Gates don't seem to supply their own branded belts for anything later than than the late nineties or so. I suspect an agreement was made with Ducati around then for exclusive supply.
ExactFit for me too. These belts are produced for and sold by Chris Kelley of California Cycleworks, who is a hands-on Ducati nut and entrepeneur, to specs that are at least equal to oem but sell for half the price. The only fly in the ointment is that at the moment at least, we have to import them personally, so in the uk we lose a lot of the benefit of the cheaper price. Here is a YouTube video of how incredibly precisely each batch is checked for length: another video showing how precisely they are designed and manufactured for tooth profile and fit: and one demonstrating how strong they are relative to oem and another make, presumably Dayco.
Shows there are quality Chinese parts out there - I have been reliably informed the California cycle works belts are made in China.
Yes I believe they are, as are iPhones, Mulberry leather goods and a whole host of quality kit. The ExactFit belts are made by the same manufacturer who developed Harley Davidson belt-drives and also have an enormous global market share of car, van and truck belts. I'm sure Gates could and would supply belts at a reasonable price, if only Ducati, or should I say Audi, would allow them to. It's crazy that belts manufactured in the UK are not available directly from the UK and are actually much cheaper in America and you can bet that is because ExactFit and Dayco are providing the competition to keep the price down. If similar competition happens here, maybe the price will become more realistic.
From what I can tell, belts almost never break if the are correctly fitted and adjusted. What makes them break is being too loose, so they jump a tooth or teeth and the resulting mayhem breaks the belt or shredding caused by the belt or pulleys not being seated correctly when fitted. So, arguably, it is better to inspect the belts regularly, say every six months, as well as almost immediately after fitting, than to change them regularly - every two years. I believe this is what Chris Kelley does with his own bikes.
Very much so, Kevlar belts don't stretch so if they are tensioned correctly they should remain fine. My belts were still carrying plenty of tension when I took them off. I set the tension using the 5mm / 6mm Allen key method (5mm will pass between the belt and idler, 6mm will not) Over tensioning will put excess load on the tensioner and idler bearings, as well as wearing the back of the belt, too loose and it can indeed jump, although it would need to be very loose for that. Given the light load the desmo system presents to the belt verses the strength of the belt itself, the belts are actually very over engineered. I think the 2 year thing is to account for bikes which go for long periods without use, which is bad for the belts as they form to their parked position. The one big no no is running with open belt covers, or no belt covers at all - a stone flicked into the belts is a sure fire recipe for disaster. (very possible, especially on a monster or half faired SS)
Having just read the post from Chris Kelly in the other thread regarding Exactfit Belts I have been swayed enough to give them a try next time. Steve
do they do a range of vehicle belt kits. why cant you develop a tensioning pulley with preload pointer for the ducs. how much commission you on what discount can i get considering the amount i fit a year.
Genuine Ducati Spare Parts Cam Timing Belt Set, 848 1098 1198 MTS1200, 73740251A | eBay Genuine ducati branded 1098 belts £90 bar the shouting......for a two year service = £3.75 a month, hardly expensive!
That has just changed, more likely due to the thread on here. Are you involved at all Here is another of their ads at £133 for 999 belts (the 1098 belts are usually priced similar) - lets see if this changes too Genuine Ducati Spare Parts Cam Timing Belt Set, 749, 999, 998, S4RS, 73740124A | eBay
S So Exige is forcing prices down already! I thought this was likely to happen but not this quickly I have to say...
yea thats crazy talk. surely no retailer/supplier worth his salt would keep an eye on the competition and adjust prices accordingly...with all the info available at the click of a button that would be way to much work
May I refer you to our web site, I will not break the law, even Ducati Forum advertising laws :Wideyed:
