transmission system is an indispensable part of every motorcycle. Our common gear cars on the street are divided into three different transmission forms: chain, belt and shaft drive. Have you ever wondered, why do waterfowl use shaft drive, and why does Harley use belt drive?
In this Nirvana, I will talk to you about the advantages and disadvantages of these three transmission modes. After understanding them, I believe you will understand why manufacturers adopt different transmission modes.
chain drive
first talked about our common chains, street cars, sports cars, wagons, it can be said that in addition to scooters, it is our most common form of transmission, because of the low manufacturing cost and high power transmission efficiency until now. First choice for many motorcycles. In addition to the low manufacturing cost of the
chain drive, the chain is also better adjusted. From the manufacturer's perspective, different models equipped with the same engine have different front and rear chainrings. At this time, it is much easier to change the length of the chain. For racing and stunt car modification, chain drive is the best transmission form to change. In terms of transmission efficiency, whether it focuses on torque or horsepower,
can give full play to the performance of the vehicle, which is proved by off-road vehicles and imitation racing.
Of course, it is not without its shortcomings. First of all, it produces a greater noise problem than the other two transmissions. I personally think that this problem does not have much impact, because after riding, the engine sound and wind noise are enough to cover the noise of the chain. If you can still hear the noise obviously after riding, it is recommended to check it, it may not be the abnormal noise.
The second point is frequent maintenance, which is more troublesome than the other two transmission types. Because it is exposed metal material, aging and rust problems cannot be avoided, so it is necessary to frequently remove rust, spray lubricating oil and check tightness .
belt drive
belt drive is widely used in pedals and American cruise models. Its advantages are smooth transmission, low noise, and ability to ease sudden loads. The impact of sand, water, etc. on it is much smaller than that of the chain, which brings about simpler daily maintenance than the chain. The disadvantage of
is that the torque output is too high and there will be slipping, and the power transmission efficiency at high speed is also lower than that of the chain. Moreover, the life span is shorter because it is made of rubber and is more susceptible to environmental aging. If the belt is in a very high temperature environment, it may deform. Finally, its replacement process is more troublesome.
shaft drive
shaft drive is the most worry-free transmission form, because the drive shaft is in a closed environment, and the rain and sand in the daily environment will not corrode it. As long as you don’t drive frequently, it is still a durable and reliable form of power transmission .
However, when it comes to shaft transmission, many people may think of the sudden "broken shaft door" incident in the 2016 BMW R1200GS. During the long-distance crossing process, some car owners suddenly lost power, rusted inside the transmission shaft, metal fatigue, and poor sealing. There are different opinions on the reasons for the occurrence of Yan, etc. Two years later, the court after the judicial department gave the identification of the design defects, maintenance prompt defects and product quality defects of the batch of models.
In fact, when the incident just happened, BMW had already noticed the problem. In the first half of 2016, the drive shaft was rectified. A steel frame was added to the drive shaft sheath to increase the strength and the drive shaft was sprayed with anti-rust paint. and many more. After that batch of trains, no problems with the drive shaft were heard again. Therefore, it is not this form that affects the reliability of the drive shaft, but the manufacturing problem.
On the other hand, compared to the chain, its power transmission is more delicate than that of the chain, which brings a very smooth power output. For motorcycles with very heavy body or high load, the axle drive can withstand greater torque, so it can still bring smooth power.
Although shaft transmission is the most worry-free, it has many disadvantages. Because of the high manufacturing cost and self-weight, it is commonly used in large-displacement vehicles, and when problems occur later, it is not only difficult to check the damaged parts, but also the maintenance cost is higher than the other two transmission types.
Due to the complex structure of power loss, one shaft is required to drive another shaft.Power loss is unavoidable. BMW has made a comparison. Compared with belt drive, shaft drive loses 10% of power, and the transmission efficiency at high speed is also lower than that of chain, so it is rarely used on sports motorcycles.
After understanding the several transmission modes, do you know the advantages and disadvantages of your car’s transmission system? Although in terms of current manufacturing technology, various transmission forms have been very mature, we still cannot ignore daily inspection and maintenance. Once a problem occurs on the road, it will not only delay the trip, but also may cause indirect dangers due to instantaneous stalls.
