And auto clutch manual transmission ATVs are far from perfect for a first time ATV buyer, like Amy, that started this thread. Case in point, ... one of our first ATVs was a Yamaha Wolverine, and at the time we also had a Kodiak 400 4x4. My wife and I did a very technical rock crawling trail called Rock Canyon, in the Paiute ATV Trail system, in the mountains of UT. My wife was riding the Wolverine because it was smaller and easier to manage, and I was on the Kodiak. I was leading on the Kodiak, and had it in low range just crawling along over the rocks and having a good time. My wife was behind on the Wolverine, and I noticed that she had gotten a ways behind me. So I stopped and waited for her to catch up, and when she pulled up to me the first thing she said was "Whats this red light on the dash for?" It was the temperature light, and the Wolverine was smoking hot. About that time I also smelled the burnt smell of an overheated clutch. We shut the Wolverine off right then and there, and waited an hour for it to cool down, while we heard the engine making all kinds of ping, ping, ping, tick, tick sounds. That sucker was HOT! And from that day on it would blow oil smoke out the exhaust when the engine was cold for the first few minutes after it was started. The heat had obviously done some damage to the valves, or the head.

Those auto clutches slip when your stopped, and when you are just giving it enough gas to work the engine hard, but not enough gas to get the tires moving, such as my wife was doing when she was trying to rock crawl on a Wolverine that was geared too tall, had no low range, a slipping auto clutch, and an air cooled engine. When those clutches slip they generate a whole lot of heat, and the same oil supply that lubricates the auto clutch also lubricates the engine, and it will overheat the engine in no time at all.

A CVT belt drive transmission may not be the best transmission in the whole world, but an auto clutch manual transmission in my opinion is no better.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Not until we are for sure that it is dead! I liked the comment earlier where the 97 Polaris had gone through 4 to 5 belts. My 2000 Kodiak is to this day on its original belt. Looks brand new. I think I will get a Polaris so I can learn how to change a belt. </end quote></div>

You wait for them to break before you change a $50 belt?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] I was changing them because it is maintenances,like a spark plug. My consins 500 Scrambler belt looked ok after 1200 miles but he change it anyways and the bike takes off more responsive and tops out faster now.

All belts will glaze at the edge after awhile guaranteed. A 2000 with the original belt ,unless it has low miles should just change the belt for piece of mind once and awhile.

We ride too far and in the middle of no where up here in Northern Ontartio to feel good about having a 8 year old belt powering a ATV no matter how good it looks.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: west350bruinhow many times is this dead horse going to be beaten?</end quote></div>

Forever!

New kids coming into the sport, need to know the history behind things! If all you have to choose from is a belt drive, and the reason is that a bunch of snowmobile manufacturers flooded the market with them to accomodate unskilled newb riders...that's important!

Everyone, do be aware that some belt drive systems have a clutch, that disengages the drive pully when the engine is at idle. Some systems don't have this, and will just sit there at idle and wear a hole in your belt in a very short time. Check that out if you are considering a belt drive purchase......