Hey guys haven't been here in a while hope your getting some good miles on this summer! I have not as its been rediculously hot and dry here in WI, anyway I have always replaced my belts with Polaris replacements as ppl say there the best replacement but I got to looking at EPI's severe duty belts. They've got cogs on both sides for a cooler running belt, and i guess the "severe duty" kinda got my attention. Ive got a clutch kit in sportsman 500 as im running 27" 10's and 12's (mudlite XL's) and being only a 500 with the extra drag of the larger/heavier tires and pulling a cart full of unsplit firewood I think its alot of abuse on the belt as i have smelled the belt from time to time, and of course she's in low gear. so anyone have any experience with belts other than polaris especially curious about those EPI belts, perhaps I'm falling victim to fancy marketing word use!! I'd like to hear your experiences with other belts, thank you in advance!

 

you can get a 500 oem belt w/ the cogs onthe top side which is there for cooling purpose.

 

OEM, OEM,OEM, OEM! I have yet to see/hear of any aftermarket belts that top OEM. Cheapest place to get them is ebay-be patient on there and you can usually score 2-3 new oem's for the price of 1 from the dealer. Bought one for my RZR when I clutched it even though the factory belt was still good (use for a spare). There was a bunch of them on there for $100+ and I scored one for under $50 shipped.

 

I got mine for around 36 on ebay I think

 

agree with the comments above- factory OEM.

 

OEM as well I tried a "Goodyear Gatorback" once and noticed it felt harder and I tried it out and sure enough the belt slipped in places where my old belt would of never slipped.

For The $70 they want at the dealer and I change it every 2000 miles no matter what, I just sick with OEM on that part.

 

Those "deals" always scare me off, because if they're selling them so cheap I wonder whats wrong with them? Yeah some might be legitimate ie going out of buisiness or whatever, but anyway thnks for all the input fellas! Hate to try something "new and better" for what everything costs on atv's only to find out its not as good or any better.

 

Just a little markup going on there I guess. First weekend out with my Scrambler I got in some deep stuff and burned the belt because I wasn't used riding a CVT machine. Dealer said that warranty wouldn't cover the belt unless it was clearly defective but they gave me a new one at "cost", which was $25.

Anyone know who actually makes the Polaris OEM belts? Obviously, Polaris doesn't make their own belts. They have one of the major belt manufacturers make them and put the Polaris name on them. If you just bought a belt from that manufacturer, you would probably be getting the same belt and not paying the inflated price because it says Polaris on it.

 

If I had to guess it would be Dayton or Gates that makes the belts,but you'll never see their name on one along with Polaris Same thing on lot of parts nowadays.Even my riding mower I just bought has the Cub Cadet number on the belts and nothing else! It's not like the old days when manufacturers had their name on all things and easy to trace. Dealers want you to come back and buy their stuff. Their major profit maker is in parts and service,not really in the machines when they are sold!! I believe our profit margin was around 40% up from the inflated prices Polaris charged us as a dealer! I couldn't ever get a straight answer even from a Polaris rep when they dropped by or any Polaris tech on the phone about the belts. Could be they didn't know or just wouldn't tell.... Plus just like all the others have posted, oem belts are the best,whoever makes em ....OPT

 

I have used dayco and carlisle they seem to work fine. But that polaris belt used back to 87 wasn't fancy or expensive. I hear the new ones are pretty expensive like whats on a rzr 900.