One item overlooked: chains can be repaired on a trip. This can be important off road. Carry a couple of links and a pin pusher; they are small. A ripped belt means you are in trouble.

I absolutely love seeing Craig in videos. He always brings a wealth of mechanical knowledge. Thank you for the lesson on the difference between the three types of power delivery. Could he do more videos like this or maybe some tutorial videos?

I've owned all 3. Shaft is probably my favorite by a small margin over belt. The only thing that sucks is if you do have a shaft issue, it's going to be a pricey fix. I currently own a belt drive and love the low maintenance of it. My previous bike was chain driven, and man I hated always having to clean and oil the chain, and even then it would still wear out. For tinkerer's it makes the most sense, but for me, I just want to ride.

Craig is a natural! Good job brother

I had 2 shaft drive motorcycles. In both cases the shaft drive was smoother, easier to maintain and also more dependable. I put 56,000 miles on one of them.

IVE BEEN DRIVING A SHAFT DRIVE FOR A DOZEN YEARS, I CHANGE THE GEAR OIL AT THE SCHEDULED TIME AND THAT IS THE ONLY MAINTENENCE, I LOVE IT BECAUSE I NEVER HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. IT JUST WORKS.

Always prefered chain drive myself. But after watching this I can see the merits of all three now. Thanks for the lesson, Craig.

Personally, I had a Honda shaft drive and it was absolutely awesome (not a sport bike or off road, but a cruiser). Ran like a champ and still had good acceleration. It was super smooth for longer rides and LOW maintenance. With the Honda engine reliability and a shaft drive, it was the perfect motorcycle for someone who wants to ride and not spend a lot of time on repair and maintenance. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants a smooth ride and low maintenance.

I've had all 3. Hands down shaft. I ride a lot though. Usually 100 miles a day for work. But nothing compares to a shaft drive.

My favorite drive is shaft drive. Then comes the belt and chain. The East German motorcycle brand "MZ" had a closed chain case to protect the chain from dirt and dust. These chains also had a longer service life due to the protection.

Suggested item #4 for the "power delivery" category - only shaft drives impart a torque to the vehicle in the "roll" axis (like when you lean left and right). They all, of course, impart torque in the "pitch" axis (wheelie!). One could also argue there's a potential for an abrupt change in power delivery to result in a coupled force in the "yaw" axis (flat track/speedway cornering technique). My last shaftie had an uncomfortable amount of roll torque ... I suggest this is the #1 reason sportbikes use chains.

Up until a year ago I would have agreed with chain drive being the best. Then last year I bought a 2016 Moto Guzzi. I quickly enjoyed not having to mess with lubrication and worrying about the chain wearing out. I might think differently if I was out racing or needed to quickly and easily change gearing, but for just riding on the street I really enjoy the shaft drive. But to each their own. Also I enjoyed the video.

One thing he forgot to mention that I think is worth : shaft drive is by far the heaviest system, adding quite a bit of weight to the machine (which doesn't really matter on big cruisers hence why they're used there. So more weight, power loss and cost for the shaft drive but super reliable and maintenance-free in most case. Whereas chains are light, strong (under varying environment), tunable and put the power down nicely but require frequent cleaning, lubing and the occasional adjustment. Can't have your bike cake and eat it too :P

I really like the idea of Craig doing motorcycle tech content. It will give the channel a whole new avenue for making videos, and I enjoy the maintenance side of motorcycling almost as much as riding. Also, whoever did the editing on this nailed it with the captions.

Excellent - If I may I would add an extra variable in addition to Weight (see Jaslath comment): Cost and how it reflects on the bikes's price both on acquisition time and then long term (where maintenance / repairs will play a significant role). BMW has used drive shafts mainly on its boxer engines and these offer an incredible benefit rarely mentioned: side impact (T shunt) protection: the very much reason why I still have two legs to stand on...

The key: “it’s about the application.” I’ve raced and can’t imagine anything but a chain. I’ve toured extensively and used each of these at different times… shaft, hands down. If the belt was encased for protection, it would be perfect for the smaller to mid-sized road bikes. And a good enclosure might even make the belt a good choice for adventure bikes. And the older I get, the more I like the shaft drive. Imagine that.

The best type of drive is... the one that you own. They all have pros and cons, but if you understand the maintenance required they all get the job done. I think I need more bikes so I can have an example of each in the garage.

