I've a 12K mile 2005 XB12X. It's been off the road for, I'd guess, around 3 - 4 years.

The belt, I've had off and given it a visual and it appears fine. No cracking, no fraying at the edges, teeth appear to have a good profile. The bike doesn't appear to have been ridden hard, the front brake pads which I've replaced appear to be original ones and still had some meat on them, same with the rear.

So, would it be fine to carry on using the same belt? £200 notes is a set of tyres or a FS tensioner, and if possible would prefer to not have to spend the cash.

Thoughts?

Hi Chris
Belts go without warning, usually (for me) mid-overtake. I may have been unlucky overtime but have used 4 belts in 9 years, 40k. I, like many others, have a spare tucked away. Can be changed easily enough (I'm practiced).
The belt itself has been thru (someone may correct me) 3 model numbers since the Uly originally hit the market.
If you're going for the sprung tensioner, then I would put a new belt on at the same time and keep the used one as a back up.

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Buell owners should be committed (but not for life)

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Buell Ulysses XB12X 06/08

Any thoughts on the longevity of the belt which is on?

I'm counting pennies at the moment since the speed 4 also needs a new set of tyres and the misses is thinking about taking her direct access.

The ONLY downside to a belt drive is they look perfect right up to the point of breaking ,my first X1 belt broke 12 miles after I remarked about how it looked as good as the day it was new it had done 25K ............. the second one broke at just over 20K just after completing the UKBeg JoGLE trip in 2009 called at my mates as I got home from lands end and it broke as I went to leave his house after a coffee and chat treating them correctly decreases the chance of premature breaking but it is no guarantee unfortunately .

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2001 X1 2009 1125CR 2006 Uly X3 2010 Uly a fully Maz'd S1 and a 1991 RS1200 Westwind.

We've owned Buells since 97 and luckily just had one belt breakage, last year on the way to Normandy ...

They don't always go in the most convenient of places.....

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Chris & Jane Jessop
Founders of UKBEG April 1998

www.ukbuellgroup.co.uk

I had an 05 belt on my Dec 05 build 2006 XB9SX, with which I covered about 38,000 miles over 7 years before it finally let go last year. So they can last a reasonable time. In the event there was evidence of damage to the belt that day by a stone (spinning on gravel as we left the cafe car park earlier? ), so it could have gone further. Although a new Goodyear belt showed just how knackered the old one was!

It would be interesting to know if they last longer on XB9's than on 12's. Maybe pulling power wheelies or higher average speeds of a 12 stresses them faster?

I eventually changed the belt on my XB12S after about 35k, but only as a precaution. It was looking very cracked on the outside so I thought it was probably time. If yours only has 12k and looks fine I reckon you should be OK.

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Wear the fox hat

Edd, as I assume you know, the old 9's had a different belt with a design life of 15K miles. Mine went at 18K, so I was happy enough.

It's amazing just how much easier it is to push the bike without the belt on it!

Dave

Yes Dave, I think there have been 3 different belts for XBS models. The early finer pitch, the bigger pitch pre-Goodyear, and the Goodyear from 07 on?

05 & 06 models had the middle one (or was this introduced anyway with the 1200cc XBs?), which I was told should last 20-25k so I did well! I now have the later Goodyear fitted!