Answered the Question about Belt Life on My Spyder!

[pegasus1300]

Well I finally answered the question "How long will the belt last?" At least the answer for my belt is 78,308 miles. I came home from going to the gym with my brother, a 30-mile ride one way and parked the Spyder in the shade of a nearby tree and went in the house. Cynthia asked me to pull the garbage can around front, so I did it. Looking over at the Spyder I could see the belt and its nice row of teeth, until I couldn't see any teeth. I thought maybe it was just the angle I was looking from or maybe a trick of the shadow. I went over and rubbed my hand along the belt and sure enough, no teeth for about a 6" section. I am already anticipating a new tire, new battery, and brakes all around. In case you haven't looked, new belts are 399.95 plus freight. I went on ebay just for kicks and found a used belt with 27,000 miles on it for 59.95 free shipping. It will be here Tuesday. I know some (maybe many) will say not to buy used for xyz reasons. I don't care. At my current economic status, it will be just fine. So no riding now till next week. I am so grateful to have ridden about 100 miles Wednesday and have had the Spyder just keep chugging along. I have no idea when the teeth let loose, didn't feel anything. If it hadn't been for taking the garbage out and seeing the Spyder from another angle I may not have noticed the problem until I was stuck on the side of the road. I have been truly blessed. I haven't looked in my manual lately but a don't remember a recommended time/miles for belt changing. For all you higher milage Spyder Riders out there keep an eye on your belts.

[Mikey]

Good catch!!!!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

A SIX INCH section of teeth GONE ..... I don't think this is/was Normal wear..... I'm expecting at least 250,000 mi. ...... I will pay closer attention to my belt now ..... thanks for the heads up .... Mike

[pegasus1300]

Yeah Mike I have no idea why, I will dive into that when my new belt comes on Tuesday. Like you I was expecting to not have to change the belt anytime soon. In fact other than checking for debris damage or tension or tracking I never gave it a second thought. We'll see what, if anything I can find as a cause.

[BajaRon]

You've got to lay off the drag racing dude!~

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

You've got to lay off the drag racing dude!~

I've actually done a fair amount of Drag Racing some sanctioned but most not ..... my belt seems fine ..... JMHO .... Mike

[NorwegianRT]

Just changed the belt on mine, it lasted me 54 k km (33k miles).
I noticed it when out riding with a friend and at first, I thought it was low on oil and gearbox slipping. Checked the oil and it was fine, then rolled the Spyder while inspecting the belt and there it was, six inches of teeth missing.
My Spyder is a 2012 so the belt has some age altho the milage is not that high yet.
New belt is now mounted and aligned by the dealer and it is running smooth again with no vibrations of notice.
But I will check my belt more often from now on for sure.

Screenshot_20230821_160347_Gallery.jpg

[K80Shooter]

Belts are like tires, they are both made with rubber, and they will deteriorate with age.

10-11 years seems great to me.

[Deanna777]

On my 2014 RTS-SE6 ( Sold) the OEM belt lasted until 30,000 + miles.( I traded it for my current spyder) It had missing cogs/teeth and it was not safe to drive( sorry no pictures). How I found out was I took it in for the 28,000 mile maintenance check -up.


( off topic At that time the dealership said it is not safe to drive. Plus it needed a PIN in the automatic power steering, again the dealership said to me it was not safe to drive).


Deanna

[Peter Aawen]

Yeah Mike I have no idea why, I will dive into that when my new belt comes on Tuesday. Like you I was expecting to not have to change the belt anytime soon. In fact other than checking for debris damage or tension or tracking I never gave it a second thought. We'll see what, if anything I can find as a cause.

Aside from looking for any obvious physical or mechanical faults, I wouldn't worry too much about chasing a cause on this particular belt failure...

These belts are pretty robust things, but they are also designed to give you a smooth ride and as a secondary or minor feature, to fail in order to protect the important/expensive bits &/or the rider/s if it breaks or jams up & locks solid for whatever reason! And that 'whatever reason' could be something as simple as hitting/picking up a stick or something else off the road as you rode along & that chewing the belt out instead of the sprocket as it passed thru; or something as esoteric as being where you parked your Spyder juuust happening to more often than not shine direct sunlight on that one spot on the belt & prematurely aging that particular spot...

So I wouldn't think it worth spending too much time on trying to find a cause - sure, carefully inspect both sprockets & the surrounding areas on the bike for any damage just in case, then fit the new belt and go back to riding it with the same attention to checking it for debris damage & tension as before. In this particular instance, you lucked out a little sooner than many others (most others??) but as far as I can see, from what you've told/shown us, you really didn't do anything 'wrong' as such & going by many MANY other Spyder & other belt driven bike rider/owners experiences, the chances are looking good that you'll be able to match or even faaaarrr exceed that mileage on the next belt!

Ride More, Worry Less!

