My belt is slipping on my 03P360. Is this belt V-shaped or flat with teeth? Is this something I can change or tighten myself (Limited mechanical knowledge) or do I need to take it to a shop? I think I am just about frustrated with this machine. Think I might go get a Honda Rancher.

TxRebel

 

TXRebel,
Go to www.atvpower.com and read the P650- belt deflection adjustment info. At first, I too was uneasy about adjusting the belt tension on my P650 and I certainly didn't want to pay a dealer to do it. But now that I've done it once or twice, its really not hard at all.

PS - Where is Evadale TX? Is that near Dallas or something?

 

Evadale is near Beaumont, Texas. I see that you have a P650. Would the belts be the same?

TxRebel

 

No, the P360 has a different belt than the P650. Nevertheless, I'm guessing the belt deflection adjustment for the P650 and P360 should be similar (if not identical) b/c the process simply involves removal of the belt, taking apart the secondary (rear) clutch and removing a shim and then putting it all back together again. Including prep time and clean up, it only takes me about an hour or two to complete (but I like to take my time).


PS - I grew up about 1 hour from Beaumont in a small town called Dayton. Do you know of any good places to ride near you? I don't know of any good places to ride near Beaumont, except for a small place near Kountze, TX that I read about on another atv forum. Its a new campground area with some wooded trails on 200 acres. That place doesn't sound like anything special, but its cheap at only $5 to ride per quad. I plan to go ride there in January (after hunting season is over).

 

I ride on my hunting club which is in Buna. Evadale is about 15 miles from Kountze.

I am thinking about selling my P360 and getting a Honda. What do you think?

TxRebel

 

I have owned 2 hondas in the past and I was very pleased with their reliability. I do like the Rancher, especially the 400cc model with GPS. However, I see a few downsides of the new Rancher as compared to the P360. First are the drum brakes on the Honda...my experience is that they quickly wear out and don't have the stopping power of disc brakes (even when they are new). I assume the P360 has front disc brakes and a sealed wet brake in the rear....just like the P650 - I like this set up. The other downside to the Rancher is that it doesn't have a locking front diff. That may be very important if you do any serious mudding. I'm guessing the new 400cc rancher may be a little faster/more powerful than the P360 due to engine size differences, but neither one is probably a rocket ship.

BTW, why do you want to get rid of your P360? Is it primarily b/c you don't want to mess with the belt drive transmission on the P360? If so, you should try to adjust the belt yourself at least 1 time and you may find its a lot easier than you originally thought.

 

Yeah, the belt is the main reason. Is the belt serviceable yourself or do I need to take it in for service? Doesn't the cover have to be torqued down to certain specifications? I also don't like the cold starts.

I just know that everyone I know who owns a Honda has virtually no trouble out of them. My dad has a Honda 300 (1990). Will still crank up on the first start and never die. That has been one good bike.

TxRebel

 

Txrebel,
Yes, the cvt cover bolts must be torqued down (to 78 inch lbs on the P650)...Make sure you use an inch lb torque wrench b/c I accidentally stripped one of my cvt cover bolts when I tried to use a foot lbs torque wrench to tighten it to 6.5 foot lbs.

The bolt that holds the secondary pulley must also be torqued down (to 69 foot lbs on the P650). If you print out the info that I mentioned previously (see www.atvpower.com) for P650 belt deflection adjustment, you will find detailed instructions on how to adjust the belt, including many helpful pictures. Its really quite easy after you've done it once.

I would have to say that the belt issue is not a big deal IMO. Even if you prefer to take it to your dealer for the belt adjustment, its no biggy b/c the belt should not need to be adjusted very often. I would expect a new belt to stretch a little when its new (first 200 to 400 miles), but then it should stay relatively tight for a long time as it slowly wears. Keep in mind that many P650's belts came from the factory with a loose belt setting (making a belt adjustment necessary soon after taking it home and breaking it in. I also suspect that the belt itself should easily last over 1,500 miles provided you keep it adjusted within spec.

Once more, I also encountered persistent (and aggrivating) cold start problems. Like majic, the problem disappeared when I picked up my quad from its initial (10 hour) service. Not sure if the idle adjustment was off or what, but I have not had any noticeable cold-start problems since (however, I still let it warm up a few minutes after it starts before I ride it).

Nevertheless, I will not try to change your mind about swapping it out for a new Honda Rancher. I do understand that a belt driven CVT transmission is not for everyone and I can't argue with the reliability of Honda quads...Hondas are very well made in my experience. I just happen to prefer the many features of the P650 (and P360) when compared to the Hondas and my P650 held up very well so far...it has only had one minor problem so far (a leak in the left rear axle seals that was repaired under the factory warranty).

Happy trails...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Oh I am probably just talking about the change out of frustration. I do like the extras that the P360 has over the Rancher. It is also bigger. I did go on a ride with about 15 guys who all had Hondas (Ranchers, Foreman, and the 300-350 X. They all ran off and left me.

TxRebel

 

Hey I talked to a parts guy at the Kawi Dealer and he told me that my belt could be installed backwards. That his mechanic had been complaining that a lot of bikes from the factory were arriving the belts on backwards. He told me to open it up, and if I couldn't read the word "kawasaki" on the belt then it was on wrong. I then called another dealer, told him this and this guy said the other was out of his mind that there was no way for the belt to be on backwards.

Any of you know?

TxRebel