I live on a gravel road. What do you recommend?

[Gary1951]

I just purchased a 2012 RT-S SE-5 from Mountain Motorsports in Kodak, TN. Will pick up bike next week. I live in a rural area and must drive about 2 miles each way on a dirt/gravel road to use the bike.

What modifications to the belt drive system can I make to minimize problems? Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Gary

[cjackg]

:thumbup:Spyderpops belt guard, plus travel very slow on the gravel or you may soon find patterns of gravel dings on the lower panels of your new spyder!

[Bob Denman]

Add another vote to the Spyderpops solution for your situation...

[JkRbbt]

From what I read about the Spyder belt system, I think I will put a Spyderpops guard on my new machine for those times when you hit the chip stone road "repairs," must detour or just want to do a little side road exploring. But a quick question. I have ridden H/Ds since the 1980s and never had a problem with the belt. Same type of belt, right? Does the Spyder just kick up more road debris? What seems to be the problem?

Eagerly awaiting my new arrival in SD,

Loren

[BajaRon]

From what I read about the Spyder belt system, I think I will put a Spyderpops guard on my new machine for those times when you hit the chip stone road "repairs," must detour or just want to do a little side road exploring. But a quick question. I have ridden H/Ds since the 1980s and never had a problem with the belt. Same type of belt, right? Does the Spyder just kick up more road debris? What seems to be the problem?

Eagerly awaiting my new arrival in SD,

Loren

I don't know that the Spyder has more belt issues than other belt driven machines but here are some guesses.

First, with 2 front tires sitting outboard of center, you've got more chance for lofting a stone into the belt. Plus these are deeply treaded, flat edge tires which give you more surface area to move stones into the air.

Then you have a very wide, flat tire with deep tread in the rear doing the same thing.

Finally, you have a belt that is much longer than anything else that I'm aware of on a machine that sits low to the ground.

All of this would seem to make for mathmatically greater odds of a stone finding its way onto your belt.

The SpyderPops belt guard will greatly reduce the odds.

[jmstiffany]

From what I read about the Spyder belt system, I think I will put a Spyderpops guard on my new machine for those times when you hit the chip stone road "repairs," must detour or just want to do a little side road exploring. But a quick question. I have ridden H/Ds since the 1980s and never had a problem with the belt. Same type of belt, right? Does the Spyder just kick up more road debris? What seems to be the problem?

Eagerly awaiting my new arrival in SD,

Loren

I also travel 1 1/2 miles on a dirt road. I had problems with front fender brackets breaking. I had the lower arm on the windshield break. I slowed way down. 10 mph top speed and try to pick the best line on the road with the least bumps and washboards. I have no belt guard or any other mods for the dirt road. I have had one rock get stuck in the rear sprocket and it wore the belt very minor though. I love riding my spyder and have come to the conclusion that if I want to ride I will have to deal with any problems that living on a grevel road might bring. I just make sure that I leave a little early so the extra time it takes me to get down the road doesn't make me late. I must admit that it drives my wife crazy to have to go that slow on the road but overall I think it is worth it.:D

[mooneych]

I would recommend a beltguard, and a spare belt to have on hand, just in case...

It's cheaper than asphalting the road.

And BTW, go slow!:doorag:

[asp125]

Just move. ;)

[paulbrinker]

Blacktop;)

[spydercowboy]

There are more dirt and gravel roads in Texas than any place I've been. Darn cheap state!!! I live down one and worry about this all the time. Think we are getting the belt guard but I really wonder if it will do that much good. That's a long darn belt just asking for something to happen. I'm not sure going slow is any better either. I figure if it's not your day it's not your day. I also have a Harley and I can hear rocks every now and then get kicked up and rattle around somewhere back there. But I swear I hear it less when going faster. Maybe going faster I'm getting by the kicked up rock before it can find it's way to where ever they normally go to start rattling around. Don't know. Just figure I'm going to have to fix one or the other at any time. Cause it darn sure don't look like this cheap state has plans to pave them.

[jerpinoy]

:agree: To all the suggestions before me . Slow down, slow enough that you you don't kick up dirt .

[murphybrown]

I also live on graveled road...got the Spyderpops gravel guard...highly recommend. I go in and out of my drive ALOT!!! Just saying!! Enjoy that awesome new ryde...:yes::yes:

[boborgera]

I have to ride on a dirt road [mud, water, ice, rocks etc] 2 or 3 times a month 3+ miles round trip, Never had a problem, I ride slow, nerve racking slow, there's other things you can brake besides the belt on dirt.
But that said, I don't know if a belt guard would help , But i guess it won't hurt.:dontknow:
Just remember if you use a belt guard that' doesn't mean you can drive faster than you did without one.

[flaggerphil]

Drive slowly.

