Wandering belt

[agedbikeman]

My drive belt wanders from one edge of the rear sprocket to the other, I assume the belt may be too slack, so while I'm waiting delivery of my Krickit II from BajaRon, is their any rough method of belt tension.
I know the belt does move a couple of mm as it has always done, but not to the two extremes of the sprocket.

Probably be another week 'til my guage arrives here in France. We don't have the luxury of BajaRon here in France, if I could buy one here I would probably need a mortgage to buy it, you won't believe what they want for simple service parts like oilchange O ring pack, something else I've bought from BR.

Any input would be appreciated.

[Bob Denman]

This is kind of a "trap" that the humorists at BRP laid for us...
The ONLY way to reliably know where the belt is going to ride on the pulley, is to ride it straight ahead for about thirty feet or so.
If the bike has gone around a corner, or (Heaven forbid!) been backed-up: that belt will jump around on the pulley like a toad on a hot-plate.
If you want to see the belt to it's dance: Have somebody back your Spyder up, while you are standing where you can see the rear pulley.
It'll amaze you!

[Highwayman2013]

Not sure how it is moving but if you push or operate the spyder in reverse the belt will migrate. Jack it up and spin the rear wheel in the forward direction and watch it and see how much it moves. If it doesn't move around when spinning forward it's OK. If it moves, it could be a little loose, the wheel bearings could be bad, the front sprocket could be loose, the engine could be loose.

[trikermutha]

check for crap/debris in your sprocket teeth..

[A1A]

Also make sure the rear axle is in properly alignment.

[Chupaca]

It will depend on how much it moves. It will migrate to the outer edge when backing up and then back to the inner flange going forward. Recommended running is the thickness of a credit card away from the flange. If the belt should migrate off the outter edge then your rear wheel may be out of alignment.
As to the tension...if you can twist the belt holding the inner and outter edges 90° or virticle to the sproket with minimal effort it is too loose. Normal would be about a 45° give or take.

[capt.jim]

If this is happening going forward I would check the front pulley first to make sure it is still tight and not wobbling.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Personally speaking ( after three Spyders ) I believe there is waaaaay to much made about Belt movement on the rear sprocket ....... I run my belt a little below BRP's spec's and have NO vibrations .... As long as it is FULLY on the Sprocket I wouldn't worry ..... The belt is very long and imho to think it shouldn't move sideways isn't logical .... I guy made a video of His belt in motion as He drove His Spyder .... it went back and forth across the rear sprocket ...... there were people who claimed it was rigged and or photo shopped ..... I would question - WHY would He bother ..... until you get your Krikit , take the belt in the middle and turn it .... it should go 1/2 way easily ..... if more it may be loose , if less it may be tight ....... Mike

[agedbikeman]

So I watched two videos on youtube about adjusting it jacked up and wheel spinning, seems logical but no matter how much I adjust the right hand screw with the wheel spinning, the belt stays where it is on the rear pulley. In the video you see as he adjust the RH adjusting screw you see the belt move across the rear pulley and he doesn't seem to turn the screw very much. Am I missing something here?

[Bob Denman]

Are you pushing forward on the tire after each adjustment, to make sure that the adjusters are up against the "stops" on the swingarm?

[agedbikeman]

Personally speaking ( after three Spyders ) I believe there is waaaaay to much made about Belt movement on the rear sprocket ....... I run my belt a little below BRP's spec's and have NO vibrations .... As long as it is FULLY on the Sprocket I wouldn't worry ..... The belt is very long and imho to think it shouldn't move sideways isn't logical .... I guy made a video of His belt in motion as He drove His Spyder .... it went back and forth across the rear sprocket ...... there were people who claimed it was rigged and or photo shopped ..... I would question - WHY would He bother ..... until you get your Krikit , take the belt in the middle and turn it .... it should go 1/2 way easily ..... if more it may be loose , if less it may be tight ....... Mike

Thanks, that's just the sort of makeshift info I was looking for and I'll be interested to know when I get my Krikit how the correct tension compares with your makeshift method.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

So I watched two videos on youtube about adjusting it jacked up and wheel spinning, seems logical but no matter how much I adjust the right hand screw with the wheel spinning, the belt stays where it is on the rear pulley. In the video you see as he adjust the RH adjusting screw you see the belt move across the rear pulley and he doesn't seem to turn the screw very much. Am I missing something here?

