Just bracing myself for another big service of the 748SPS at 30k miles. Belts & shimming of course, always having belts done at 24-30 month intervals, but I was just wondering whether anyone had suffered a belt breakage and at what interval. Compare the Buell drive belt - alright, only 20% of the speed and it's bigger, but it's exposed and doing a lot more work, and that kevlar reinforced belt is good for at least 20,000m/8 years and counting (fingers crossed now). Consequences of failure are significantly different of course, but are we being slightly paranoid in insisting that longer than 2 years, we are inviting disaster? Tales of woe invited.
I always do my belt service myself, doesnt take too long and the belts are cheap enough. Its the labour cost which makes it an expensive service. I always go for somewhere between 2 and 3 years and the belts I take off, whilst you can tell they have been used, certainly have no signs of damage at all. When I was looking for my 996 I actually viewed one where the bloke said that the belts had been changed "only 2000 miles ago". It transpired that 2000 miles ago was actually 6 years ago - so they had been on the bike 3 times as long as recommended. The bike ran fine, but I would have been interested to see what condition the belts were actually in.
Ducati cambelts run at much higher speeds and temperatures than a Buell drive belt. Consider the cambelt runs at half engine speed (so at 10,000rpm the camshaft is going at 5,000rpm) and they're running in a very hot enclosed environment whilst being 'bent' backwards at severe angles by the tensioners. It doesn't have very mechanically sympathetic life. I'm sure you can go a bit beyond the recommended service life, my 916 belts are now on their 3rd year which maybe frowned on by some but I'm confident they'll be OK and they'll definitely be changed this winter. I'm happier to run the Monster belts a bit longer as they're not under as much load and don't run as fast (maybe hotter though?) but, probably more importantly they don't bend backwards over the tensioner pulleys. Plus, as you suggest if a Buell drive belt breaks then worse case scenario is you need to call for a breakdown van (or replace at the roadside?) whereas if a Ducati cambelt breaks the breakdown van is the least of your worries...
Agreed: what I was wondering is who has not changed a belt, then regretted it when it broke and how long was it in service.
Everyone likes a scare story, don't they? Especially when you can say to yourself "ah, but I'm safe" and thereby justify all the love & attention (money) you give it. See stainless steel crankcase protector, for example.
Now there's a fresh, novel and innovative subject for a chat This topic has been taken to hell and back numerous times, regurgitated, done to death, hung, drawn and quartered and then had the shit kicked out of it so many times that the mere sight of the subject in a thread title has many of us wanting to throw our bollocks at the fireplace Try the search function......puuurlease:weary:
Well, I guess I'm looking for some limits, and although everyone, including me, seems to adhere to the "2 years" mantra, where's the evidence? I've searched, but there's not much there. Enlighten me, please.
FWIW, I think most swap at 2, lots drag it out to 3 if low miles but turn the belts regularly either by running the engine (whole other argument, it's not time for the winter storage debate yet!) or turning engine over in gear by hand or regular riding. Don't really hear of anyone going over 3 years and don't really hear of many belts failing. Maybe there is a link between us sheep changing the belts when we are told to and belts no breaking?
Now we're getting somewhere...and how do you use it? Could you give us approx annual miles, periods of inactivity, track/thrash, gallop or canter?
My belts are about 8 or so years old, approx. 3000-4000km per year, moderate to hard road riding, changing them soon tho'.
not a lot. but now and again. was going to change belts last year but sort of wanna keep bike original, so left them
