Damage to belt - any advice on changing it out?

[knklehd1]

I was checking the air in my rear tire today and came across damage to the belt. My plan right now is to keep an eye on it and if need be change it out. The slit is about an 1 1/4" long. Being new to Spyders, any advice on changing out the belt would be appreciated.

 

[BajaRon]

You can run it and keep an eye on it. But I recommend that you rotate the damage to the bottom between the spockets and trim the torn part off just beyond the attachment point. This will help prevent further deterioration. If you leave the flapping portion, it will get worse and could even catch and damage something else.

I would also rotate the wheel to be sure there are no other bad spots. And if you see any evidence of the bad spot getting worse, I would definitely replace it.

The good news is that our drive belts are way over spec'ed for the service they are designed to deliver. So there is a great deal of overhead strength as long as the belt is in otherwise good condition.

On the other hand, I have a feeling that many would say, 'Replace it'. It depends on how far down the scale of 'Better safe than sorry' you are.

 

[knklehd1]

Will do Ron, Thank you.

 

[BajaRon]

Will do Ron, Thank you.

Report back and let us know how it goes.

 

[Peter Aawen]

You can run it and keep an eye on it. But I recommend that you rotate the damage to the bottom between the spockets and trim the torn part off just beyond the attachment point. This will help prevent further deterioration. If you leave the flapping portion, it will get worse and could even catch and damage something else.

I would also rotate the wheel to be sure there are no other bad spots. And if you see any evidence of the bad spot getting worse, I would definitely replace it.

The good news is that our drive belts are way over spec'ed for the service they are designed to deliver. So there is a great deal of overhead strength as long as the belt is in otherwise good condition.

On the other hand, I have a feeling that many would say, 'Replace it'. It depends on how far down the scale of 'Better safe than sorry' you are.

Wot 'E says! ^^ Especially about the checking for any more damage & trimming the belt; and that these belts ARE waaayy over-spec'ed for our Spyders!

I've seen far worse damage than that on a number of belts that've then gone on working successfully, some for over 100,000 additional miles!! There again, I have seen one that basically just shredded from what everyone thought was a minor nick, so there is a little bit of luck involved - but just a LITTLE bit!

 

[Mikey]

Check the inside for signs of wear or rot as well! They're tuff as nails but keep an eye on it!

 

[knklehd1]

There is no other damage!! I did trim it. There is no rot, it's a 24 Sea to Sky, just picked up in November. Like I said, I'm gonna keep an eye on it for now. Today and tomorrow I have a least 500 miles of wind therapy planned.

 

[pegasus1300]

What you see after that 500 miler will tell you what you need to know. "Trust but verify"

 

[BajaRon]

Love to have a picture of your 'Trim' job!

 

[Gwolf]

Might not be a bad idea to buy a new belt and keep it in the frunk. You will need it eventually, and where you need it may not be where one is, except for the one in the frunk. On long trips, I used to carry extra belt in the bottom of a bag tired on the rack. They don't take up much room once you get rid of the box.

 

[canamjhb]

I had a slit on mine that looked exactly like yours. Really can't remember what caused it. I trimmed it like Ron suggested, worried about it for a while, looked at it often, and eventually quit worrying about it. Sold the bike 3 years later with no additional belt issues.....