Yes I think you are !!! .......#1. if you are turning that screw , and the belt is not moving, it must be TIGHT against the REAR sprocket....... otherwise it could / would come off !!! ...... #2 have you tried turning the adjuster the other way ???? - it should then move to the opposite side it is now ........ # 3. turn off the engine and try this manually ........ while the tire is elevated ....simultaneously turn the wheel and pull the belt away from the FLANGE of the Sprocket ...... then turn the tire by hand again ..... if it moves back to the Flange , you must have turned the adjuster the Wrong way ....... I'll stay on line to try and figure this out with you ........OK IT'S 3:40 I think you are OFF - LINE, I'll be back later .... Mike

[south GA Farm Boy]

My drive belt wanders from one edge of the rear sprocket to the other, I assume the belt may be too slack, so while I'm waiting delivery of my Krickit II from BajaRon, is their any rough method of belt tension.
I know the belt does move a couple of mm as it has always done, but not to the two extremes of the sprocket.

Probably be another week 'til my guage arrives here in France. We don't have the luxury of BajaRon here in France, if I could buy one here I would probably need a mortgage to buy it, you won't believe what they want for simple service parts like oilchange O ring pack, something else I've bought from BR.

Any input would be appreciated.

Please check your back axle nut and then the adjusters! My belt started doing that, and I found my axle nut had backed out almost to the carter pin!
The last dealer used a air wrench and tighten it from the axle head side and held wrench on nut side! Not good, tighten it from the nut side where the muffler is with a torque wrench! I put 150 ft/lbs torque on mine and it is holding and solved the problem! align your belt with rear wheel jacked up, so your belt is a credit card width from the inside of rear sprocket! Rotate wheel several times to make sure it is aligned and the correct tension on it, then let it off the jack and torque your axle nut! Hopefully this will solve problem!

[trikermutha]

Mine stay straight and no wandering some say its normal the wandering

[agedbikeman]

Are you pushing forward on the tire after each adjustment, to make sure that the adjusters are up against the "stops" on the swingarm?

Yes I do as in the video, put the spanner on the nut and tap the end of the spanner with a hammer then check the cap on the end of the swingarm is tight, but I'll keep at it using all your suggestions and report back.

[Roadster Renovations]

I am probably going to be laughed off of here for saying this, but after doing dozens and dozens of belt adjustments I have found that the ones that have been really hard against the rear inner flange are harder to adjust and keep them where they should be. My theory is that the belt rydes so tight against the flange that it actually stretches on the inside so it is slightly longer than the outside. When you try to get it to come off of the flange the belt will not fit flat in the sprocket due to this distortion.
Over time the belt will return to it's original shape and be equal on the inside and outside. On the ones that have been like that I get them as close to being slightly off the shoulder or very lightly touching. Then, after it has run some miles like that, you can go back in and adjust it after the belt has returned to it's proper position.
(Ok, let the slamming begin!)

[agedbikeman]

I inspected my belt teeth side and found several tiny and I mean tiny stones embedded in the belt, so I carefully flicked them out causing as little disturbance to the surface of the belt as possible, since then the belt has not wandered allbeit not in the right place ie too far away from the flange but it has not moved, every time I stop it's in the same place.
When my Krikit arrives, hoping any day now, I'll adjust it again, 'till then I don't see any point in touching it.

[agedbikeman]

Please check your back axle nut and then the adjusters! My belt started doing that, and I found my axle nut had backed out almost to the carter pin!
The last dealer used a air wrench and tighten it from the axle head side and held wrench on nut side! Not good, tighten it from the nut side where the muffler is with a torque wrench! I put 150 ft/lbs torque on mine and it is holding and solved the problem! align your belt with rear wheel jacked up, so your belt is a credit card width from the inside of rear sprocket! Rotate wheel several times to make sure it is aligned and the correct tension on it, then let it off the jack and torque your axle nut! Hopefully this will solve problem!

