I come from the Polaris snowmobile world and just picked up a scrambler to ride in the off season.
My question is carrying a spare belt necessary on the quads, and when should they be replaced?

 

Zman,

I just pulled the belt from my 3 year old Trailblazer and measured it. It was no where near the limit of 1.125". The belts really last on these quads. I wouldn't carry one unless you plan to do a lot of mudding in some serious gumbo type mud. If you ride slow a lot and don't have a low gear, you might wear one out a little quicker than normal, but other than that the belts are pretty reliable.

 

I guess you'd have to carry a few tools to remove the CVT cover too? Sounds like a pain.

I always bring two with me, but leave them at camp or in the truck. I can't say that I've had a belt go bad. I did put in a heavier duty belt (Dayco Max) when I ported my motor, but even that was just a precaution.

Right now I'm trying the Goodyear PowerStreak. The rubber compound it's made of feels like it could be indestructable.

 

Unfortunately Polaris hasn't blessed it's quads with the HP the sleds enjoy. Too bad, I'd carry
spare belts if I could have 100+ HP on tap.

 

I was thinking more on the lines of getting it wet in mud or water and slipping till it dried out.First time out I tried going where no man has gone before and buired it. The quad sat there for 15 mins till I got pulled out, then the belt slipped till it dried out.
Just wondering how many times that can happen before I'm pulled home.

 

Zman,

The easiest way to dry the belt out is to put it in neutral and rev the motor for about 30-45 seconds. This should dry out the belt without burning it. If you try and dry the belt out by driving it, you'll only end up with a burned belt for your troubles.