What are the advantages or disadvantages of the shaft drive vs belt drive on a motorcycle?

"Shaft effect" is the drop in the back of a shaft drive motorcycle under acceleration, they also pop up when you stop accelerating which can cause a loss of control in a corner That is why some sport bikes don't use them. BMW paralever-frame motorcycles use a shaft drive; the paralever shaft drive design reduces or eliminates this effect.

The shaft effect must be understood to increase control in cornering. By increasing the throttle in a right-hand turn and decreasing the throttle in a left-hand turn shaft effect can work for the rider to increase control. It's all in understanding the limitations of your machine.

Answer

The shaft drive is heavier than the belt drive and more expensive to repair. The belt may have a tendancy to slip with excess wear. Some riders say the shaft is more durable and requires little or no maintenance. Both run quiet and smooth when in proper working order.

Answer

The main disadvantages of shaft drive are weight, cost and a certain loss of horsepower due to friction. They are costly to repair, but that will hardly ever be necessary. The main advantages are smoothness, absence of oil spill, ease of maintenance and reliability. A shaft drive will normally never require a roadside repair, and an oil change each time you change rear wheel will normally be all you need to do about it. Hence, shaft drive is preferable for touring. A more sporting motorcycle will normally have chain drive due to the low weight, and partly because of looks. Chain drive is obligatory in most forms of racing, and a sporty look almost requires one. But chains may break or shed, and they need frequent attention. What you choose is, therefore, more a question of temperament and personal preference than anything else.

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BMW introduced shaft drive in motorcycles in 1923. This was in response to the fact that at the time, drive belts were made of flaps of leather riveted together. Compared to the level of maintenance required by leather drive belts, a shaft drive seemed to be the final solution. With the advent of chain drive, the low maintenance advantage of shaft drive diminished slightly, but not altogether. Shaft drives may require maintenance between 40,000 and 150,000 miles. Compared with a 8,000-12,000 replacement schedule for chain drives, it is evident that shaft drive still holds a maintenance advantage.

Chain/belt drive DOES have an advantage over shaft drive, however. A shaft drive has a mechanical efficiency of around 80%. This means only 80% of the input power is transferred to the rear wheel. The efficiency of a chain/belt is mid 90%. The chain loses efficiency only due to friction internal to the chain and can be helped somewhat by frequent cleaning and lubrication of the chain, but this increases maintenance effort and time.

First answer by Harley83. Last edit by Argleargle. Contributor trust: 21 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 155 [recommend question].