Ryker Hot CVT Belt

[BajaRon]

I've seen posts where the OP is saying that their CVT drive belt was running hot. I believe at least 1 owner has had to replace their belt early due to overheating. Though in this case, I think it was due to off road riding which dirtied the CVT air filter, restricting air flow to the CVT drive belt.

I took a 300 mile ride in the mountains the other day on my Ryker. When I got home there was a burning oil or rubber smell that I had never noticed before. I've checked my Ryker for any oil leaks. It would have had to be dripping on the exhaust pipe or other hot surface for it to smell like that. I was not able to find anything at all. I got to thinking, maybe it's the CVT belt getting too hot? I checked both of my OEM paper air filters, and both looked clean. Though the CVT side did have some debris in it. Not sure why one side would be cleaner than the other. Unless the fan on the CVT side is sucking a good deal more volume of air.

I am not sure if this is going to be an issue with the Ryker or not. Really haven't heard a great deal along these lines so far. But certainly, it appears that the CVT belt cooling is important, and airflow has to be a key to this.

The engine and CVT systems both take the same air filter. Since I carry the K&N filters I am going to try replacing both of the OEM paper filters with the K&N equivalent. The CM9910. If nothing else, even the K&N detractors agree that this design flows more air than a paper filter. Especially as it gets dirtier. Paper filters flow rate will fall off fairly quickly if they get dirty. But the K&N and similar designs maintain a very high air flow even when dirty. This is why the standard service interval for the K&N is 50,000 miles. And, of course, they can be cleaned and recharged (good as new) pretty much indefinitely.

If anyone else out there has experienced what they think, or know, to be a hot running CVT drive belt. I would very much like to hear from you.

K&N has been creeping their pricing up so I've had to bump mine up a little. But I am offering 2 of these Ryker K&N filters at the previous pricing of $37.50 (1) for the engine air cleaner and (1) for the CVT air cleaner, if you purchase them at the same time.

The 2010-2013 RT and the 2013-2016 RS, RSS & ST also take this same CM9910 K&N air filter for the engine.