Free spirits belt tensioner failure.

[Bad Karma]

If anyone here was looking for a test bike, I do commute my 08 12r daily to work. It's 93 miles round trip and I ride rain or shine 105* to 35*. I also do not baby my bikes. Ride'm like there meant to be ridden.

I'm still in contact with Marcello @ Free Spirits. I'm inquiring about how to identify the new revised bracket with the old. I'll post all reply s from FS. The new one I got looks identical to the old one that broke. Check out these photos they requested.

You can see from the pics that there is plenty of room for more meat at the point that fails. Why why why would you shave that off?

 

[Dingo]

there is maybe no new one?? or the changes they made are in the spring section check pic. comes from FS and here is no nut compressing spring...

 

[50dro]

Thanks for offering your bikes for testing guys! [up] If (and I stress "if" ) we should develop one of these I'll look you up!

 

[Bad Karma]

--------------FS E-Mail Update----------------------------

Here is the response I got from FS regarding whether or not the pics above(top of page) are or are not the updated version.

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Hello Michael,

from the picture enclosed, I can see that this is one of our recent tensioner, I can’t assure that it will not broke again, but as I said on my early mail, breakage possibility are very rare.

Regards

Marcello

FS 2012 andrea 2
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I still didn't get a straight answer from them on How To Identify and What Changes Where Made to the new style tensioner.
For all I know they could be blowing smoke up my a**.

I really don't like to bash on company's, especially if I only own one of there parts. But the kicker is how they handled the situation, and the run around responses I received on my inquirys(concerns). So I'll just stick to saying my peace with what I experienced and leave the interpretation up as a grain of salt.

Until I get one more breakage or someone comes up with a better mouse trap, I will be running the FS tensioner. It is still far better for the bike than the stock one. It just leaves that though in the back of your mind; What if?
And we have enough "What Ifs?" as riders already.

P.S To All,

Feel free to use any picture or text(of Bad Kama) in this thread as you wish. My thoughts/opinions in this thread are not advice or professional in nature. You are responsible for your own safety and life of limb.

Thanks,

-Michael

 

[anrkizm95]

it sucks that your part failed and they wont send you a new one at a discount but free spirits is top notch company imo.i cant think of any company or product that dosnt have a failures with there products due to the product or improper installation.at least it didnt tear your bike up.

 

[vtech007]

I would like to announce my intentions to all my BuellXB forum brothers regarding the possible development of a superior aftermarket belt tensioner.

My career background - three decades of aerospace engineering and manufacturing disciplines - highly respected character on the front lines in a highly technical environment of high quality, high performance, and high precision Major Corporation. I presently own and operate a company I started a decade ago and have had success with, providing state-of-the-art, world-class high performance products globally.

I have obtained samples of failed Free Spirit tensioners sent to me at my request from BuellXB forum members who have posted on this thread. I have one buddy who is an outstanding mechanical engineer, and another who is a master tool maker. The sample FS parts are in their hands at this time for analysis.

My intensions are to have them develope and make a couple of prototype belt tensioners of our own design. We already have ideas that will be employed with the goal of making ours (known, going forward, as the Bradley Belt Tensioner) superior to the Free Spirit design.

Beyond the prototype units - of course we will have to await the outcome of our full development program testing, design tweaking, fabricating and final testing more prototypes, etc., but it is POSSIBLE that this could turn out to be something we could offer to other interested Buell owners. At the very least, I will be running one on my personal bike. That is the main reason I am undertaking this, is to have a unit for my own uses. But it would be a shame to have something that works better than what is available and not share with others who appreciate it. This would be done more for the passion of the sport than for profit. Of course price is a factor and we want to make it the highest quality it can be but at the same time try to keep the price competitive with the Free Spirit tensioner. The first parts will be made in a machine shop in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA, "The Birthplace of Speed", and I intend to have any and all Bradley Belt Tensioners made there.

With my background I fully understand the magnitude of what is involved in the execution of this undertaking.

I would be extremely grateful for all your inputs and comments going forward.

 

[anrkizm95]

^[up]

 

[gotboost2jz]

"I would be extremely grateful for all your inputs and comments going forward."

