Another thing I suspect but can't really prove is both of my Harley's I bought used and had rock problems on both of them regarding the belts, but I think the tires being used tires when I got the bikes, had been ridden only on pavement and (Dunlops) I think the pavement only leaves an edge on the treads that catches and throws rocks worse then a set of new tires broken in on dirt roads and pavement both.
My other Harley is a 98 Wide Glide and I had to have a belt replaced on it too, from rock holes. So, that made two belts I had to replace, one on each bike. Then about 10 or 12 years ago, I lost a third belt, this time it broke on me, on my 98 Wide Glide. Now, I didn't find rock damage on this one, and it broke one day, when I got on it a little harder then normal. Well, that was the last straw for me on that bike, and I had my local Indy convert it to a chain final drive. AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER. I have not had to even adjust it since then, however, it's been adjusted a few times, of course, when i had to replace a rear tire, but the sprockets and chain are still in good shape.
Now, it's a little messy, but I don't care. I don't clean the chain, all I do is spray the chain with some chain lube about every time I ride it, which causes it to sling a little oil on the back wheel, but hey, I ride and live on a dirt road. I don't worry about my Harley's being shinny squeaky clean. I am old school a little bit and a as one old Harley rider once told me many years ago (he still rode a shovel or flat head) a little oil don't hurt nothing, it just helps keep things from rusting.
The old Evo Wide Glide is my favorite bike, and I would sell the Roadking but, as others have noted, Old bikes are not worth that much, anymore, and I might as well keep it, I guess. The only way to get any value out of it to ride it out. When I bought them, they were pretty new, but time flies by. The one good this is, I don't worry about full coverage insurance on them, and just run liability for $15.00 per bike a year. There's no point in spending several hundred dollars a year just to protect a few thousand.