[oldguyinTX]

Just changed the belt on mine, it lasted me 54 k km (33k miles).
I noticed it when out riding with a friend and at first, I thought it was low on oil and gearbox slipping. Checked the oil and it was fine, then rolled the Spyder while inspecting the belt and there it was, six inches of teeth missing.
My Spyder is a 2012 so the belt has some age altho the milage is not that high yet.
New belt is now mounted and aligned by the dealer and it is running smooth again with no vibrations of notice.
But I will check my belt more often from now on for sure.

Screenshot_20230821_160347_Gallery.jpg

Coincidence? That your 2012 belt failed in the exact same manner as the 2012 belt on pegasus1300's Bike? The same measurement - 6 inches? And who knows how old these belts were when they were installed? "New" tires can be a couple of years old already when they are bought. Bet the same holds true for belts. Still, 11 years is a pretty good lifetime.

[BajaRon]

I've actually done a fair amount of Drag Racing some sanctioned but most not ..... my belt seems fine ..... JMHO .... Mike

Yes, I agree. Was just kidding, of course.

I've done a fair amount of drag racing on my 08 GS. Nearly 40k on this original belt. Even started out way over tensioned from the factory. Ran it that way for quite some time before blowing out the rear wheel bearing. Happened about the same time BRP decided to lower the recommended tension.

Age can certainly be a factor. But I've got one of the oldest belts made. I ride hard and my belt is fine. My feeling is that there could be a quality control issue and some of these belts are simply defective. oldguyinTX could be on to something since the 2 belt failures posted were 2012's and both failed identically. A stretch to think this a coincidence. Especially with the great track record these belts have put up.

There was a year when the sway bar end links were failing like crazy. BRP recalled them and replaced them with a new batch. Seems that they changed providers and the new company scrimped on the kevlar fiber. Didn't go well.

Getting a lower price isn't always a good deal.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Yes, I agree. Was just kidding, of course.

I've done a fair amount of drag racing on my 08 GS. Nearly 40k on this original belt. Even started out way over tensioned from the factory. Ran it that way for quite some time before blowing out the rear wheel bearing. Happened about the same time BRP decided to lower the recommended tension.

Age can certainly be a factor. But I've got one of the oldest belts made. I ride hard and my belt is fine. My feeling is that there could be a quality control issue and some of these belts are simply defective. oldguyinTX could be on to something since the 2 belt failures posted were 2012's and both failed identically. A stretch to think this a coincidence. Especially with the great track record these belts have put up.

There was a year when the sway bar end links were failing like crazy. BRP recalled them and replaced them with a new batch. Seems that they changed providers and the new company scrimped on the kevlar fiber. Didn't go well.

Getting a lower price isn't always a good deal.

.... " Quality control " isn't high on BRP's list of things - they seem to change suppliers often ......and not always with good results .....Mike

[safecracker]

On my 2011, I had to replace my belt at 59,000 miles. Every one of my teeth were ripping from the main belt carcass. Bruce

[pegasus1300]

You've got to lay off the drag racing dude!~

At my age and weight I am at a distinct disadvantage in that area.. But thanks for the warning.
I remember back in the day I had a 1964 Plymouth Valient with the then new 273 V8 and a 4speed. I raced a couple of times but after about the 3rd launch it would peel the spider gears. Good old Chrysler they came thru every time with a new rear end on that 5 year 50,000 mile warranty.
So the belt came today. It looks as good as new except for some dust. Anybody here changed their own belt? Any tips or tricks?

[NorwegianRT]

Hi Pegasus.
I just changed the belt on my RT, and it was rather nice and simple.
Loosen the rear wheel and turn the adjusters enough to give the belt some slack. Or detach the arm for the air suspension leveling and as you jack up the Spyder, the rear wheel will drop and at the same time give the belt some slack. I had to get a belt alignment anyhow, so I loosened the wheel.
I reckon you already know what panels you have to peel off.
I also had to take the aluminium part that holds the footrests. I found out I had to loosen the 6 bolts marked with a 1 in the picture. That will let you pull the black round part out enough to let the belt have clearing to slip out. Marked with a 2 on the picture. The steel pipe marked with a 3 on the picture had three (or was it just two?) bolts that had to come off so that I could lift the pipe and take belt out.

Spyder RT belt tip.jpg

Hope this was helpful and that my English won't leave you clueless

[pegasus1300]

Hi Norwegian, Thank you for the tips. Yes, I have all the panels off. I found my digital shop manual and the section on changing the belt. It is a fairly simple operation. I think the hardest part is going to be getting the belt alignment right. The manual says to remove the shift lever to give you room to slide the belt out but nothing about the flywheel (black thing). There actually 4 screws to remove to get the brace out of the way. The belt came on Monday and if didn't know it was used, I would have thought it was new. Just trying to get up the energy now to finish the job. Sometimes at 77 I have to do part of a job and then come back in a day or 2 and finish.

BTW I wish my English was as good as yours. You are doing just fine.

