I would go batty if I had to check the belt every 100 hr. 100 hr works out to about 1000 miles, most belts get 2000-3000 without a problem and the CVT clutches itself never need attention for much longer then that yet.

 

CVT belt life depends how you ride and what you use your CVT qaud for. It's not like a timing belt on some cars that needs to be replaced every 60K miles. Timing belt never sees the actual load and its life is much more predictable than that of CVT belt. In other hand, CVT belt life heavily depends on the usage because it directly feels and transfers the load from wheels to the engine. Belt used on light trail riding would last 3000+ miles or more. Belt used on pulling heavy trailer in a farm/ranch may not last more than 1000 miles. Belt used on mudding competition would barely last one race. There is no guide line or set life. It all depends how you use/abuse it.

Clutch not needing attention is also not true. Riding in dusty condition (naturally on off-road) requires some maintenance and replacements as following:
> Converter sheaves are made of aluminum and wear out where the belt rides on. If they are groved, need to be replaced.
> The shaft bushing needs to be greased when seized up.
> Drive converter spider shims (aka buttons or shoes) wear out and need to be replaced when making knocking noise at idle rpm.
> Drive converter cover plate bearing wears out and needs to be replaced when making squealing noise.

 

We all get over 2000 miles but we use low when its required and were loaded beyond heavy.
Just the front cooler is over the recommended capacity of the rear rack let alone the front and its the lightest thing on the ATV.

 

Impressive Loads. Goin' in deep were you?

 

Here is a belt from a 2009 KVF750 with less than 200 miles I replaced recently.

The owner of this belt didn't even realize when his belt was slipping, burning, narrowing and breaking, none of these stuff. That's right. The belt doesn't just break w/o a notice. It takes time/steps before the belt finally gives up. It may be a short time but it gives enough signals for an "average" rider to notice.

Here are some signs in a correct order:
> Slipping - you are giving gas but quad is not going anywhere.
> Burning - smell of rubber burning.
> Narrowing - you measure the width of the belt where hour-glass shaped and compare with other normal looking area of the belt.
> Breaking - your riding is done for the day.

When the belt breaks, it can potentially cause other problems inside the CVT housing as you can imagine. Learn how to:
> Check for wear and tear on belt (like glazed section from slipping).
> Measure belt deflection.
> Adjust belt tension to factory spec.
> Replace belt

If you would be going a long trip, it's wise to carry a spare belt and know how to replace it. That can be a vacation saver.

 

Thanx for the valuable info, Hayashi.
My BF 650 is my first CVT machine and I'll be sure to pay more attention to belt checks.

 

I would have to say if a belt blows in 200 miles then maybe the clutch is out of wack,

Even my old Ski-doo Mach z 2 stroke 800 would get 1500 miles out of a belt and it pushed 150hp @9000 rpm or something crazy like that. I made that thing pull a sleigh of ice fishing gear and carry a passenger while doing 70mph across a slushy lake many times.

Here is a good site for aftermarket belts,I find the ULTIMAX BY CARISLE hold up very well. https://www.justatv.com/pages/atv_dr.../beltdrive.htm

 

I checked the deflection and the condition of the belt. LOOKED GOOD so far,got 2800 miles im sure that I will be changing it soon. Thanx

 

For the $80 (Cheaper from above link) there worth I just change them every 2000 no matter how good they look.

 

Not really. The only thing I've seen really out of whack is the LOOSE NUT giving gas like crazy when his quad's wheels are stuck. As the belt starts coming apart and continues to rotate at high speeds (becuase the NUT's thumb is stuck to the throttle lever), other parts in the CVT system like converters, plastic belt housing and sometimes even the crankcase RH side gets damaged by the shredded belt. When the NUT brings his quad to shop, usually he starts blaming on quad saying that broken parts in the CVT system caused the belt to break. Naturally we go into "Chicken or Egg, Which one first?" debate. Sometimes NUT would say the belt was made wrong or defective from the beginning. Then I show the evidence of "belt slipping" on the broken section of the belt.


The burnt brown spots on the side of the belt shown above are the evidence of the belt slipping. And, also the glazed/shiny sections just below the brown spots are the result of the slipping as well. Forensic analysis shows all.

I go through something like this quite often. I tell my customers, "Think as if the belt is the weakest link in the CVT system, like a fuse that would blow when there is too much load." Then, they seem to understand.