Shaft is great. My 1979 XS1100 had a shaft drive with 66,000 miles and its was 100% on point. The entire bike for that matter. Reverse rotation motor limited the rear end lift under its brutal 11 second 1/4 miles.

Great video. Very informative. I'm 78 yrs and hve been on two wheelers a long time. I have owned all shaft drives except for one, it was chain. As far as heavy bikes go shaft is best by far. My son has a belt dive on a Vulcan 900 Custom. It is not without problems.....adjusting among others. If you have time do a video on tires and applications. Always...ride safe.

Craig is a naturalist at making these types of videos. We want more!! 👍👍👍

Morning. Binge watching you guys. Retirement life.

Great video! Good explanations. My bike is a shaft driven bike, which was a huge selling point for me. I was in the market for a new bike last year and had my eye on three bikes. What ultimately sealed the deal for my current bike was the low maintenance with the drive shaft. Thanks for the video!

Great video! I have had all three and for the intended use of the bike they were all best. My last bike was a F800GS that I rode daily. Every weekend I had to clean the chain, every other day I had to oil the chain, every 40k miles (12 to 15 months) I had to shell out $250 for a new sprocket and chain set. That got old fast...but...it took me everywhere I wanted to go, and comfortably I might add. Highway, gravel road, dirt road, single track...it did it all. The Harley I had...only had to adjust the belt when I changed tires. I never had any issues with them. I had to check it periodically but it was always fine. I'm now on my second drive shaft bike and I love that I don't worry about it. I like working on my bikes but the chain drive was too much for me. On the dirt bikes it's just as you said, chains are lighter and easier to change the gearing to whatever I wanted. I didn't have to worry about maintenance much because it got cleaned after every ride just about because I always ended up in some mud somewhere and had to clean the bike. I didn't put thousands of miles on them so I didn't have to change them often...if ever. Having anything else on a dirt bike would be nonsense!

Yay Craig! Nice video, I've owned all three drive systems on a variety of bikes and currently have shaft drive on my Yamaha V-Star cruiser. Super easy low to no maintenance. I had a Roadstar Warrior for 9 years with belt drive and never had one issue and it barely looked worn after 20k miles when I eventually sold it. My Kawasaki and Yamaha dirt and street bikes had chain drives and I did sort of enjoy the maintenance and tinkering, swapping sprockets etc. More Craig videos please!

one thing I'd like to say is that while they may not last as long, chains are extremely common and cheap compared to shaft and belts, which means while you're more likely to go through wear and tear with a chain, it's much easier to repair and recuperate from than the other options(while very unlikely, you're pretty much boned if you damage your shaft or belt)

What are the odds?! I’ve been researching the differences of these over the last couple of days, and have recently gotten into this channel over the last month! I’m going to look at some HD’s later, and am super excited to get into the motorcycle community! Thanks for the video Craig!!

Love the nerdy in-depth look at different system designs! Keep it coming!

Seeing more of this type of video would be a lot of fun. I really like all the content you guys put out but diving a little deeper into the mechanical side of things is interesting and fun.

nicely done craig , great video delivery and knowledgeable explanations

I've always loved shaft drives. The smoothness and the quiet are great but its really the ease of maintenance which put it over the top for me.

He's a total professional without a trace of arrogance. Excellent viewing.

Great video Craig. Love the shaft drive for cruising. Had it on my Virago and never touched it for all the years I had the bike. On my Enduro bikes love the chain drive!

Great job, Craig! I’m excited to see where this channel goes! I think you’re an asset to the SRK Brand!

great video. ive always prefered a chain because they r so much easzier to fix on the road. plus its a bike not a lounge chair its supposed to make noise. i like hearing the chain sounds cuz it helps diagnose some problems.

Nice work Craig. Thanks for simplifying it.

"Moving parts on motorcycles require maintenance". Such a succinct way to state a fundamental truth. Great job on this video. It helped me a lot.

Having had several bikes I’ve found the Virago shaft drive and even the Honda Sabre V45 shaft to be extremely smooth and reliable. I’m very surprised that Craig failed to address the rotation differences between chain & belt (forward) versus shaft (lateral). Shaft drive bikes behave slightly different under heavy power. It comes down to personal preference. For those who don’t care to mess with sprocket changes and tuning the drivetrain you’ll find chain to be the last of the three options and shaft the first choice.