You sir, rock.
And if you need a tester, I volunteer my bike (but for real, I'll be a beta tester).
Honestly though, this is awesome news. I don't really like to purchase parts from out of country for the reasons listed in previous posts. Language barriers in the customer service department can be a huge deterrent for me.
Made in the USA is what I like to see (or at least sold in the USA at the least). Very much looking forward to seeing this Bradley unit.

 

[jlrenken]

I agree with gotboost2jz. If you need a test let me know other wise I would like one for purchase. I looking forward to seeing some good results with your Bradley unit.

 

[Dingo]

I was thinking of a construction wich in first place reduces Belt tension by different construction and uses instead of a spring
a Rubber Dampener wich can be changed easely from time to time...
this Balljoint with spring maybe looks some kind of Cool.. but if its exposed to water and dirt etc.. needs to be maintained... instead a Rubber needs nothing..
if you change the spring to a rubber (somekind like Photo) you dont need this pin too... its just an idee....

 

[gotboost2jz]

^ Yeah, but the spring is what makes it sexy lol

 

[christianmb]

Out of curiosity, how thick is the aluminum they use on this tensioner. I'm thinking about taking a stab at making one too. Would 6061 aluminum work?

 

[Dingo]

6061-T6 is good...

and in this part where the FS fails, more material and maybe a bronce bushing will help to... (like this in the brake levers..)

 

[christianmb]

That's a good idea Dingo!

 

[Shop Wizard]

I am super glad that I found this thread before I purchased the FS product. My background is very similar to vtec007's and I am already in the process of making my own tensioner. I am a mechanical engineer and a prototype machinist for a great company. I also have my own hot rod and chopper building business on the side.

I hadn't given too much consideration to going public with the product just due to liability issues. I certainly wouldn't want to injure any of my fellow riders.

The FS design is very clean and I, like you all have stated, like it. T6-6061 is probably the best aluminum alloy out there for this use but I think that giving up a little weight savings and making the attachment plate out of CD1018 steel would solve all of the breakage problems. The pulley mount can still be T6-6061. An oil impregnated bronze bushing on the pivot and a good quality heim joint can round out the product. The only part of this equation I haven't figured out yet is the spring rate of the compression spring. This has to be correct or you wont get enough tension on the belt.

Though I don't really need it, if someone was willing to send me their failed unit for me to get some dimensions off of I would be truly grateful as it would save me some trial and error time in the solid design process. I'm more than happy to pay for the shipping and return it when I'm done with it.

 

[Baal]

Wow. Great thread.

I haven't been on the board in a while, and ironically enough, just posted to my FS tensioner installation thread.

I've got pitifully few miles on the bike since the install, but will watch the development of other tensioners with great interest. Thanks for your efforts, guys!

 

[christianmb]

Well,I have been brainstorming about this since it was first posted, and wanted to post the fruits of my brainstorming since I do not plan on, nor have the facilities to produce these for sale. I was planning on trying to maintain the advertised tension of 10.5kg on the belt, but I also wanted to provide a limit that would not compromise the design like the FS. I had looked around and thought that I might try and employ an R/C shock absorber provided I could find the correct spring rate. I did, but was advised it would not be a good candidate due to the duty cycle on those. He did make a couple suggestions that I will share though.

I am planning on, this far, fabricating a simple shock absorber (so the belt wont flap) with a spring INSIDE the oil-filled chamber, then sealing with with o-rings, and having a 5/16 shaft. I would have rod (heim) ends on both sides and offset the one on the body side so that I could mount it in a similar fashion as the FS. It would probably require legthening the front tang of the mount piece, but I think it would work well. For the main structure, I was planning on 1/2" 6061-T6, then to hold the pulley 1/4 of the same material. I was planning on pressing in bronze bushings for the pivot and any bushings needed would be machined out of the 6061 also. All of the hardware would be either countersunk or button head bolts threaded into the aluminum except in the case of the pulley axle. I would retain that. Also, for the hardware, I was thinking about either stainless or titanium. I'm afraid the titanium might be too brittle though.

Anyone is free to try this idea, which is why I'm throwing it out there. What do you think?

 

[christianmb]

Saw a couple people discussing the FS tensioners, and wanted to bump this thread, so they can see some of the "cons" for it too.

 

[gotboost2jz]

Any word from the people saying the would undertake fabricating their own?

 

[snrusnak]

Anyone get any further with a new tensioner?

vtech, I'm near ormond beach, I can be a test dummy. I'm already a dummy...