I don't know if removing the upper chain guard really helped the apprearance of my bike. Just wondering which one you think looks best?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/Turbota/Right2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/Turbota/Right3.jpg

My vote.... the guard on. You like it off, right ......... the sun is shinning in that pic :laugh

IMO it looks better with the belt guard? Did you transform your's to chain drive? Or did you just mean to type belt guard?

Just took the guard off when I pulled the engine apart ... The more I look at it, the more I think it may look better with it back on.

Klown .... I think my klown may look a little more evil than yours! :)

Actually, it's from "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" (great 'B' movie)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/Turbota/KillerKlowns.jpg

I think it looks better with the guard on. Additionally, if you ever ride with your feet on the passenger pegs as I've seen some guys doing, there's less chance of you accidentally sticking your foot in a moving belt. Ouch, wouldn't want to think of what would happen then!

edit: Clowns are evil!

I like it off. Mine is off as well. Lower one too.

Klown .... I think my klown may look a little more evil than yours! :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/Turbota/KillerKlowns.jpg

You got me beat there! :smoke

I like it off. Mine is off as well. Lower one too.

Do you ever worry about a pebble or something taking a ride around the rear pulley??

No, not really. I suppose the day it happens I'll think back to this very question though.


Hey Bota, What was the name of that company you got that tail light from? And what was the final verdict on the buld itself? Did you go LED or just a plain bulb. Thanks

I don't think removing the belt/chain guard is a dramatic enough visual change to make much difference. So I suppose, for safety's sake, I would leave it on. Still, it is in the eye of the beholder.
Billy

I would put the upper belt guard back on. It just seems to give it a cleaner, more finished appearance. I think you would get a better result if you took the lower guard off instead.

Hey Bota, What was the name of that company you got that tail light from? And what was the final verdict on the buld itself? Did you go LED or just a plain bulb. Thanks

I got the smoke laydown rear lens from: http://www.adrenalinesports.com/streetgear/LaydownTailLamps.htm (they are here in Phoenix, very nice people)

It's made by "Walters Workshop". The seal on the back of it is identical to the stock H-D lens.

If you buy the red lens, keep your stock clear bulb.

If you buy the clear or smoke lens, you need the red 3157 spade type LED. You do not need a converter with this bulb. A red painted stock type bulb is not bright enough.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/Turbota/TailLightLens.jpg

Actually, it's from "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" (great 'B' movie)
that was a good movie back in the days.

Thanks. Just a plain 3157 red LED form pep boys or auotzone?

Never mind. I just ordered on and it comes with it. Thanks again.

I put the belt guard back on the bike ...

I may take off the lower one just to see how that looks.

Barry, the bike runs real good, but still sounds like a sewing machine when it idles. No leaks. Lots of power, but I need to get some miles on the rings before I flog it. Dyno maybe in a couple of weeks.

Ron,

I vote to keep the guard and paint it to match the bike. Just my $.02. Mine matches my bike and I like it...BTW my bike is black. :-)

Ron, funny you should post this about the belt guards... I just yanked mine off this past weekend. Still debating on whether to put the upper one back on or not. It's definitely much cleaner looking with the bottom one off.

BTW, I decided to do this only after I put my solo seat on.... If I go back to a two-up seat in the future, I will definitely reinstall the guards for safety's sake of my passenger. I don't think they serve much of a purpose for protecting the rider, just the passenger.

I vote keep it on...Looks better.

The top belt guard looks good with the height of the rear fender....Would look better off if you lowered the rear end some.

Bottom guard looks like crap...always does....would look better off stock height or lowered rear.

i like it on better.

Looks better on but to each their own. Like that silver almost went with when getting my 1200C. Like the way it blends with the motor powdercoat on the 1200R. I'd say if your going for something aesthetic get the color match side covers (oil bag / battery).

Howdy Turbota,

I like my bike better with the belt guard off, but on yours it looks better on, at least comparing those two pics. My rear end is lower being a Hugger, so like HrdlyDngrs mentioned that might make a difference, it might be a different feeling also with the different lines to the newer style oil tank.

Gary

I have to agree with you folks ... I put it back on. It just don't look right with it off on my particular bike.

