I have the mini 3d servisas gear drive and it is still loud. But that is gears baby, love it or leave it. They all sound like a freight train compared to belts or hubs.
Sometime I love it, sometimes I wish it was quiter.
But the torque transfer and 0 belt slippage is undeniable.
Gear Drives aren’t THE solution for everyone on every build… yet. I like mine, but I could see how some people wouldn’t prefer them. Maintenance is more of a bitch for simple things due to access and grease (I wish the case holes were on the outside instead of the inside, taking that cover off is an unnecessary time suck) . Also, setup isn’t as easy on belts. But man you really feel the power and look top notch.
There are definitely pros and cons which leave me pretty much split on what I prefer. I expected I would never be able to use a belt drive again, but that isn’t the case.
I have builds planned using more gears, more belts, hubs, and even a chain drive build possibly. All these babys have their own sweet spot, purpose, and best case usage.
I have been an advocate for gear for a couple of years now. I feel like the biggest deterrent is price. For most gear drive kits, a belt alternative can be had for half the price. Performance and price will almost always be the deciding factor in a purchase.
That being said, it’s like lipo vs li-ion. Li-ion lasts longer (charger cycles) but lipo has better power delivery (amps). To each his own desire, right?
@moon has overcome the price barrier and still makes a quality product. Making new options widely available is important, very important.
I would love to see real price comparison looking into few years riding, because I know some people have done this and price was almost more expensive on higher power setups
Imagine if you will that straight cut gears were the norm now and had been for years. Someone came along today and said:
I’ve got a new drive train that uses commonly available timing belts, allows quick swapping of any wheel on any ratio you want, is dead silent, extremely easy to maintain, requires no lubrication, is easy to diagnose when something goes wrong and spare parts can be carried with ease. Oh yeah, it’s also less than a third of the price at most.
I think we’d all be considering a swap here. Perception is an interesting thing.
This has got to be the worst derailment in history. I actually forgot what this thread was about. I read the title and thought how the fuck did we get here? Might as well carry on regardless.
I love noisy motors. My sk3’s scream like banshees.
I have been riding streets for about six months in CA. I got pulled over once. The cop was building a board and wanted to ask about mine. The only people that know about the skateboard laws in California are skateboarders.
Next door neighbours are both cops. Husband and wife team. He asked me the other day to put a water point in for his fridge. I answered I don’t work for cops they never pay. He replied
I can pay you in beer, cash or something from the evidence locker.
so bloody true.