona🌵🌵🌵 of 112F/44C

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Most welcome brother, glad the video can help you, consider subscribing to help support the Channel, appreciate your kind support!

@MRGS48

11 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 off course I did !!

Fantastic job happy to watch that knowing not I job I would take on but pick up some useful information from your knowledge

Great work Del. You gotta love homemade tools. I've collected a bunch of them over the years. Now if I could only remember what half of them were for. 😄 They sure came in handy at the time though. The owner certainly got their money's worth out of that drive belt. Dead-on drilling of those broken bolts. I think you would make a good dentist.😁 Thanks and best wishes to you and Penny.❤👍👍

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

I totally agree mate, I have dozens of bits of ground tubing,bent spanners, and buckled metal, that I made for some job or other and I'm stumped if I can remember half of them, but you know what happens the minute you through one away, you'll remember, and you'll need it lol Enjoy your weekend there, D&Px

What can I say- job well done.

Could've done with another pair of hands there! , Great help mate , I've long since said goodbye to rusty Harley's and now have an 09 TB with high miles , which also needs a belt , taken till 74k to start wearing right enough , bloody amazing big lump so she is . Have a look,! ,😅 hope your keeping well mate . All the best

Now i know what i'm letting myself in for lol

After this ,chain and chain only,you had to dismandle half of the bike to change the belt! Did i mention chain only?🤣

Excellent video Del it's always a knowledgeable thanks

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed mate, appreciate you watching!

Christ Triumph, what a performance to change a belt. Should of copied Buell..😊

great video. hadnt seen a belt change on a triumph before. Very helpful

Nice job buddy. Lots of hard work there

Spider web in: 3:00 Working on a neglected motorcycle is not the most fun in the world. The video turned out very great💖👍

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks buddy!

Thank-you great upload

@Moonfleet41

10 ай бұрын

Thank you too

Nice to get a 20 min vid Del - Like the good old days 😎

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Cheers buddy, just depends on the job! Glad you enjoyed it.

That sinking feeling when two out of the first four bolts snap off…😩 Excellent video as always Del.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Sure thing mate, it's even earlier than that, it's the minute the first one goes tight, you know it's going to be a long day!

Always a pleasure to see your work. I installed a belt drive on my Sportster in 1990 and it's still Crack free and working perfectly. I have a backup belt and probably should change it at this point. What I'm saying is they last a long time if you're not doing burnouts everyday.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

They do indeed, if treated well they should more then outlast a chain ! Thank you for your kind support as always.

I was expecting a bit of swearing on the snapped bolts as one of the highlights.. well saved.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Yeah, it can be frustrating, it makes the job longer, but swearing?, Nothing achieved in that aye.. just put them to one side and move on to the next part of the job.. !

Great video Del. The belt was past due for replacement. Nice job. The beautiful Thunderbird fits nicely in the lineup between the America and Rocket 3.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Sure does buddy, it's a wonderful addition to the range, they made the slightly more feisty T-Bird Storm and they were a wonderful option for those not in to a Harley... and yes, truly a baby version of the Rocket!

Nice job on the belt change, how long do these belts typically last, mileage and/or timewise? Makes you want to go back to a chain drive!

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

It's all completely dependent on how the belt/bike is treated, with care and respect, then twice as long as a chain.. but this wasn't afforded that much love so wore out a lot sooner !

Good job 👍 I bet lot of tea breaks

You make it look so easy Del cracking job 👍 that would have cost a fortune in a dealer

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks buddy👍, it certainly would, just the time to replace the belt itself, let alone how long it took to drill out and re-tap all the broken bolts..! not so sure a dealer would even be willing to take that on.!

Cracking job both of you & nice repair on the broken bolts. One thing though… you forgot the dewberry firkin 🙈

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Ill have to get a new urban dictionary mate...lol Not hear that one yet..!

@tinks43

11 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 🤣 you know, like a thingamyjig / wotsit 👍🏻

Great video Del & Penny. Excellent job mate, a lot easier then doing a Harley big twin. Hope you are both keeping well and all is good, have a great weekend. Cheers P.S still cold and wet over this side LOL it's like being back home.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks mate👍, you're right, it is a totally different job on a Big Twin.. way more involved.. We seem to have allowd summer to slip south and start burning most of southern Europe, so it's no better over hear either.. ! Keep safe and enjoy your weekend buddy. D&Px

It must drive you bonkers to work on another person's bike and leave things all rusty. I know how detailed you like to work. Great video!

