Originally Posted by
DuckFat
I'd be concerned about getting the belt wet and dirty and then have it wear out fast in the boonies. If you get that thing covered in slimy mud will it slip under high torque? Does it expand or contract when really wet?
The automotive world is moving back to chains for the timing belts and when you see belts in a car they are usually covered with a plastic cover. If you had such a cover for the belt on the bike I'd feel better but I still wonder what the belt would do in high humidity. I bet it's quiet but reliability has to be your #1 concern.
Round tooth belts rarely slip, even with low tension. Works very much like a chain and probably grips better. If you have a plastic guard on you car's belt drive you should remove, IMHO, it just traps dirt. Hose it down with carb cleaner now and then. I work on equipment with belt drive components and they do last quite a while. Though I believe they are used in place of chains because they do not require lubrication, and in those situations you wouldn't want a chain throwing lube on the rest of the machine. Especially in food or medical equipment.