Motorcycle Belt Drives Ltd Install

It doesn't happen all the time but every once in a while we get lucky. This time it just so happened to be when I stopped by Freedom Cycles in Orange, California, to pick up a few parts for my bike when I noticed a blacked out '08 Cross Bones up on the lift and next to it was a box from Belt Drives Ltd (BDL). I had to ask Devin, the owner of the shop, what they were working on, only to find out that it was the new EVO-8S 2 3/4 (69mm) open belt drive with BDL's new ball bearing clutch system.

This open belt drive is designed exclusively for the '07- 09 Softails. The backing plate was designed to bolt right up with the six motor mount bolts and the three transmission bolts along with the new style starter mounts. Also this kit incorporates a 52-tooth front pulley, 69-tooth rear pulley and a 69 mm (2.72 inch) wide 142-tooth custom designed belt. So I asked if I could snap some shots of the install and see how well it works. But first I rolled the bike outside to get a lead shot of the stock H-D closed primary on the bike.

1. Here is the '08 Cross Bones with stock primary setup, you can see the bike's owner, Mad Mike, had started to change the look with bars and blacking out the bike.
1. Here is the '08 Cross Bones with stock primary setup, you can see the bike's owner, Ma
2. The bike was placed back on the bike lift and service tech Kazoo started by draining the primary fluid. To get the primary off the bike the floorboard needed to come off, then Kazoo removed the outer cover, the primary chain tensioner, the clutch plates, then the mainshaft nut and the clutch basket along with the front sprocket and chain.
2. The bike was placed back on the bike lift and service tech Kazoo started by draining t

3. The starter bolts were then removed along with the inner primary mounting bolts. Then Kazoo removed the stock inner primary from the bike.
3. The starter bolts were then removed along with the inner primary mounting bolts. Then
4. Here is the EVO-8S open belt drive kit starting with the newly designed backing plate, front pulley, clutch basket, 2 3/4 inch belt, starter shaft cover, and mounting hardware.
4. Here is the EVO-8S open belt drive kit starting with the newly designed backing plate,
5. Before the backing plate was mounted Kazoo checked the starter shaft pinion gear for any damage. Everything was in good shape so a little grease was placed along the edge where the starter will line up with the backing plate.
5. Before the backing plate was mounted Kazoo checked the starter shaft pinion gear for a

6. The next thing was the removal of the stock H-D bearing inner race from the transmission, the BDL backing plate has its own seal and bearing. The plate will not fit if you don't remove the race.
6. The next thing was the removal of the stock H-D bearing inner race from the transmissi
7. Next, the backing plate was mounted to the bike and torqued to 25 lb-ft, you can see that the front of the backing plate has six bolts that mount to the motor (if Kazoo's hand wasn't in the way), and three that mount to the transmission.
7. Next, the backing plate was mounted to the bike and torqued to 25 lb-ft, you can see t
8. Once the backing plate was bolted up, Kazoo aligned the starter to the plate and torqued the bolts to 20 lb-ft.
8. Once the backing plate was bolted up, Kazoo aligned the starter to the plate and torqu

9. Next was the ball bearing lock up clutch assembly, which consists of seven fiber plates, seven steel plates, one diaphragm spring, one spring retainer, four socket head bolts, ball bearing housing, and 32 3/8-inch ball bearings.
9. Next was the ball bearing lock up clutch assembly, which consists of seven fiber plate
10. Kazoo installed the motor pulley and clutch basket along with the belt as one. The clutch basket has a lip on it, so the belt needs to go on the basket first, but it is easier to do all three pieces together.
10. Kazoo installed the motor pulley and clutch basket along with the belt as one. The cl
11. Then, both the mainshaft nut for the clutch basket and the front motor nut were installed then torqued to spec.
11. Then, both the mainshaft nut for the clutch basket and the front motor nut were insta

12. Starting with a steel plate then a friction plate, all the clutch plates were installed.
12. Starting with a steel plate then a friction plate, all the clutch plates were install
13. The design of the EVO-8S is setup so that the clutch pushrod end adjuster needs to be installed from the backside of the bearing plate due to the new o-rings on the rod end. There is no seal on the nut anymore. Then Kazoo carefully placed the ball bearing lock-up plate with diaphragm spring onto the clutch assembly, then the spring retainer with hardware.
13. The design of the EVO-8S is setup so that the clutch pushrod end adjuster needs to be
14. Once Kazoo had adjusted the clutch he then installed the stand offs for the belt side cover, and then placed the cover onto the drive to check belt alignment and clearance. With everything good, he then installed the clutch basket dome cover. Mike told us as soon as we get our photos he planned to pull the covers off and get them powder coated black.
14. Once Kazoo had adjusted the clutch he then installed the stand offs for the belt side

15. The last thing was the starter shaft cover; with the new H-D starter design the cover fits flat with the backing plate without anything sticking out.
15. The last thing was the starter shaft cover; with the new H-D starter design the cover
16. Here is the new EVO-8S on the Cross Bones, it was an easy install that could be done at home and it's a nice addition to Mad Mike's bike.
16. Here is the new EVO-8S on the Cross Bones, it was an easy install that could be done
17. Here a shot of the covers after they were powdercoated black