Open belt drive Big Dog Ridgeback

Energy One

garyb69

Active Member
I have been toying with the idea of replacing my primary drive with an open belt drive over the winter months. I have an 04 Ridgeback and was just wondering A: Would i actually be able to get one for it?. B: If so, where would be the best place to get one?. And C: If the answers to A and B are Yes, are there any downsides to fitting one?. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. :2thumbs:
 

BadDawg Bill

Well-Known Member
I have been toying with the idea of replacing my primary drive with an open belt drive over the winter months. I have an 04 Ridgeback and was just wondering A: Would i actually be able to get one for it?. B: If so, where would be the best place to get one?. And C: If the answers to A and B are Yes, are there any downsides to fitting one?. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. :2thumbs:
I always put a belt drive on my bikes. The belt drive is much more dependable and stops a lot of vibration. I have a 2004 chopper and just ordered this one:

Ultima Drag Belt Drive for Harley Davidson Primary Titan Big Dog Iron Horse CMC | eBay

It's a good price and the dealer said it will fit the 2004's but not any year after. He said in 2005 they made their own belt drive and changed things around. It takes 2 people to put one on but it's not that hard. Expect around 6 - 8 hours work with beer breaks.
 

jsub

Active Member
BDL on my 2004 Mastiff. Choices for a left side drive seem to be limited compared to the right side drives.
 

firedog19

Active Member
Curtis from WSW can fix you up with everything you need for a 3 inch primo drive easy install hardest part is removing the bearing race from the transmission mainshaft best price you probably find . I love mine 04 rigeback
 

liferider

Looking forward to retirement
Did you ever open up a can of worms! There is no down side only upside!!! I run a BDL open primary with a 2.5" wide belt and a lock up clutch. I LOVE IT!!!!!
 

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Jwooky

Well-Known Member
I like the BDM closed primary. Gives me a place to put my foot and I think it's a nice piece of bling.
 

liferider

Looking forward to retirement
My 2003 chopper has a 1.5" offset. When ever I would romp down on my chopper, the next day I would have a primary leak. So I would take the primary down and reseal the primary and put it back together. I did it, I had my mechanic do it a few times, I even took it to Dallas and had Strokers fix it. I finally had enough and looked at the open primary's. The 4" look so cool but, my leg angle would have chewed up my boot heals. With the 2.5" belt i ride just like I always have. My jeans never get caught, and those times it felt like a little tug on my jeans but that was it. I looked at the Primo, Baker and BDL drives. What sold me on the BDL with the Lock Up clutch was talking to a couple of guys who race Harley drag bikes. They loved the set up. They run the 4" belt and BDL said with my 107 S&S Super Sidewinder motor the 2.5" would handle my HP easily. The other nice thing is BDL is a lot less $$$$$$ than the Baker!
 

TimNY

Well-Known Member
I too have been thinking this over.
Nothing wrong with the enclosed primary I'm running now
but I like to change things around alittle now n then .
 

garyb69

Active Member
I always put a belt drive on my bikes. The belt drive is much more dependable and stops a lot of vibration. I have a 2004 chopper and just ordered this one:

Ultima Drag Belt Drive for Harley Davidson Primary Titan Big Dog Iron Horse CMC | eBay

It's a good price and the dealer said it will fit the 2004's but not any year after. He said in 2005 they made their own belt drive and changed things around. It takes 2 people to put one on but it's not that hard. Expect around 6 - 8 hours work with beer breaks.
Let me know how you get on with it please Bill, i have been looking at loads and the price of these seems to beat everything by $$$$$$$
 

BadDawg Bill

Well-Known Member
Let me know how you get on with it please Bill, i have been looking at loads and the price of these seems to beat everything by $$$$$$$
My belt drive arrived today. 3 days shipping. Looks great and it has the outer bearings unlike the BDL which I have always used. Great Ebay seller and good communication. He also has the cast primary inner which sells for $200 less. Just look at his Ebay store. He is just 1 guy selling parts so he has a low overhead.

I'll let you know when it's on and how it feels. Should be next week sometime. I need an extra hand putting it on and if I ask the wife to help it will be Vietnam all over again.....:lol:
 

liferider

Looking forward to retirement
If it were me, I would order 1 extra belt and hang it somewhere that the belt will not get flattened or creased. I laid mine on its side on top of a tool cabinet in the garage. It's heated and cooled so belt should not dry out
 
I have a karata 4" on my pitbull that I had considered selling. The 4" on the pitbull looks too damn big imo. Since I am converting the pitbull I think it should fit better on the longer ridgeback



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