the tension should be tight but only enuff to move up and down 1/2 but its a tight belt system and the belt is tight all the time, if you turn the drive clutch by hand and the belt sqeaks while the clutch is turning then its okay, Also while its in gear turn the clutch by hand and it should move the back wheels youll know by feel if its okay cause while your riding, the belt can only get tighter.

 

i can pinch beteen the pully's when the bike is not running and i have two to three inch's of play. that is that if i sqeze the belt it's got that much play when it's not running
but i do not have alot of slippage sometime's i give it a little gas and it will take a sec to respond.

 

I think it may have some wear on it but it sounds to be okay, just keep and eye on and if it sounds like its sqealing or building to much heat it may be time to replace it

 

i dont know anything about the hawkeye clucth set up but that sounds like it way to much belt deflection(free play)

 

thanks guy's ill take it to the dealer and have him check it out besides it has 3 year warrinty on it .

 

Hey Rickey, just to let ya know (and yea I get your overall point, more smaller quad means more
room in the bed of the truck) but I load my Full size 450 into the back of my Tundra and still
fit all my hunting gear fine. I only have the Reg. sized bed not extended. I don't know, thinking
here along the lines of Stendori IF I were to trade up my wife's 450 but you know I think she
feels real secure with the size and weight. She told me that IF I were to buy her a quad she
wouldn't want anything smaller then what I had. Well surprise surprise!

R'

 

the biggest reason i even consided the new sp 400 is only for the weight wise. even though the 450 turns and handles pretty good, we ride extremly rough condtions such as a 5 mph trail over stumps, bolders and what not and the heaviere machine weres on the upper body of the wife were she went from a trailblazer to the 450. we wanted a hawkeye at first because it was small and lighter, but the lack of power,lowrange and small tires was a big turn off. now w/ the 455 cc engine in the small weight frame and bigger tires in might worth checking in to. but this is only if the wife likes it and the dealers in the area ever get one in lol.

 

if i had to choose between the 2 atvs the 450 or 500 would win, As far as hunting goes i have a full size long bed ford, and i can barely get 2 ice chest, a 10x12 tent, kerosene heater, Food and water and one generator, fuel and one 20 pound propane bottle, items sleeping bags and then drive 4 hours to my hunting area and stay for a week, my neighbor has a Tundra, all that and a 450 might fit but youd have stuff stacked on the 4 wheeler looking like the berverly Hillbillys, On the wife and security thing (lol) Good Luck, They are never secure and if they get secure their about to do one of several things, Get stuck, flip it over or want a Hug and ask to you paint it Pink for em,

 

now that ive thought about the belt is pretty loose if you squeeze it down because thats not where the drive engages, if you will start it and put it in gear and then throttle it just a bit and then turn it off the belt will be where its supposed to be. But if youve been squeezing it it will be to loose.

 

Hey RP, who takes a tent hunting (Whos Beverly
Hill Billys now, lol)? I guess you combine your camping
and hunting adventures? Thats cool! Yea, its all a matter
of what you do and what you need and what
ya pack I reckon. Yea, my hunting pack is a lil more light
weight. I do agree with the secure thing that none of these
are "really" secure but full sized compared to mid sized
frame provides her a more "secure" feel, I'll just say that.

As for pink, well she'll just have to settle for YELLOW!

R'