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for noticing that, the pain is real, but he's a very special friend and 8hrs labour is already pretty painful for him, I couldn't be spending extra hours restoring rusty bits... but it tilt my switch a bit lol

Wow, that belt was changed in the nic of time, certainly knackered. Great video Del, hope you are both well, have a great weekend

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Sure was buddy, enjoy your weekend there too!

great job, but that bike needs a good cleaning

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

It does indeed mate, I'll pass it on to the owner!

Brilliant as usual , especially for me as i too have the 1600 Thunderbird, thankyou

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks buddy, as you can see, it does need maintaining!

Good job Del. One question: how to recognize the mounting direction of the belt. Thanks Nice work. One question: how to recognize the mounting direction of the belt

I’ve got one of these and need to remove the wheels for cerakote over winter. Great timing! Any other videos / resources you’d recommend?

Interesting Del - a good old fashioned wrestling match and a lesson in the importance of keeping threads clean and rust free. I'll go and check mine now 🙂

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Yes buddy, and how some people mock anti-seize compounds... I think this is conclusive proof that a simple bit of prep and a few precautions makes life so much easier!

The Engineers could have designed the frame so that it came inside the belt drive, but they chose not to. Would have been a pretty simple job then, never mind maybe next time.

@Moonfleet41

8 күн бұрын

Yeah, you're right, You should forward your advice to the Triumph engineers, im sure they'd appreciate it mate !

@johnthompson9896

8 күн бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 😂

Hi Del great video, watching all that effort made me realize how much i like my chain and sprockets!

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Sure thing!

Nicely done.Made me appreciate my hornet :) Have a great weekend .

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Yes indeed mate, a simpler plot for sure!

I gotta install a new belt this weekend. Does rhw swingarm HAVE to come off or can you get it through by removing the drive side shock?

Hey I really dig your videos been watching the sporster build series, I was wondering if you could make a video on purging the oil out completely like you did on the soft tail or if you have already point me in that direction thanks keep up the content

Give me chain and sprockets all day

I snapped a belt on my XL1200 back in the spring and after the sticker shock of what that thing costs, I was quite pleased that Harley made the Sportster frame so that you can change the belt without removing the swing arm. If it hadn't, there would have been a chain conversion in my future!... Man, I felt that sigh of relief when you got that little bolt on the brake line bracket out without snapping it! But as usual, the one bolt that you could have just drilled out and put a nut on the backside DIDN'T break off, just the blind ones!... I was hoping that you'd pop her off without the silencers! :) Enjoy the weekend, D&P :)

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

You're right mate, the prices are insane! It's even more painful with a Harley as it's a full primary drive strip to get to the front pulley and loop the belt off! Glad the enjoyed the video, have a great weekend yourself... D&Px

Whoever designed that should be publicly flogged. Preferably with the drivebelt from a triumph thunderbird.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

How very apt, I like your style!

How many miles on old belt. Why didn't you change pulleys at same time

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

25k on belt, it's been subject to a bit of abuse and the pulleys are fine, plus a customer's bike and I change what I'm told to change mate.

A fair bit of work to change one of those but I guess thats the price you pay for all those miles of not having to lube a chain.😁

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

It's a big ol' debate between chains and belts and I think in the end, we can just declare it a draw... a chain and sprockets is half the price of just this belt, and this engine tore it's belt out in just 25k miles! So they're expensive and not difficult to shred once they get worn... with chains you can buy a Scottoiler, and correctly adjusted, they're not messy... it truly is an even debate, good and bad on both sides!

Thanks for that video. I have just bought a 2010 T Bird, so very interested in the maintenance stuff. I saw that you said in a reply to a post that the belt had done 25k. Is that kms? Because I know the UK is usually in miles. Cheers

@Moonfleet41

3 ай бұрын

Yes mate, by 25k, I meant 25,000 miles... good luck with your new bike!

Very well done...🇧🇻

That looked like a pretty epic job! Felt for you when those bolts snapped off! Cracking job and good as new now!