Absolutely love the content you guys make BTW!

Awesome video Craig I think we all needed this, waiting for the next Craig video

Thanks Craig! Can’t wait for more of these videos!

Good job craig. Keep going ...

Recently I bought my first motorcycle with a shaft drive (BMW K1300S) and it's awesome. But I wanna say to those who don't like chains at all because of the maintenance issues - you should try scottoiler system! I have one at my KLR 650 and it's pretty good at keeping my chain always lubricated.

I really like this video and would love to see more like it! I recently bought my first bike at 37yo and have little to no knowledge about bikes but I am very interested in learning and Craig helps a lot on the technical side of things! Cheers!

Great video explanation of these systems - thanks Craig !

I switched to chain drive on my street glide and i really believe it's the best thing I've done so far. 24 tooth up front 58 on the rear. Makes my bike take off like a rocket. Top end sucks but how often and how long do you really stay above 100mph on public crap roads? So much cheaper than big bore kits. No more down shifting 2 gears to pass cars just twist the wick and gone....

The one mod I've seen for a shaft drive bike to change the gearing was for the Yamaha XS 1100. People would swap out the rear pumpkin from an XS650 to get taller gearing. There's a whole user forum dedicated to the bike with a section on how to do the mod. It takes some wrenching and a little bit of light fabrication to make it work, but if you can find an XS650 to cannibalize it's not a very expensive mod.

Yeah forsure do more Craig you wassup man ..love the fact you said the engineering with proper applications

Craig's info corner and consumer tips! Great idea!!!! Go Craig!!

Great video! However.... I think you are selling the belt drive short. It's quiet, clean, smooth while responsive, low power loss, almost maintenance-free and you can change the front pulley for city/highway if you wish. For every single used bike I have had, I had to replace chain and sprockets, it's a system that just doesn't age well and people can't be bothered to service them often enough. It's expensive and annoying that you have to get dirty after almost every ride and it's a constant worry to keep track of mileage and weather since last chain service. The bike is always messy and the garage floor too. Belt drive is like a gift from God for all bikes except dirt bikes.

Great job Craig! Far more knowledge and information than Sean could ever deliver. When Sean talks it sounds like a snake-oil salesman pitching to a carnival crowd.

Excellent breakdown Craig!!!!

Good job Craig! I love these vids just as the other ones!

Nice list. One thing I think you missed is the weight of each system. It can make a difference depending on the application you're using the bike for.

I've been riding the same bike with a chain for 39 years. Sure, it takes some maintenance. I recently got a belt drive and really don't notice much difference - just less maintenance. However, though I've never owned or even ridden a shaft drive, I think it makes the most sense and wish H-D would have used a shaft all along.

Love this kind of video. Thanks Craig!

Craig, it's great to see you doing videos. I think ya done good, bro! I feel informed. Thanks.

Joke's on you. I never think.

Shaft drive. Hands down.

This channel is the reason why I even got a bike. I took the advice and got a low maintenance Honda Fury as my first bike. I hope these helpful videos help someone else also.

nice video Craig! Good work.

Chain is more work, but you can’t beat the power delivery

Great vid. This is a simple, easy segment that lays out the pro's and con's of alternative engineering used on bikes, and it's something many bikers have questions about 👍🏻👏🏼. Could you do a piece on after-market exhausts? End cans; is an Akroprovic end can better than a budget, and if so, why? Same for a full system. Are there benefits to running an aftermarket exhaust or can they damage the engine, etc... Great to see you, Craig, and thanks creating content that makes a difference to what we look for when buying and riding a bike 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I had the KZ1300 AND loved almost everything about shaftdrive. Less cleaning, no adjustments but hated the pogo sticking. Didn't inspire confidence cornering. Chaindrive with the A track chain managing on a CalFab swing arm. Put that on my H2 and loved it.

Nice Video Craig!! Ur pretty smooth with the information as always😌

Love the video Craig. You explained everything in detail. Great job. Thank you..

Jan 2022: Well done, professional and moved along. Appreciated, thank you. Richard

Awesome, Craig. Love this type of video.

