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FYI about belt alignment
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pollolittle
Posted 2008-04-08 9:02 AM (#8101)
Subject: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN
Got around 6300 miles on the bike. At around 2500, belt started squeaking or squeeling, just riding around, seem to go away under hard acceleration, but, would come back while taking off, or just moving in any gear or speed. I thought that maybe the belt was loose and just not grabbing good. So on the jackstand and under I go. Sure enough looks like the belt is extremely loose. Use large Crescent wrench and loosen nut, tighten adjusters. Appears to be about 25/32" slack with 10lbs of force. Re-tighten, take for a spin. Noise gone.
At around 5300 miles, squealing is back. AAARRGGGHH! I'm thinking is this gonna be another one of those things where around 2500 miles I just need to go tighten the belt. If that is the case, how long will this thing last. So, on jackstand, and under I go. This time I'm smarter, take my handy dandy $50 service manual under with me. Review the instructions on tightening the belt, basic instructions as what is in the owners manual. Well, that doesn't help much. Read on, now there is a section for alignment of the belt. OOOHHHHH!!!! Take a look at that. That seems to be more my problem. Looking from the rear of the bike looking forward the belt is riding over to the right side of the driven pulley. According to book should be almost touching the left side. Oh, here we go. Now I am adjusting the angle of the rear wheel. I can almost see it now, time I am done, it will squeal all the way to dealer right past the HD establishment, with my mouse a squealing.
Service manual, tells you to adjust the tensioners so the belt will ride to the left side of the pulley, when that is done then reverse direction and the belt should start to drift back to the right side. Okay, seems easy enough. I start by tightening the right side first adjustment bolt, trying to keep track of how man turns and which way. Then belt gets too tight, need to loosen both sides now and also continue to tap on the main bolt to make sure it is seated forward as I loosen it. Now, I have the belt loose again. Start to tighten the right side bolt, Turning, turning, turning, it probably took over twelve quarter turns on the right side to get the belt to move. Lightly starting to panic that would be about 3 full turns. Now the belt has decided to move over to the left side. Now I tighten the left side tensioner to get the belt to move off a little bit. Stop, belt too tight again. Loosen, both sides. Now tighten left side to get the belt to move over.
Repeat this process, until reached specs. I lost count of turns and which way. The moral of the story. I wound up getting the belt to move off of the right side of the pulley which I thought might be making the noise. Once I got it off of that side, It ran almost immediately to the left. I adjusted the belt to where it was just a little off of the left side. After getting home yesterday, I checked the alignment again and it was riding to the right of the pulley but not touching the pulley sides. I never could get it to the left side of the pulley, and then reverse the tire and the belt start to drift away from the left side. So, I dunno, about that part.
I adjusted the belt tension and took it for a spin. No noise, runs as good as it did, maybe even better.
Note: Before if I let go of the handlebars the bike seem to drift to the left on its own, now I rode 16 miles and no handlebar input and seem to track straight. Seems to have worked for me. What I thought would be a quick 30 minute job took me two hours, but like usual, I enjoyed doing it and I learned something else. What's better than layin on your back lookin' at the underside of your bike and going OOOHHH and AAHHHH. I probably sounded more like a two year old. Pointing and grunting. More Manisms.
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VisionTex
Posted 2008-04-08 12:10 PM (#8105 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: RE: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx.
I feel belt adjustment is the biggest challenge for us do it yourselfers. Rolling around on the garage floor from side to side is probably quite a show. I so know that adjustment are made in very small increments. Littlechicken, that is a great write up on doing this job, but just exactly is a "Manism"? When you grunted, did you pass gas........?
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DesertJim
Posted 2008-04-08 12:26 PM (#8107 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Tourer

Posts: 496
Scottsdale AZ
I have had the same chirpin, squeaky problem. Had it adjusted about 3 weeks ago by the dealer. Started coming back. Last Saturday before our AZ Bike week ride we all gathered at the local dealership. One of the Victory engineers was there and a couple of us were talking about the squeaky issue. He knew of the problem and check out several of the V's including mine. They were all out of alignment. While fixing mine on the lift that morning he indicated there was going to be a memo fix shortly, sent to all dealers. Apparently it needs some special tweeking.
His fix on mine was right on, no more problems. He explained all the technical stuff to me but don't ask.

