I've got about 550 miles on my auto cat now. Last time I looked at the belt it was fine. I can make mine bark anytime I want. As far as I know, all of the autos do it after braking hard and then taking off from a dead stop. I will also hear mine if I'm stuck in heavy thick mud. I think the mud stops the tires from turning quicker than the drive train can slow down. It will bark trying to rock from forward to reverse, and vise-versa. I've riden with a guy that has a Suzuki 500 with the same engine/tranny and his does the same thing. Neither of us are worried about it.
There once was a post on here sometime ago where someone had mentioned they put thier auto quad up on blocks, took the belt cover off and braked hard with the rpm's up. The post mentioned that the tires get stopped faster than the clutches and drive stop, and so he witnessed the belt not getting all the way up to the top before the drive train got stopped. I've mananged to get my barking under control simply by remembering not to "skid" to a stop. Let the last couple of feet or so be a little gentler stop.
It does seem to be a tough machine though. Trust me---I'm hard on it!

 

Farmr123:
What you say makes sense but what about acceleration? The atv article said it took off faster than a Polaris type system. Also what about the AC belt drive in water compared to a Polaris?

 

I also get the "barking" after stopping abruptly, then restarting. I only have about 400 miles, but probably half of them involve dragging, pulling, hauling, or pushing (plowing) something. I haven't had any belt slippage problems besides the "barking".
I asked my dealer today what a replacement belt runs, he said $35. Don't know if he knows what he's talking about or not. He had 14 new 2001's there, from the 250 through the 500's, both manual and auto. He also had a Thundercat sled, pretty sweet.

 

Never heard of anyone here replacing a belt on an AC. Not one since they came out.

 

Farmr,Polarisite.
My cousin has a 400 Polaris and I think he changed his belt at 3200 miles.However he bought it used so we do not know if was changed in the past. I think it is like everyone is saying,all depends on how it is used or abused.No one knows what NORMAL conditions are.
I have rode his 400 and really cannot say it was slower off the line than my 500auto.It did have more of a hesitation but,it is a 400,older model,and a 2 stroke. So, maybe not a real good comparison.

 

The initial takeoff is dependant on the weights and springs used on the Polaris. In my experience, the ones with the most 'snap' right off the line were harder to feather in and out while rock climbing or log crossing. The a/c wet clutch system is a little better suited to that. Also, the Sportsman is heavier than the A/C, taking more grunt to get it moving.
Farmr

 

The majority of belt tranny owners have zero troubles for years and thousands of miles, no matter how hard they drive, you are right it is allot of the people that KNOW someone who has allot of trouble with there belts, yes it does happen, but so don't other trannies act up. Look at snowmobiles , they all use belts and are going to for the forseeable future. I love my auto tranny and would not trade it for any shifting atv in the world. 1500 miles so far and belt as good as new. does every post on this forum have to become a mine is better post?

 

I appreciate the Polaris owners and everyone’s opinions and experience on belt drives. The replies and durability / reliability were about what I was hoping for. This is what these forums are all about, exchanging information, the good, the bad, and how to get the most out of your machine. What ever brand.

 

Xepathfinder:
Couldn't agree with you more. I wasn't sure at first about the strength of the Auto, and working, but with what I've done now with it, it's more than I had ever imagined possible. I can't tell you how nice it is to be out crawling elk trails, in four low, just walking up a steep slope, approaching a rock or tree root, etc. and just barely giving it a little more throttle to walk over. Don't have to worry at all about gears, momentum anything, just a little more gas and you're on top of things. Granted, Auto's aren't for everyone, but for me, I couldn't be happier.

 

Cowboy,I wish you,me, and some of the others in here could all meet and go riding some day. Sure would be interesting, with all the different machines,different riding abilities ect.Maybe you could even bring some elk meat or something.