Craig's insite is on the next level of common man and the average rider can understand. I truly enjoy the growth of the Chanel and the way its been growing. I think more people relate to Craig. I truly appreciate the time and effort thats put into the content i would hope you guys go on the road. Maybe do a meet up and ride. Dragons tail would be a great place.. Keep up the great work.

Thank you for explaining that. It’s something I always wondered

Great video Craig! You're great at this!!!! Do a lot more!

Great video. Thanks for explaining the pros and cons

Perfectly explained and 100% chain all day. That power to the ground is just right right there everytime! But anyway, we all love riding our bikes so let's just enjoy it.

Nice video Craig, please do another one on valves maintenance, how often, how can we know that valves needs to be done, etc.

CRAIG!!! this was a different type of video for sure, but a welcomed one! Great idea to bring Craig to the page! I have to say it was also very informative.

thanks for this super comprehensive analysis ! Very very nice

Craig, we want more!

My first bike was a 2004 V-star 1100 (shaft drive) and I loved the ease of maintenance. 👍 Second was a 2013 street glide (belt drive), which was a rolling couch basically, but also pretty easy to wrench on. Third bike I got squirrelly and bought a 2003 Big Dog pitbull which was meticulously maintained, and also a belt drive. I never got into swapping sprockets or anything, but I agree with Craig, shaft drive was the lowest maintenance and most fun to ride. Blessings to you all @SRKCycles. 😇

Well done Craig I look forward to more.

Thank you! I started on a 70 Tiger 650 twin. The chain was shot. I went looking for a replacement. The only thing I found was machine chain of the correct pitch. And I had 4 links and a breaker in my jacket. Along with a flat screw driver - and a 12 point 9/16th. I had the chain lay out on the ground once. The old link split. Took me a week to find an old machine shop - with an old guy who had been there 60 yrs. As you might guess - I like chain drive.

Def do more of these nice addition to your channel 👍

I put a Scottoiler X system on my VStrom back in December. It throws a drop of oil on the rear sprocket every 50 seconds or so while moving. Since then my chain is always very evenly and smoothly lubricated and both the chain and the sprocket are much cleaner than when I was manually cleaning and lubing every 500 miles or so. It basically turns chains into no maintenance other than checking the slop along with the normal walkaround once a week or so.

Well done sir! Glad to see the big man stepping up!!

Great video man! Keep the good work going!

Loved this. Thanks Craig, very informative!!

Enjoyed seeing Craig having his own video! Good stuff!

You are very good, Craig, and I love the continuity Srkcycles has :) I miss Sean, and the words of wisdom, but I will not miss Srkcycles, thanks to you. Keep up the good work, and God bless you all.

Education + entertainment = time well spent I like this type of video for sure. Y’all keep up the great videos!

Great job Craig!!!!! I like all SRK videos, but I really like the direction this is going. I’m a proud NERD!!!!!

Great video, Craig. I would have liked some explanation of why/how the different drivetrains have parasitic power loss in their transfer of power to the rear wheel. I'm guessing at least some viewers don't know that stuff.

Great video! Keep the nerdy mech stuff coming.

That was a great video, I would love to see more by Craig about how to maintain your bike, and more... You are a great mechanic Craig ! Keep up the good work, Sean, don't be jealous you are the heart and soul of SRK and Bike and Beards but Craig is the brains.

This is the kind of videos I want to see on the channel more often, learning off my favourite motorbike people

This was a very informative and interesting video to watch. Thank you for the detailed breakdown of the differences between each power delivery method. I agree with Craig, whatever system each bike comes is probably the best for that preticular bike.

Dude! Yeah, definitely more videos like this, keep them coming. Thumbs up from Scotland 👍

I've had one belt drive, two shaft drives, and one chain drive. SCREW CHAIN DRIVE! I rode my bike for transportation, and it was a PAIN IN THE BUTT! The maintenance on the shaft drives? LOVED IT!

Great job Craig!

I love the idea of you doing videos like this. I love to see more, just try to have fun with it. Good job. Keep it up 😉

I’m new to motorcycles. I love this kind of content!!

Craig is a star. Keep these info vids coming.

That wasn't something I didn't know since I've owned and currently do own all three but I did enjoy this format and I think it would be an excellent addition to the current lineup of topics and funny things y'all do. My vote is go for it. I really like it and it could be helpful to lot's of us so I definitely believe this will be a definite winner.👍