Poop, could we Vision pilots get a video of you next time rollin around like that? This could be a real Utube five star. I wouldn't call any of this manism btw, sounds like imitation of maybe some hogs on your chickin farm.
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pollolittle
Posted 2008-04-08 2:16 PM (#8111 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN
Manism - is a social movement: by men, about men, and for men. It's the stuff you do, when the wife, girlfriend, SO, etc. isn't around or you do when they are and just don't care about what she thinks. Most of the time, the wifeism wouldn't understand the basic primal examples of grunting and pointing as something so cooool as a Vision's Drive Belt out of alignment. Some girlfriendism's get it, they are a minority, most don't. I can stand and talk bikes as long as anybody, the wife waits with the other guys wife until they get bored and go to starbucks or I get the look and tell him later. She don' get it.
No, gas passing, I was told by the Ancient Wisdomized ones on here not allowed. But it would be a good Manism.
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space_cwboy
Posted 2008-07-13 11:54 PM (#13508 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Cruiser

Posts: 235
Evergreen, CO
Hey Chicken Little!!!

Thanks so much for the write up on the belt adjustment. I've had mine into the stealer twice now, each time still chirping to me. Read your post this morning, and decided WTF, why not try it myself? Put the Vision on the MC jack, loosened the 1-1/16 nut on the axle, then methodically tightened the right side 1/4 turn with the ratchet (1/2" deep socket), loosened the left side 1/4 turn, spun the wheel of fortune, and repeated until the belt stopped sucking over to the right side. Made final 1/4 turn on one side, tightened the big nut on the axle, went for a 1 mile putt in the neighborhood. Birdies all gone!!! Took the wife for about a 5-7 mile putt, no birdies again!!

Gonna have a talk with the service mgr on Tuesday at my stealership when they open. Gonna ask if they have a REAL Vision service manual, and if the plastic is off the cover yet!!! With your assistance, this only took me about 30 minutes to fix a problem my dealer was unable/unwilling to properly address. Note to all....DO IT YOURSELF!!! Say NO to $80/hr service charges that you will do a better job at anyway!!! I'm sure there are service depts that are top notch, but many are not up to high school back yard mechanic levels!!! It's not hard!! Just DO IT!!
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cjnoho
Posted 2008-07-14 12:31 AM (#13512 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 1324
So Cal
No excuse for the dealer screw up. Have you gotten the Victory survey yet? Most is about the dealer (which didnt help mine, out of business, what a shame). Whether it will help is another story, but at least you get to complain to the right people.
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g1nomad
Posted 2008-07-14 2:32 PM (#13545 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: RE: FYI about belt alignment


Tourer

Posts: 562
SC, Bluffton
I think what excites me the most about this tread is 2 mentions of the Vision on a jack. I have a jack & stand I put my Kawsaki on. I have had the Goldwing on it once. I haven't even crawled underneath the Vision to see if it was jackable.
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pollolittle
Posted 2008-07-15 7:50 AM (#13603 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN
Your welcome! Manism's all around! Now after 6000 chirp free miles, I'm happy to say, I'm as happy as a hog in a mudhole, with nuthing but sunshine to bask in. Throw in a few chicks and call me G U D!
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space_cwboy
Posted 2008-07-15 5:10 PM (#13621 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Cruiser

Posts: 235
Evergreen, CO
g1nomad -

The Vision IS jackable. I have a regular 2 rail hydraulic pump up style motorcycle jack. There of course are no frame members on the bottom of the bike. You must use the bottom of the engine case as a point to place your jack. Just be careful that if you have one with 2 rails like mine, you do not place the rear rail too far back, off the rear of the flat portion of the engine case, or you will damage the oil filter. Other than that, it is a piece of cake to do.
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Arkainzeye
Posted 2008-07-15 8:35 PM (#13633 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA
every forum i have ever been on kawasaki,yamaha, etc all complain about the same thing.. Belt noise. i read a few months ago about someone telling another guy to use something called Poly oil. He got it from the HD shop. they "claimed" that worked.... Then i also read somewhere that Hd uses some kind of self lubing belt?
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Crawford
Posted 2008-08-06 10:13 AM (#15319 - in reply to #13545)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Tourer

Posts: 340
Regina Saskatchewan Canada
Teach here is the forum about Belt Alignment.
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pollolittle
Posted 2008-08-06 10:51 AM (#15321 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN
Still squeak free. Maybe this one needs to be put under a maintenance or tech location. It would be interesting to know how many people have used this information to fix or point out to their dealer what the problem is. That would merely be a self-gratifying pat on the back and I am definitely not above doing that. So, I wonder.

