Polaris has a history big on the CVT design. As time has gone by.......utility machines have followed the Polaris lead and gone with the CVT.

Who now has the best???

 

I don't know who has the "best", but I've never had any problems with my Polaris CVT....[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

alot of them are different, but polaris has the original CVT that John Deer uses on there lawn tractors with the belt and tentions and stuff, you'll probebly see a varient of the design on gokarts.

Yamaha has no slip on the belt from the engine from the transmition but uses a clutch (alot of moving parts so probebility goes up on the likely hood of breaking)

Honda uses their "honda matic" which is basicly an Un-serviceable (keep that in mind if you break the tranny, you just get a whole new one) automotive style transmition (again alot of moving parts)

I dont know much about the kawasaki and suzuki transmitions so get some notes from those

 

the kawi and zuki CVT systems is just like yamaha constant tension on the belt. i think polaris is ok has room for inprovments but i do like the idea of having the belt for a clutch

 

I like the polaris cvt the best, I don't like the automobile type trans for an atv and the yamaha/kaw./suzuki style with a clutch doesn't seem cheap to work on when needed. the one thing I don't like about the polaris cvt system is the belt slap/driveline noise you get when getting on and off the throttle at low speeds.

 

I prefer the Polaris CVT also. As long as I have a belt it might as well also be the clutch. Why have another wear element? If the clutch is not consistently slipped, the belt will last a long time. If the clutch is slipped too much, the belt wears. If the clutch is slipped too much on a centrifical clutch, it will wear.

 

Most mags seam to prefer the Yama ultrmatic. I have heard the Kawi has a lot of squeal and noise. I prefer the Polaris tunable PVT.

 

There's simple no question about it,Yam and Suzuki have far less problems with their centifigal type clutch set-up vs the Polaris or Kawi belt drives.One look at the Forums to see what manufacture's ATVs are listing the most belt problems/issues,will testify to this.

The belt drive units on Suz and Yami are ALLWAYS under tension.The belt drive on a Polaris or Kawi do not have any tension on the belt until the rpms are raised enough to ''squeeze''the primary belt up the primary sheeves and down the secondary clutch sheeves.At Idle,the belt just sits stationary while the primary clutch rides around it.This in itself will add some minor belt wear if you stay at idle to long.

My choice is definately Yams or Suz belt drive.

 

The belt system that is always under tension and have an internal clutch have some positive aspects, but they have a few drawbacks. I like the idea, but to change/modify engangement RPM takes more work. Also, not sure how long (and how expensive) the clutch discs cost, but that might be a factor too.