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks buddy 👍, it was a long day that's for sure!

19:38 of Del Boy - an absolute treat 🎉

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thank You!

Aha, never had to work on a belt final drive (Looking at this - thankfully!). Is the 'gearing' in any way adjustable? eg. can the bike's adjustment range cope with either 'hamster-wheel' gaining or losing a 'tooth' (Alpine ridge!), using the same belt, or is everything fixed & you get just 'one belt & sprockets' for 'that' bike & learn to live with it, like a shafty? Apologies for the outrageously sensible question, but don't worry too much, it can't last. Have a great w/e - & remember to ask for the free crushed nuts 'On Any Sundae' : )xx

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

You can make a small difference by going up, or down, a tooth on the front pulley but you are a lot more limited than you are on a chain and sprockets! 'Sunday' is Brown Derbys in the Wimpy aye? Enoy your weekend! D&Px

@loddude5706

11 ай бұрын

Alas, our Wimpy was lost in the rubble of a doomed shopping centre, it's still there tho', as a 'kit', in the rubble. Never knew they were run by J. Lyons & Co, who sold out to a bunch of biltong bashers from Jo'burg in 2005. Prob as well tho', 'cos round here a 'Brown Derby' tends to fizz a little before flushing, must be all the rich spices eh? : )

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Spilt my tea now!

Just wondering what you prefer? Working on a wide or narrow lift table? Ill be making a purchase for my garage soon and would appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

@Moonfleet41

8 ай бұрын

If you're not used to mounting motorcycles up onto a lift table, then when you're riding a large bike like a Harley tourer up onto the lift, a wider one is much safer, room to put your feet down and deploy the side stand, but if you only work on smaller bikes, then a narrow lift can be more convenient as you can get slower to the bike once it's lifted... Hope that helps, good luck with it.

@Jason-bt5cs

8 ай бұрын

At this point I’m definitely ready to move from working off the floor to a nice lift table! I thought about getting a narrow table to save space except you make a very good point about safety. I am always looking to work safely in my garage and the wider table makes a-lot of sense. Additionally it seems like it will provide more surface area to work off of. I will definitely be going with the wider table based on your suggestion. Thanks for your valuable advice! Oh, and awesome channel! Love the years of excellent and creative content!

@Moonfleet41

8 ай бұрын

​@@Jason-bt5cs Most welcome Jason, and good luck with it.. i didn't fully explain on the wide lift... at first i bought it without the sides, as they are actually an accessory item.. but like i said, once i started riding things like a Harley street Glide and my old Goldwing up the ramp, i found that being nine inches higher off the ground, and no way of your feet ever reaching, and only a few inches either side of the bike to perch your toes when you stop.. There started to be a few too many "Pucker moments" lol.. .so although the side plates push you further away from the bike, it is most certainly a worthwhile trade off for the peace of mind that you're way less likely to end up in an embarrassing heap on the floor with a big repair bill and possible nasty injuries.. Good luck with it again mate, and Yes indeed, you will NEVER regret buying a lift over working on the floor..!

some motivation for people with basic tools and an afternoon :)

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Sure thing, perhaps a little longer than an afternoon once the M6's start breaking off lol

@myz06rocks

11 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 fair enough. LOL

Looking forward to this one. Just bought a Thunderbird Storm 👍

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Congratulations buddy, I hope your belt is in a better condition than this one was lol

Del, great vid! I’ve been thinking about replacing my belt on my 03 Fatboy. I’ve inspected it and have found no wear or tear (10k miles). Do you think I would need to do so anyway? Thanks, my friend! 🏍👍🏍

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Certainly not buddy, 10k miles on a belt is nothing, they should do 4x that at least and if you price it up on a Harley, it's a might expensive labour job as they have to strip the entire primary drive! So get the most out of it if you can!

@garya3056

11 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 cheers, my friend! 😎

I got told that you had to change the front and rear pulleys as well as the belt.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Not on this bike, 25k miles, the pulleys are fine, that only applies at high mileage if they're worn out... this belt was abused.