[NorwegianRT]

Hi Norwegian, Thank you for the tips. Yes, I have all the panels off. I found my digital shop manual and the section on changing the belt. It is a fairly simple operation. I think the hardest part is going to be getting the belt alignment right. The manual says to remove the shift lever to give you room to slide the belt out but nothing about the flywheel (black thing). There actually 4 screws to remove to get the brace out of the way. The belt came on Monday and if didn't know it was used, I would have thought it was new. Just trying to get up the energy now to finish the job. Sometimes at 77 I have to do part of a job and then come back in a day or 2 and finish.

BTW I wish my English was as good as yours. You are doing just fine.

Hi Pegasus and thank you sir.
Good thing about us retired people is that we have no time limits, so take your time and set your own pace.
I did my own temporary alignment on the belt but took the Spyder to the dealer for a proper tension adjust. Highly recommended as I got rid of some vibration from the belt.

[Gwolf]

I have been riding belt drive bikes for a long time. Of course, the belt technology has changed since the earlier ones. I rode an '01 Harley Sportster for about 20 years. Put a lot of miles on it and went through some belts. Almost all the belts would fail between 50,000 and 100,000 miles. Very few made it past about 60,000 miles. I switched to belts because I have always lived on a dirt road, and the typical Florida weather is thunderstorms every afternoon, about the time the day shift gets off work. The chains would get washed down with sandy grit almost every day and the grit is murder on chains and sprockets. Chains might last 5,000 miles if you are lucky and still have to flip the sprockets so the hook will catch the chain after 2,500 miles. Shaft drives and belt drives were a gift from heaven. Old 750 Virago with shaft drive, never had to touch it except to change the rear tire. Got the belt drive Sportster about 2002. The belts would last an average of 50,000 miles, which is way more reasonable than 5,000 on a chain. I live in Florida, and rode to work almost every day, winter or summer, plus put 10,000 to 20,000 more miles a year on traveling on vacation. A belt would usually last a year.

If you lived on pavement and rarely ever went on dirt or lime-rock roads, the belts would last longer. The grit in the dirt does not affect the belts so much, but it eats away at the teeth of the pulleys. The pulley teeth get sharp edges and that starts cutting into the belt teeth. When the pulley teeth get worn deep enough, they will start weakening the belt teeth, until those begin to peel off.

If you change the belt, inspect the pulleys. If the pulleys have worn teeth with sharp edges, you need to change both of them too. If you don't, it will cut into the new belt and the belt will fail prematurely. Many people don't ride more than a few thousand miles a year, due to weather, work, or other factors. People who put 30,000 or more miles a year usually live in the warmer states where the bike don't go in the basement for 6 months out of the year. Six or 7 of the southern states have weather warm enough to ride 365 days a year, and people who like to ride will run up a lot of miles.

The grit in sand and limerock is the main enemy of the belts. Small stones and gravel can damage the belts too, but it is unusual for the belt to completely fail from a small piece of rock going through it. The wear will always appear on the pulleys before the belt fails. Pulley teeth will wear down and the edges which start out slightly rounded over, will become very sharp. As the wear continues, the teeth no longer fit the belt cogs correctly, and that is what rips the teeth out of the belts.

This is not something I read or heard in a bar. I put over 350,000 miles on the 01 Sportster, with 2 top end rebuilds and a spare engine. I got use to inspecting the pulleys regular. When the sharp edges start showing, the belt will not last much longer.

[pegasus1300]

Thank you Gwolf. That is the first time I have seen an analysis of why belts fail. I started on chain drive bikes for many years and here in Utah on a road bike I could get 20k to 25k out of a quality well maintained chain. I have to admit I had not thought of a close inspection of the sprockets so thank you for the reminder and what to look for.

[ollicat]

I still think belt life spans totally outweigh chain drives any day. And smooth, chatter free riding.

[pegasus1300]

And no argument from me Oilcat. Well, I got the belt back on Friday aft. I did have to remove the large aluminum foot peg holder. There's 5 bolts holding that on. The 3 visible bolts are on top where it mounts to the engine (13mm) and the two hidden bolts are back by the bag mounts (10mm). When you put it back on don't tighten the bolts until you have them all started, as there may be some alignment problems. It is nice not to have to bother with the Black flywheel on the front sprocket. I removed the shift lever and though tight, I could still get the belt out. With the wheel hanging free, I was able to rotate it backwards by hand while pulling the belt outwards, and it just walked off the rear sprocket. It was then just a matter of snaking it out and snaking the new one in. I have a Kricket I got several years ago from Ron. I think it was the first thing I bought from him. I used that to set the tension and recheck it after alignment. I use a ratcheting tiedown to keep the wheel from walking while I tighten it down. I went on a 200-mile ride Saturday, and the belt performed as it should. It tracked well, no new vibrations or noises, and no parts, nuts, or bolts left over.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

no new vibrations or noises, and no parts, nuts, or bolts left over.

That's the best part!