Thanks .... :)

Keep it on!!! :D

Hmmm .... there is no chainguard on your bike ... :yikes
Just a beltguard ... :D :D :D :D
Bike looks better without any of the beltguards but its not the best thing to to for the belt. :frownthre

if u use it as a single seater, put them off
if you unse it with passengers leave them on the bike
the lower one is important for passengers security
the upper one is important to have something to polish... :D

Hey Bota, got my taillight and bulb. One problem though.

How do you light up your license plate?

The LED does not throw any light upwards through the clear window to show your plate.

I wonder if at night it is light enough to avoid a ticket?

Barry ... I don't think you need to worry about the plate.

However, you will notice that at night, that tail light really works good, but in the daylight, I don't think that LED is bright enough to allow cars behind you to really see that well when you get on the brakes.

Someone was telling me that some company makes an LED that will really gets the attention of the car behind you, but the damned thing costs in upwards of 50 bucks!

I just can't see paying that kind of money for a supercharged rear brake light ... Of course, if someone rear ends you, it might be worth it! .... Now I feel like maybe I should have just got the layback lens in the regular red color and kept my stock white bulb .... coulda, woulda, shoulda!

I lost mine. http://www.columbiapark.net/forums/uploads/post-3-1106508118.jpg

I want a game room.

Let's see....sell 1 kid, convert bedroom to game room........

even better, sell WIFE, convert whole house.......yeah

Not so fast Barry, the game room and the sportys was the wifes idea. :clap :clap

Turbota

I just ordered the Kuraykan Panacea off ebay from Eastern Performance. $133.95!!! But it's Brite!!! It also has a turn signal arrow in it!! I'll post some pic's when I get it mounted..

Mike ... Waiting to see the pic when you get it togather! :)

Here is a good with or without shot. http://xlforum.net/photopost/data/500/68belt-med.jpg

Mike ... Waiting to see the pic when you get it togather! :)

OK, it will be a bit, I'm getting ready to tear my bike down and when I have the rear off I'll install the light. If things go as planned it won't look like the same bike!!!! :D

rstoll

I kinda like it on!! IMO!! :D

Hey Turbota, I gotta say, you have the cleanest bike I've ever seen, can't see a speck of dirt on it! That silver is an awesome color. I'm getting the Kuryakyn LED turn signals front and back for my '04 1200C and was wondering to myself if I should also change the taillight to LED? But I recently bought the chrome tailight cover that fits over the stock taillight lens from H-D and it looks nice. Maybe I'll just get an LED bulb to replace the stock lamp? They're very durable and long lasting. But seeing your bike, I really like the profile and smoke color of your tail light. My new turn signal lenses will be smoke. Also, the laydown license plate holder on your scoot, is that H-D or aftermarket? Looks great!

Turbota, also I was just surfing the web looking for LEDs and found this. Super bright LED #3157 that may be brighter than what you have now for way less than the $50 you were thinking about!

http://autolumination.com/3157_3156.htm

Not so fast Barry, the game room and the sportys was the wifes idea. :clap :clap


Sure. go ahead, burst my bubble why don't ya. :frownthre

Turbota, also I was just surfing the web looking for LEDs and found this. Super bright LED #3157 that may be brighter than what you have now for way less than the $50 you were thinking about!

http://autolumination.com/3157_3156.htm

That red $11.95 WEDGE MATRIX LED BULB (3157) came in the mail today. It's not super bright, but it is a little brighter than the LED that came with my layback smoke colored tail light lens ... So, I'm happy.

About the belt guard.
If you're not able to decide between leave or take off, maybe you'll like te choice to make it minimal.
Why not to buy a used one onto eBay and work with a Dremel to shape it like you prefer?

Cut away the down side around the pulley, cut the rear side to a slash down shape, and make more thin all of it till the front pulley cover.

Turbota, got my 3157 Super White LED yesterday...I'm afraid it's way too dim for a tail light application. My license plate isn't lit up enough and I'm sure it would be hard to see in the day light. Might have to revert to the stock bulb.

Mechano ... Well, I have removed the lower guard (looks better), but, for me, it looks better with the upper gaurd left on. You may be right, modifying the upper guard may look good ... I think cutting about 3" off the rear of the guard would look good. That would remove that small "wrap around" section on the rear of the guard. Just hate to have to get it repainted after cutting it ... But, I may consider doing it anyway.

Lux ... I guess you have the red layback lens. If I had a red one, I would have just continued to use the stock clear bulb. There is no way these LED bulbs are going to be as bright as a stock clear bulb. I had to use an LED because my lens is smoke, but the one I have now (Wedge Matrix 25 LED) ain't too bad ... brighter than the one that came with the lens.