Hey Penny and Del, nice video! I never knew replacing a belt was such a job - I think I, too, will stick to chain (or shaft drive). I noticed that you didn't replace the stud with the broken head (14:10) - I guess it's not really needed? In any case, nicely done... take care, be well, ride safe... and enjoy your weekend, dear friends.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Hi buddy, glad you enjoyed today's video, thanks for your kind words! The belt retaining shaft with the little broken stud on the end is perfectly secure with it's big M8 thread in to the engine... the M6 thread on the end of it is just there to retain the overflow bottle plate, if it was my bike I would have spun a new one up on the lathe, as they're silly money, but I needed to keep the bill down for a friend on a budget!

@f.e.1952

11 ай бұрын

I agree, I'm sticking to chain or shaft. Too much hassle to change belt, I dont have enough patience.

While you were in there Del, why not change the sprockets?

@Moonfleet41

10 ай бұрын

Usually that would be right, but Not my bike Gary, not in the guys budget, (almost triples the price), i just did what i was asked to do mate !

@garymicklethwaite540

10 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 Thats sort of what I figured. Thanks Brother.

What I'm gonna stick with the good old chain. Man, what a lot of stuff to do, good on ya bruv lol. Take care peeps and stay well and safe

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Yeah, how often we hear those who trumpet the benefits of a belt.. clean, quiet, no need to lube it.. they've obviously never had to replace one !

show , parabéns , serviço de excelência .

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thank You!

Great video again. The belt was terrible. Lot’s of work to change it. Nice Triumph by the way. Since today I am also a Triumph owner of an 2016 Tiger 800 XCA. Do you also maintain them?

How many miles on that belt? I’ve heard yamaha xvs 1300 last 100,000 miles

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

That depends entierely how they're treated, maintained and ridden.

Any thoughts on why that belt was so bad? Poor tensioning? Love the belt on my Storm even though it can be a git to align properly, its a case of do everything by the book with a laser and then small adjustments to stop the belt chirping.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

I think this bike had been subject to a little abuse to say the least, with more consideration it could have lasted twice as long.

How much did that new belt cost?

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

The owner bought it, i believe it was £267 !

@mickleblade

11 ай бұрын

@@Moonfleet41 youch!

cracking video ....love this channel always top stuff ..all the best from skegvegas

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thanks buddy 👍, glad you enjoyed it!

Nice del,think ill stick to chains😅😅👍

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Funny how the people who say they prefer belts have never replaced one physically or finanacially, you're right, chains are a far superior choice!

She’s a big old gal. ❤️🤘

Interesting video mate, your friend obviously uses that bike all year round.... Funnily enough when I was toying with the idea of getting the 1700 storm, I noticed a lot of corrosion on all the ones I looked at on the internet..

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Yes indeed buddy, he uses it hard and every day... and indeed, the Storm is a wonderful bike!

What a big job Well done mate Nick Australia

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Cheers Nick, glad you enjoyed it mate, always good to hear from you!

Nice job Del, like you said, a lot of it is "donkey" work. What causes the "pac man" failure like that, is it shock or abuse ? Enjoyed the vid, cheers!

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

A mixture of abuse and neglect in this case mate, this belt should have lasted twice as many miles as it did!

good work again del and penny

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Thank You Allan!

Cracking Job Del I had one of these on the 1700 and it’s a bitch of a job 😜

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Sure is buddy, specially when the little bolts starting breaking off!

Ugh, drilling-out broken bolts.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

Welcome to my life buddy!

Man, that coolant reservoir is seriously ugly. Odd on a Triumph.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

D'you reckon that's why they hide it under the engine casing then?

That Triumph seems to be lacking in maintenance.

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

You're not wrong there!

@tommylitchfield3450

11 ай бұрын

Looks clean as a pin to me. You don't find bolts rusted into place until you have to remove them. That's what happens with carbon steel when you live in a land with icy, snowy roads where they must use salt in the winter. I'm happy to not have to deal with those little troubles! :)

Another great video on how to save a vast fortune and the benefit of self satisfaction ! I would like to know how much that would cost in a main dealers ? Nice one Del ! You have a great weekend mate 👍

@Moonfleet41

11 ай бұрын

I guess you could work it out.. belt was about £260 i think, then between 6 and 8 hours labour depending on what brakes or snaps off.! dealer rates at well over £100 an hour.! it'd be an expensive day !