I have a 36mm socket head and a torque wrench, but no way is their enough room between the muffler and the wheel nut to use it, so I have to use my 36mm ring wrench and do it what I think is sensible tight, then check it next day. OK for now, waiting delivery of Krikit to finish job.

[timeless]

I am probably going to be laughed off of here for saying this, but after doing dozens and dozens of belt adjustments I have found that the ones that have been really hard against the rear inner flange are harder to adjust and keep them where they should be. My theory is that the belt rydes so tight against the flange that it actually stretches on the inside so it is slightly longer than the outside. When you try to get it to come off of the flange the belt will not fit flat in the sprocket due to this distortion.
Over time the belt will return to it's original shape and be equal on the inside and outside. On the ones that have been like that I get them as close to being slightly off the shoulder or very lightly touching. Then, after it has run some miles like that, you can go back in and adjust it after the belt has returned to it's proper position.
(Ok, let the slamming begin!)

Doc, This does happen!!!!!!! My 2010RTSE5 did exactly this, I went through all the trouble to actually pull the belt off & reverse it. This actually made adjusting my belt much easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Peter Aawen]

..... I went through all the trouble to actually pull the belt off & reverse it......

And I'm sorta just a little glad to know that I wasn't the only one to be this 'nuts'!!

[BoilerAnimal]

I have a 36mm socket head and a torque wrench, but no way is their enough room between the muffler and the wheel nut to use it, so I have to use my 36mm ring wrench and do it what I think is sensible tight, then check it next day. OK for now, waiting delivery of Krikit to finish job.

Try jacking your Spyder up enough to drop the swing arm below the muffler. Or, you can use a crow's foot on your torque wrench but you MUST keep it at 90° to the torque wrench head. This will keep it at the same distance from the handle and will give an accurate torque value. If you put it in line, or straight with the handle, you will increase the distance the nut is from the torque wrench handle and will not get an accurate torque value.

[trikermutha]

I inspected my belt teeth side and found several tiny and I mean tiny stones embedded in the belt, so I carefully flicked them out causing as little disturbance to the surface of the belt as possible, since then the belt has not wandered allbeit not in the right place ie too far away from the flange but it has not moved, every time I stop it's in the same place.
When my Krikit arrives, hoping any day now, I'll adjust it again, 'till then I don't see any point in touching it.

I always mark where I started at the adjusters then make very minimal adjustment's. Remember you adjust the back end it may affect your front end steering.

[Michaelscs]

I have a 36mm socket head and a torque wrench, but no way is their enough room between the muffler and the wheel nut to use it, so I have to use my 36mm ring wrench and do it what I think is sensible tight, then check it next day. OK for now, waiting delivery of Krikit to finish job.

You can use the torque wrench on the other side, I do. I find I have less chance of axle movement ( screwing up belt alignment) torqueing on the left side.
Just put your ring wrench on the muffler side and tighten with your torque wrench on the left side.

[AeroPilot]

As BoilerAnimal said, this is the most accurate way to get the nut torqued properly. The torque wrench on the left axle will have too much friction loss across the swingarm and wheel to be accurate. YMMV.

[agedbikeman]

So I got my Krikit to day, good old BajaRon, belt was miles out only 160 pounds, racked it up to 220 pounds and adjusted RH tensioner to align belt, can't get it to run credit card thickness from flange but it sits more or less in the middle of the pulleyDSC00216.jpg DSC00217.jpg and thats where it seems to stay put, only moves a bit in reverse (normal)

Find centre of belt managed to measure between centres with a tape, belt is near enough 1 meter between centres so measure 500mm from centre of axle, put a pecil mark on the footrest plate, thats where you aim your Krikit. EASY.

Thanks to all you guys for your input

Alex