Ron,

I vote to keep the guard and paint it to match the bike. Just my $.02. Mine matches my bike and I like it...BTW my bike is black. :-)

And the other advantage is that the oil tank is color matched as well !!! Never understood why H-D doesn't paint the oil tank to match, I guess it's another way to cut costs.

And the other advantage is that the oil tank is color matched as well !!! Never understood why H-D doesn't paint the oil tank to match, I guess it's another way to cut costs.

Take at look in the 05 catalog and you'll find your answer. They can poke us for 165 a set for the 04-05 color matched covers :yikes . Not for me though.

Turbota, since I really want to use an LED for reliability, I emailed AutoLumination, the company we got our LEDs from. Here's my email and the reply afterwards.


Hi, I just purchased a 3157 Super Bright White Led from you to use in my 2004 H-D Sportster tail light. The bulb works fine as far as functionality but I'm afraid it's too dim for the application. The stock incandescent bulb was much brighter. At night I think it would be OK but it doesn't illuminate the license plate very well at all. In the day light it's hard to see. Is this your brightest LED available for this application? I got the 25 LED 3157 with 19 facing forward and 6 on the side. Thanks in advance.


The tower leds are the best. They are the only leds that can fill the lens almost as well as the glass bulbs in daylight.

http://autolumination.com/3157_3156.htm

You should use red leds in a red lens, not white.


So....maybe I'll try to exchange my white LED for a red tower LED. If I can do it and it works better, I'll let you know.

http://www.tupics.com/member/vtrains/beaconr.gif

Light Tower .... 20 Wide Angle Oval LEDS


http://autolumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/3157_pt_r.jpg

$19.99

Are you going to try this bulb? ... They should let you send back the other bulb you bought from them for a discount.

That was the white $12.99 WEDGE MATRIX LED BULB (3157) that you just recieved?

The belts guards are there for a reason- they protect you and your belt. They are expensive to replace. Leave them on. Pebbles, road grime, gas, oil etc can wreck your belt. you or your passenger can catch a pant leg, however unlikely, but it can happen, and you'll be in trouble pretty fast.

The belts guards are there for a reason- they protect you and your belt. They are expensive to replace. Leave them on. Pebbles, road grime, gas, oil etc can wreck your belt. you or your passenger can catch a pant leg, however unlikely, but it can happen, and you'll be in trouble pretty fast.

I believe that if your scoot is set up for solo travel, a belt guard does not do much in the way of personal protection. Loose pants (bellbottoms??) are not recommended for motorcycling whether the guards are on or not.

Also, if you don't ride on gravel roads, I'm not so sure how much of a hazard exists for getting a pebble caught in the sprocket...

Take at look in the 05 catalog and you'll find your answer. They can poke us for 165 a set for the 04-05 color matched covers :yikes . Not for me though.

Yea, I knew they answer, before I posted the comment - "$$$" It's what makes the world spin!


(Still think Mr Ford had it right when said "you can have your choice of colors, so long as it's black).

Mike

http://www.tupics.com/member/vtrains/beaconr.gif

Light Tower .... 20 Wide Angle Oval LEDS


http://autolumination.com/images/auto_bulbs/3157_pt_r.jpg

$19.99

Are you going to try this bulb? ... They should let you send back the other bulb you bought from them for a discount.

That was the white $12.99 WEDGE MATRIX LED BULB (3157) that you just recieved?

Yep, Turbota, that's the white bulb I got. If I can exchange it I'll try the red tower LED you have pictured. Did you get a tower or a wedge?

The belts guards are there for a reason- they protect you and your belt. They are expensive to replace. Leave them on. Pebbles, road grime, gas, oil etc can wreck your belt. you or your passenger can catch a pant leg, however unlikely, but it can happen, and you'll be in trouble pretty fast.

In my youth, I would remove any and all safety devices "just because" I could. I was my parents nightmare child, they were always taking me to the emergency room....

I have a ten year old son, with "special needs". He loves to ride with me, and I really enjoy this time as well. I can't watch him and drive at the same time, so IMHO - looks be damned!

Parts-is-parts, they can always be replaced, yes it might cost you a few bucks, and it'd give you a good "war story" to talk about over beers with your buds, but if someone's foot gets caught in the belt, how do you fix that???