Ryker CVT Drive belt flat spotted! Should I ride more aggressively?

[Construction tech]

I had my Ryker fixed at the dealership cause someone backed into my ryker in a parking lot and they told me that my drive belt is spotted cause I drive it too gently…. I have 6000km…. Ican feel it when I drive slow (under 40). Should I be more aggressive or it is just pure bs…

 

[Pantera]

I look forward to hearing some responses on this one!!

 

[UtahPete]

Sounds like b.s. to me...

 

[ziggy]

opcorn: What does this "SPOTTED" mean?

 

[Joel The Biker]

Your Ryker uses a clutch like a snowmobile and many ATVs. If you do alot of slow speed driving, the belt rides in the lower part of the drive clutch most of the time and slips, causing flat spots on the belt. This will cause shuttering and surging. When starting from a stop, you should be pretty aggressive with the throttle. Gentle starts create slipping, which causes flat spotting also.

 

[KnurledNut]

Spotted? Like your belt has a weird STD?

 

[Bangorbob]

I know where my belt has been, but here is a pic of mine. It has spots.

 

[UtahPete]

I know where my belt has been, but here is a pic of mine. It has spots.

From the idler pulley?

 

[canamryder]

Let's see a picture of a CVT belt with spots off of a Ryker.

 

[Construction tech]

The dealer also told me I should be good to finish the season wich i intent to ride until november. 200$ for the belt plus I assume another 200$ if I have it replace by them…. Lesson learnt! I ll be more agressive on starts it s just I hate the « clunk » noise! It looks like something is wrong but it is what it is!*

 

[Bangorbob]

From the idler pulley?

I didn't have it adjusted properly probably. I don't know why it looks like this. I also want to see the spotted belt.

 

[Mikey]

My feelings are this is like a snowmobile, and those clutches have to be cleaned and maintained after a while, if they should stick or hang up and the clutch spins on the belt it will leave a flat spot on the belt, and it will feel like a flat tire as it spins around! If I owned one of these machines, I would learn how to get into the area and give that whole area a good cleaning, remove the clutches and service them, so that they would smoothly, and even go so far as cleaning the belt with dish soap, rinse, dry and reinstall! I know it sounds like a lot of work, but if want performance, and want to make things last, that's what you have to do! I do my clutches on my sleds once a year, and it's worked for me for years!! There are a lot of moving parts in that assembly, and they work together with each other by centrifugal force, there are some wearable parts that I would hope would be replaceable, the reason I say that is I know what it cost to replace a clutch in my sleds, it hurts!! Good luck!!

 

[Bangorbob]

After adjusting, it appears that the bracket actually has to be tweaked for the roller to sit squarely on the belt. I shouldn't have to tweak the bracket, but I have taken over this thread and I apologize.

 

[Mikey]

After adjusting, it appears that the bracket actually has to be tweaked for the roller to sit squarely on the belt. I shouldn't have to tweak the bracket, but I have taken over this thread and I apologize.

We are talking about two deferent issues!!!:thumbup:

 

[canamryder]

I had my Ryker fixed at the dealership cause someone backed into my ryker in a parking lot and they told me that my drive belt is spotted cause I drive it too gently…. I have 6000km…. Ican feel it when I drive slow (under 40). Should I be more aggressive or it is just pure bs…

Most likely B.S. From what I understand, driving aggressively puts more strain on the belt. In other words if you are not a burn out junkie, your belt will last, most likely, than 12,000 miles. In other words too shallow tread means under size belt width. I have a Garmin Bike computer. When I ride my Ryker my trip mph average is always between 32-40mph. I ride mostly on county roads. It'll be coming up on checking my CVT belt VERY soon at 12,000 miles. New belt is in basement. I don't think I'll need to change it, just have the warning code turned off. I'll have to email my mechanic, with a picture of my Caliper on width of belt, to see if he agrees to that .....Then again maybe I'll have to eat crow...maybe it Well be worn down.

 

[Peter Aawen]

Your Ryker uses a clutch like a snowmobile and many ATVs. If you do alot of slow speed driving, the belt rides in the lower part of the drive clutch most of the time and slips, causing flat spots on the belt. This will cause shuttering and surging. When starting from a stop, you should be pretty aggressive with the throttle. Gentle starts create slipping, which causes flat spotting also.

Most likely B.S. From what I understand, driving aggressively puts more strain on the belt. In other words if you are not a burn out junkie, your belt will last, most likely, than 12,000 miles. .....

I think more than a couple of readers here might be needlessly getting a bit hung up on the use of the word 'aggressively', so maybe 'ASSERTIVELY' would be a better word choice!! :dontknow:

As Joel mentions, a LOT of slow speed driving &/or gentle starts means that these types of CVT belts can end up with flat spots, but you don't necessarily hafta drive/ryde 'madly aggressively' to minimise that; you just need to be assertive with your control inputs, and ryde with confidence, conviction & a degree of firmness! hyea:


Being 'too gentle' on your Ryker isn't going to be wonderful for it; neither is being 'too aggressive' :lecturef_smilie:

But there is a happy medium in there somewhere, even if it does mean you occasionally get to hear/feel those widely reported but generally recognised as being basically harmless 'clunks' when you start off!


So Ryde More & Worry Less - just don't baby it or thrash it! :thumbup:

Cheers! :cheers:

 

[Sarge707]

I would think that if you check it at 12'000 miles you might as well put on the New belt while its open.

 

[canamryder]

I would think that if you check it at 12'000 miles you might as well put on the New belt while its open.

That all depends on what I get on the measurement. I've read that they will last longer than 12,000 miles. How long, who knows? I am taking into consideration (assuming) that the narrower the belt gets, the quicker it wears.

 

[Mikey]

That all depends on what I get on the measurement. I've read that they will last longer than 12,000 miles. How long, who knows? I am taking into consideration (assuming) that the narrower the belt gets, the quicker it wears.

If he don't mind riding with a flat tire feeling! My self I can't stand it, it would be gone now!

 

[BajaRon]

I know where my belt has been, but here is a pic of mine. It has spots.

Your Belt Drive System



The OP's Belt Drive System



Not the same thing. It just confuses the issue when we are reading from two, very different pages.