CC the Snow Hawk forum.
10 hours.
that's how long my cog belt last without the torque limiter. Half of the teeth got ripped off of it when I blasted through a whoops section in the trail last weekend. Been able to make my way up the cabin at Boulder mountain in Revy with "weird" power response... and I put my spare to get me back to the trailer. My spare was a narrow one and it wanted to fall off the bottom sprockets so I decided just to head back... didn't wanted to blow it at WOT in 2.5 feet of fresh they got there friday night... I messed an Epic blue bird day, the day i've been waiting on all winter because of a belt (and me who didn't listen to you guys...)... So good for me I guess... !!! **** I am still pissed off.
So this week i'm puting on the chain drive system I built early last fall. I gave the belt system one last chance to prove itself under my riding style/conditions and it failed. I guess if you're a guy going slowly on rough trails who doesn't jump and hammer the throttle when landing and who just hit the throttle when in long nice pulls or in deep stuff, you can do it. But me, blasting through whoops section as I like to do, It's not the way to go... So one more "must mod" to do on a Hawk according to me...
Now this summer I'll probably come up with a lightweight sprocket kit. Rotating mass is one thing I don't like about it. Can't do anything about the chain really... but sprockets... I'm thinking of a hub that you'd bolt on a titanium sprocket ring, like sidewinder do for Mx bikes. The other thing I don't like is if the chain breaks... so I'll add a small Ti guard (probably a 1/4" by 1/4" square Titanium bar) just in case...
Hope you guys will still be able to ride a bit this year... What hapened with your hawks is very sad. I wish I could make it one day to AK...
Thierry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58q7fW9SH8