What are the pros and cons of a shaft, belt and chain drive on a motorcycle?

Answer 1

Shaft , pros - smooth, no mess, easy basic maintenance.
cons - torque twist, unsprung weight, complicated if repairs needed.
Belt, pros - quiet, smooth, minimal maintenance.
cons - any sand or grit will eat the rear pulley, alignment must be more precise than chain.
Chain, pros - strong, easy maintenance, easy repair/replacement.
cons - short regular maintenance interval, need to be cleaned and lubed, lube sling (depending on what is used)

Answer 2

Chains require more maintenance than belts or shafts. They need regular lubrication, adjustment, alignment and inspection for wear. Also, the sprockets will need to be inspection for wear. On the plus side, this maintenance is relatively easy to perform. They're inexpensive to service, or even replace.
Belts need almost no maintenance. Harley Davidson suggests you use a product called Poly-Lube, but I wouldn't recommend it in areas that are sandy, such as the desert or coastal areas. Belts need to be inspected for ply separation, cracking, and wear. Belts don't stretch. As a matter of fact, Gates, a belt supplier, says belts will actually tighten up when when warmed up. I personally have never seen a belt break. I know of a rider who has 80,000 + miles on his original belt.
Shaft drives are virtually maintenance free. They are quiet, and very reliable. There's a slight mechanical loss of horsepower to the rear wheel though. If for some reason the drive unit needed to be repaired, it pretty labor intensive.

Answer 3

Shaft: don't need to clean it, only need to change the oil once in a while.
Feels funny when going over bumps, feels like there's a delay when getting moving.
Heavy.

belt: Never had one.

chain: Quick response to throttle, some give means it's the choice if you're on dirt or bumps.
You have to clean it, and oil it, and adjust it frequently. It stretches. It rattles. It is messy because it flings chain oil off onto your wheel and your bike (and you, unless you have a chain guard). You have to replace it, it'll last from 5K miles to 15K miles. Gradually it'll wear the sprockets, and you'll need to replace those too, probably every couple of changes of chain.

Answer 4

Shaft drives are incredibly smooth
Chain drive delivers more power to the back wheel, but it noisier than a shaft drive.
Belt drives are like chain drives, but are much quieter and deliver as much power.
belt is the way to go, especially on newer bikes.

Answer 5

Chains put the maximum HP from the engine to the rear wheel, but requires more maintenance
Shafts are heavy & loose power through the gears getting the power to the rear wheel, but are virtually maintenance free
Belts are a good trade off, but are not that strong ,can't handle the power & need to be wider. (thats why Harley's use them)

Answer 6

chain is the strongest..all racing bikes run a chain.
belts are smooth running and easily maintained by the owner.
shafts are smooth and trouble free but very expensive to repair and very ugly and require a complicated rear wheel

i helped build a 124 cubic inch chopper for a friend a while back..he insisted it have belt drive..with a 250mm rear tire if you rev the motor and dump the clutch the belt will snap instantly unless the pavement is wet...we have tried the best belts made...they just are not as strong as a chain