Arctic Cat is a great choice

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: RickCJ7


Belt drive is more durable!!! and cost is soo much less, ever have to get a 5 speed trans rebuilt?</end quote></div>



I think you would have to provide a link to some research stating that a belt drive is more durable than a good old fashioned gear on gear tranny. Especially the semi auto variety. My extended family has 3 such models now all over 20 years old w/o failure or the need of service beyond routine oil changes and the rare clutch rebuild.

 

Geared transmission - been around since the 1930's or so? Suzuki has been building manual trans motorcyles for about 4 decades. I'd think they know how to build one.

CVT belt drive is simple and durable however they suck away power. I've read numerous complains on chat boards about xyz belt not lasting more than a few rides or once a season. Leaving the rider stuck in the woods.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: ryker77

Geared transmission - been around since the 1930's or so? Suzuki has been building manual trans motorcyles for about 4 decades. I'd think they know how to build one.



CVT belt drive is simple and durable however they suck away power. I've read numerous complains on chat boards about xyz belt not lasting more than a few rides or once a season. Leaving the rider stuck in the woods.</end quote></div>


Suck power? I drag raced a 5 Speed Foreman 500 ,a 5 speed 500 Vinson and a 5 speed AC 500 and easily smoked them all from start to finish with a higher top end as well. From what I see it may be the other way round.

I think because the ATVs are getting more powerful, that if they stayed with manual tyrannies they would need tannies as big and cumbersome as street bikes soon to handle the extra stress of the more powerful ATV motors.

Belt Drives are compact yet are proven to handle 170 Hp motor from snowmobiles so the are not even close o there power limit they can handle with ATVs.

We get well over 1000 miles on a Belt on our ATVs thats not bad for something that costs $50 and takes 20 min to change.

I can tell the people who do not trust belts on there "low powered" ATVs are not from snow country. The most powerful ATV made has half the power of Todays belt drive "intermediated" snowmachine,let alone the performance sleds.

"How will a belt hold up on my 40 hp ATV?" LOL your kidding right?

 

Thanks TLC!
Seems like these guys still think old school!
A good belt with the operator using low range when needed and the clutches aligned properly can go for many thousand miles!!!

 

A person on U tube put a 120hp 2 stroke XC 800 sled engine in his Polaris belt drive Scambler, he kept his Scamblers belt drive system and it holds up no problem,it should its propably the same set up that was in the Polaris XC 800 sled anyways.

Have a screaming 120HP 800 stroke sled motor mated to a ATV's 5 speed manual tranny and it would blow every cog , gear and clutch plate out of it in no time.

 

Review some of the dyno testing done on CVT trans you see a huge loss in power to the ground.

Second Dirt bikes produce good amounts of power and work just fine on a manual trans.

Third sport quads make massive amounts of power and work just fine on a manual trans.

I've got two quads with CVT. No issues. But my next purchase I want a manual trans - suits my riding style better. Anything wrong with that?

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: chillins10

I was wondering if anyone had problems with the 500 eating belts. I ate one at 150 miles and the new one is starting to slip at 200 miles. The dealer wont warrenty the first belt even though it ate another. I dont want to take it in for repair if someone has a good idea about how to fix it or has encountered this problem before. Thanks</end quote></div>


Hey Guys,

I have a '03 Prairie 360 and I have replaced the belt now 3 times and it still wants to slip and "howl" when climbing a hill or just taking off fast. Is there a way to adjust the tension of the belt? Or do I have a different problem?

I had an EPI clutch kit on with a new Dayco belt and about 10 miles into a ride the belt broke. Then I found out that the Dayco belts are not very good. I replaced that with a factory Kawasaki belt and pulled the EPI clutch kit off and reinstalled the factory clutch, and it still want to slip and "howl" at me.

Any help is great.

Thanks
Jooser

I have a 660 rhino and yesterday got it in to deep mud. This is the first atv/utv I have had that is belt driven. After getting it out of the mud by winch, the rhino wouldnt go foward or backwards. It finnally started to catch and I drove it around for a few min on flat ground but it still would only go about 10mph. I pulled the plug and drained the water out of the belt area. It is completely dry now but still will only run about 10mph, when you give it gas it just revs up. I may have burned the belt up trying to dry it out. Does anyone know if this is just a slipping or worn out belt or other problems.


<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: TLC


. Some people can kill a belt fast by riding in High range in a low range situation.</end quote></div> But I thought they re bullet proof and can handle a 120hp 800cc motor?



I have an '04 Eiger that the belt is slipping on pretty good now at 800 miles. It started to do this seldomly at 300 miles. So I bought a new OEM belt and no change at all. It has just a very minor slight groove in the front pullys, but not enough to do this.


I have a king 700 and it has about 200 miles on it and it seems to be slipping now also



over 5 pages of topics on belt problems.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: ryker77

Review some of the dyno testing done on CVT trans you see a huge loss in power to the ground.



Second Dirt bikes produce good amounts of power and work just fine on a manual trans.



Third sport quads make massive amounts of power and work just fine on a manual trans.



I've got two quads with CVT. No issues. But my next purchase I want a manual trans - suits my riding style better. Anything wrong with that?</end quote></div>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Review some of the dyno testing done on CVT trans you see a huge loss in power to the ground. </end quote></div>

So you mean these these already bottom of there class 5 speed Utilities would be even have less power if they had belt drive?
I Rode both the 500 belt and 5speed Vision,not much differance in power and speed.

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Second Dirt bikes produce good amounts of power and work just fine on a manual trans.</end quote></div>
And weights like 400lbs less than a ATV.


<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Third sport quads make massive amounts of power and work just fine on a manual trans.</end quote></div> Like I mention, Belt Drive Snowmobiling is my first sport and our ideas of massive amounts of power are far apart.


<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>I want a manual trans - suits my riding style better. Anything wrong with that?</end quote></div></end quote></div>

No, just straighting out you statement about belts are not as durable and lose power statement to others who may believe you on this forum.

You may want to stock up now on those ATVs because 5 speed Utility ATVs are being discontinued so fast they will become rarer than a Italian war Hero soon.


<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Some people can kill a belt fast by riding in High range in a low range situation. But I thought they re bullet proof and can handle a 120hp 800cc motor? </end quote></div>
The rider has things he must decide out on the trail ,Belt or 5 speed.
You do not slowly creep into a mud pit with a Auto in High range like you would not slowly creep in a Mud Pit in 4th gear with a semi Auto.

A 120hp sled is far from considered top dog now and there is not a manual sled made or ever was .

When you find those hundreds of people with troubles on this site , remember there are Thousands of people out there riding with no complaints.

 

LOL.

I will standby that I want a manual trans - that would better suit my riding style.

Honda offers alot of semi-auto trans quads with electronic shift. Honda also doesn't favor CVT tranny they use a automotive style torque convertor. I think most ATV manufactors that also produce sport quads and dirt bikes will always offer a manual trans.