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I never lubed a chain every gas stop. For one the oil wouldn't settle in. As for the chain I'm quoting, a 1974 Kawasaki, it was long before the advent of O Ring Chain. On my Laconia weekends I did close to 1,000 miles and might have lubed the chain once, at night after shutdown one day. If I did it with a new O Ring chain I might lube it once before leaving and then when I got home after the thousand miles. Cleaning a filter might be easy but the nagging feeling that a belt would fail far from home, on the road, is not a comfort.

If you read the thread on the 2016 Cannonball you saw belt replacements mentioned frequently on a short 4,000 mile trip. Even more amusing is the fact that most of the scooters were trailered to the start and from the finish. If I won, uh competed, with my Honda Rebel I would ride to the start and from the finish. Maybe I would lube the chain at the end of a few days since it takes all of a minute and is cheap insurance.

It isn't just mileage that abuses a belt either. My 2009 CF Moto Fashion needed its Bando Kevlar belt replaced at 9,000 miles with cracking between the teeth a couple of years ago. Of course by then it was six years old and dried out. My 2009 Honda Rebel has the original chain, as does my 1991 Nighthawk and my daughter's 2005 Rebel, and none are dried out and have years of service left. 

Face it Rocky any chain will outlast a belt. Recall that even in the days of non O Ring Renolds chains service life was upwards of 20,000 miles with a little care. Belts are nowhere near that reliable, even today. We won't go into variator failures on a long trip. 

That's the only thing I don't like about mine. There are some guys arond thst have successfully installed and ran a 12 inch tire but idk what they did about a rim. I have also seen people that have went darkside on Helix's with Mini Cooper ten inch tires.
One of the twelve inch scoot tires isn't much bigger than the ten that's stock. I don't k ow how it would ride... I am currently acumualting parts and pieces to attempt a true trike conversion on Felix. I am having a bit of an issue finding a sprocket that fits the main out put shaft.

As a scooter owner that may be true for you. Out in the world there are numerous bikes zipping through standing traffic and carrying goods in their luggage.

People who ride either are loyal. They both serve a purpose. I have both.

1100.00 Dollars and sitting in the shop for what, over a month? THAT'S INSANE! I have a very nice Japanese Bando belt in my scoot, all of seventy bucks to buy and the Mechanic's fee's were very reasonable. (I see my mechanic almost every day....In the mirror.)

A lot depends on the instructors at MSF. Where I took mine they were really on the ball and taught the full coarse without shortcutting anything. Sand patches, jumping/hopping small logs, emergency swerve and stop, stop over uneven ground with a dip, holding a line in a tight curve at 30+ mph, short stops, etc. Course started at 20 mph and ended at around 35 to 40 mph with about 1/5 the class not making it past 20 mph. They need to hold the MSF instuctors more accountable to uniformly following the course and grading methods for passing students too.



I don't know where you took that course but I never saw a BRC like that at any of the sites in either New York or New Jersey. They were all in paved ranges with cones and paint marking. I know they have a dirt riding course but that I've never seen. Even the Experienced Rider Course takes place in the same place and it was just slightly more difficult than the BRC. I would have enjoyed the challenge of your course. My dirt riding background would have made it a fun day.