[ThreeFeet]

Don' t have the belt guard:(, live on a dirt road:(,about a mile and a half of it. Got one STINKIN LITTLE ROCK in the sprocket and it wore off the teeth on the belt:yikes:!!! Just a small amount of teeth toboot BUT it SCREAMED SOOO LOUD AND LONG:gaah:( Like the radiator belt in you car going bad) Couldn't stand it so belt change:gaah: OUCH!!!OUCH!!!! Darn thing cost 300 bucks!!! Sheeeese that hurt and I still don't have a belt guard:(. I just go slow!!!:pray: Try to stay off dirt roads but if ya gotta just go slow!!! The rock that gets ya could be the one you hit at 250 miles on your odometer or it could be at 25000++. Beats me how it can do it :dontknow:but it probably will get ya sooner or later. And I think it will do that with or with out the guard.:banghead:

[wfdfirech3]

I road 6300 miles this summer on my 2012 RT S ( lots of short trips ) started and ended every ride with my 1.5 mile gravel road. I have Spyderpops belt guard and I did not have a problem with any stone damage to the belt, I did however get a few dings in the underside of the sidebags. I don't drive slow ether, most of the time 35 to 45 MPH. Right now i'm looking out my window at 18" of snow, yuk

[soaring hawk]

I live on 1 1/2 miles of gravel, No problems with my belt, I put spyder pops guard on right away. Don't delay cheap protection. Enjoy the ride!:f_spider:

[Dragonrider]

Lost a belt due to a gravel road, added a Spyder Pops guard, and haven't had an issue since.

[Elembytes]

Hello:

I just bought a 2012 Viper Red Spyder RT-S SE5------Got it home on a trailer- got it off loaded and didn't have all my gear yet and bought a SpyderPops Missing Belt Guard but there was a problem with it so the dealer ordered it for me and sent it to me. So I get the fun of putting it on but will put it on when the temperatures warm up some so the adhesive piece can adhere well to the swing arm.

Anyways-I live on gravel too and took the brand new bike down the road to the corner and back----I heard the normal things like the air-shock system adjusting etc., but twice, twice - I heard what sounded like a tin-can crushing--seriously, sounded like someone squeezing a empty soda can.

I spoke to a technician where I bought my unit, and he too lives on a gravel road. He said what I had heard both times was a piece of gravel or rock in the belt, and the noise was the rock piece being crushed up.

He said larger rocks don't have issues so much with getting into the belt but smaller ones are light and can and do easily get picked up and thrown into that area. The county I live in in Eastern Kansas, definitely has smaller and lighter rocks.

I was surprised that just going down the road to the corner and back I picked up something two times. YES, I was going fairly quick which I shouldn't have done but was excited about getting my new ride home and off the trailer. From now on it will be SLOW on the gravel country roads.

So, YES SpyderPOPS Missing Belt-Guard is important and a must in my opinion if you live on a gravel road like I do. Like others have said as well, slow down on them until you can hit better roads!!!!!

I just hope I can install this thing okay myself. I know and hear it is really easy but have also been told the clearances are very tight and you should triple check things before you apply the adhesive to the swing arm. As long as it doesn't make noise you should be okay but as I was told do not worry if you are on a long ride and smell some plastic burning- it's just the belt burning on the rock guard and will stop once it gets settled in.

Hope that helps----Can't wait for all my missing things to arrive and a good warm day here in KS to take our new Spyder out for some exercise...right now it is in the barn on a tender!!!! :D At least I feel I got a good deal and some mods added cheaply as they were added while the bike got put together. I guess patience is a virtue and I got to learn that----Lord willing there will be some good days to come even in December, January and February. Will see.

God Speed and Happy Holidays to everyone!

[Bob Denman]

Having a spare belt isn't the worst idea...
There's somebody on EBAy selling them for about $180.
(I just don't have a link to them! :opps:)

[Bob Denman]

Found it; here's the link...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-CAN-AM-SPYDER-DRIVE-BELT-OEM-GS-RS-RT-LIMITED-SM5-SE5-UNIVERSAL-FIT-/370712116265?hash=item565029fc29&vxp=mtr

[ARtraveler]

When in doubt pave it. :joke:

The spyderpops belt guard is probably your best bet. Driving every day on gravel is going to increase your chances of picking up a rock. New belts installed are about $350.00-- so trying to avoid that scenario is good.

[Schnauzer]

We've had no issue with the belt We are getting road-gunk in the parking brake drum from the gravel drive. Like any other mechanized peice of equiptment on sub-standard roadways..:banghead:."Maintenance".
Slowing down is an option, but do you really want to travel 1-2 miles @ 10mph. Another option is change over to metric output on the speedo.. Atleast you'll read a 30/something on the speedo:yes:.

[sawtooth]

I live on 3 miles of gravel road and have a 2012 rt s and i will not drive it on this road. I purchased an enclosed trailer and use it to store and transport my Spyder. I also use the trailer for transporting my river raft. I have GW that i ride on this road is caked with dust and is extremely difficult to keep clean. I plan to transport it to in the enclosed trailer. It's relatively easy to load and unload and well worth the trouble.It takes less time to load/unload then it does to keep it clean.