Thanks, Crawford, I haven't forgot about you know what, summer showed up.
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varyder
Posted 2008-08-06 11:06 AM (#15324 - in reply to #15321)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA
I've got to do a follow up with my dealer on warranty stuff. However, I'm afraid to take it back because they may keep it again for an extended period. But they told me they will replace something, either the sprocket or the guard that was causing my squeak. Also, since the 15k service where they changed the fork oil, the belt hasn't squeaked. Maybe that had something to do with.

Edited by varyder 2008-08-06 11:14 AM
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pollolittle
Posted 2008-08-06 11:12 AM (#15326 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN
Why did they change the fork oil? Seemed a little early according to the 15000 mile service.
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varyder
Posted 2008-08-06 11:17 AM (#15329 - in reply to #15326)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA

pollolittle - 2008-08-06 11:12 AM Why did they change the fork oil? Seemed a little early according to the 15000 mile service.

Ignorance on my part. It is the first new bike I've owned and I let them do the 15k which says "replace fork oil". Of course it was like new being only 7 months old. My next fork oil change will be around 75K, about the same time I change the oil in my helmet.

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pollolittle
Posted 2008-08-06 11:40 AM (#15333 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN
I would agree with that, where do you get helmet oil?
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Crawford
Posted 2008-08-06 1:21 PM (#15343 - in reply to #15321)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Tourer

Posts: 340
Regina Saskatchewan Canada
pollolittle - 2008-08-06 8:51 AM

Still squeak free. Maybe this one needs to be put under a maintenance or tech location. It would be interesting to know how many people have used this information to fix or point out to their dealer what the problem is. That would merely be a self-gratifying pat on the back and I am definitely not above doing that. So, I wonder.

Thanks, Crawford, I haven't forgot about you know what, summer showed up.


I agree this is something that could and should be added to the maintenance or Tech location of this website . . . . this is where the webmaster steps in and does his magic.

I can understand why sitting in front of an embroidering machine isn't something one would want to do when there is riding to be done! I'm looking at getting some t-shirts made up . . . . interested? The back would be a large logo without the oval and the front would have the small logo with the oval. Both logos would have either Vision pilot or Vision co-pilot. Currently looking a local silk screening shop to do it and get a price.
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Teach
Posted 2008-08-06 2:16 PM (#15349 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 1436
Crawford, the bike will be back at the dealer in the next week or two getting the belt adjusted again. It has been done prior to pickup, at 500, at 2100, again at 5200 and it began making noise 1k after that. I'm going to make them order a new belt and pulley kit for it and then see what happens. If I still have issues with belt noise at the 1k mark again I'll spend some time over winter finding a different belt manufacturer. I figure it is under warranty so the dealer can deal with this every 1k or less. I've been riding with the noise for several thousand miles since it started again this time, I can live with it a bit longer.
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pollolittle
Posted 2015-08-25 8:06 AM (#174369 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN
Since this post got resurrected. I'm here to announce at 95,000 miles and same belt, same settings on belt alignment, and multiple tire changes, I have been squeak free, since this writeup. This of course is just a FYI.
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varyder
Posted 2015-08-25 11:26 AM (#174372 - in reply to #8101)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA
I'll revisit your write up. When they put my new tire on in west virginie they adjusted my belt and it has been squealing ever since.
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johnnyvision
Posted 2015-08-25 5:35 PM (#174379 - in reply to #174372)
Subject: Re: FYI about belt alignment


Visionary

Posts: 4278

varyder - 2015-08-25 11:26 AM I'll revisit your write up. When they put my new tire on in west virginie they adjusted my belt and it has been squealing ever since.

There is no need to readust the belt if you pull the axle straight out and put it staright back in.

Bad tech.

Go back to dealer 

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