Belt Dressing for drive belt on RT - your input please - good or bad?

[Jim&Teresa]

Hi all, I have about 12,500 miles on our 2014 RT L and enjoy it greatly. I have added the smoothspyder tensioner (when it was new) and still have belt vibration at certain speeds -- typically around 58-63 MPH....just the range I like to ride!

Anyways, I am living with it and can shift to 5th to remove the vibration. I have had my rear tire replaced at 8000 miles with the Kumho. This made no difference in the belt vibration issue. Belt tension is at spec.

I was interested in your thoughts IF belt dressing would help? I don't want to make a mess of this and find out it makes things worse or gunks up the sprockets/belt.

Your input would be appreciated - good or bad.

Our 2014 RT L has performed "flawlessly" this year and this is the only issue I would like to improve upon. Certainly, living with the vibration would be OK as I can shift out of it.

Getting close to putting it away for the season....was a great year of ridin'

 

[Pennyrick]

Hi all, I have about 12,500 miles on our 2014 RT L and enjoy it greatly. I have added the smoothspyder tensioner (when it was new) and still have belt vibration at certain speeds -- typically around 58-63 MPH....just the range I like to ride!

Anyways, I am living with it and can shift to 5th to remove the vibration. I have had my rear tire replaced at 8000 miles with the Kumho. This made no difference in the belt vibration issue. Belt tension is at spec.

I was interested in your thoughts IF belt dressing would help? I don't want to make a mess of this and find out it makes things worse or gunks up the sprockets/belt.

Your input would be appreciated - good or bad.

Our 2014 RT L has performed "flawlessly" this year and this is the only issue I would like to improve upon. Certainly, living with the vibration would be OK as I can shift out of it.

Getting close to putting it away for the season....was a great year of ridin'

There is a lubricant for Can Am belts that your dealer should have in the service department. It only takes a dab or two on the belt to lube it and it lasts a very long time. Each time my Spyder is serviced I ask them to lube the belt while it is there. The last time, I did it myself in the drive out lane as they were very busy and just gave me the tube of lube to use.

 

[Jim&Teresa]

Thanks...does it help with belt vibration?

There is a lubricant for Can Am belts that your dealer should have in the service department. It only takes a dab or two on the belt to lube it and it lasts a very long time. Each time my Spyder is serviced I ask them to lube the belt while it is there. The last time, I did it myself in the drive out lane as they were very busy and just gave me the tube of lube to use.

Thanks...does it help with belt vibration? What's your experience? Does it stay on the belt and is NOT messy?

 

[Pennyrick]

Thanks...does it help with belt vibration? What's your experience? Does it stay on the belt and is NOT messy?

We have never experienced heavy vibration on any of the four Spyders we have owned. My 2011 RT SM did give me what I would describe as a harmonic hum that I could feel through the drive train at about 4,800-5,200 rpm when I first got it. I mentioned it to the service manager who pulled a tube of BRP lubricant off the shelf and put a couple of dabs on the belt.

There was a service bulletin about this back in late 2010 or early 2011 that I posted but I can't find that post now. It also addressed a squeal that some folks were complaining about as well.

It may not solve your vibration problem on the 1330 but it is worth a try. The stuff is not messy and it tends to absorb into the belt

 

[finless]

There is another vibration that you can feel which is not the belt.
If I am in say 4th gear and running about 4200 RPM (roughly) and slightly accelerate I will get a pretty good vibration I feel in the pegs. Kind of like a hammering feel. I can also get it in 5th if I drop below about 60 MPH and am at about 4,000 RPM.

A good Spyder Mech we use to hear from (Scotty) said this could be a engine to motor mount vibration. I confirmed it was not the belt by mounting a camera on the swing arm and seeing what the belt is doing at that RPM in 4th.

So maybe it's not your belt but this other vibration you are feeling? But with that said, yours is a 2014 with a 1330 and mine is a 2011. So might not be the same thing or different RPMs etc???

If you really want to see if it is your belt, do what I did and mount a action cam to the swing arm and look.

Example here:

Bob