kz1000st
08-18-2014, 07:08 PM
Today that little voice, we all have, in the back of my head started yelling. "Change the Belt, Stupid". I have over 9,000 miles on the Fashion and just felt it was time. Good thing I did. When I pulled off the side case I was greeted by cracks between almost every tooth. The outside looked new but the belt was dry and cracking. Since the Fashion is a 2009 I guess that should have been expected. I had a nice, new Bando (made in Japan) belt from Parts for Scooters that I had browbeaten Matt into stocking 8-).
The cracks were the first surprise. Second surprise. After changing the belt and changing the drive case oil I was studying the old belt and something looked odd. You see, on Aramid fiber belts you see a white fiber layer near the outside of the belt. My Gates and new Bando had it and the Gates Powerlink non-Kevlar belt I also have (don't ask) doesn't. On closer examination I could see faded lettering on the old belt. "Bando" it said. "Hmmmm CF Moto puts Bando belts in their scooters. Nice." I also saw that all the bearings in my transmission said "Made in Japan" when I replaced the clutch shaft. Also nice. It bodes well for the future.
The moral to me is that if you have a 2008-09 scooter with the original belt, replace it. Mine was dry and rubbed but didn't appear to be stretched. 10,000 miles is coming soon.
The cracks were the first surprise. Second surprise. After changing the belt and changing the drive case oil I was studying the old belt and something looked odd. You see, on Aramid fiber belts you see a white fiber layer near the outside of the belt. My Gates and new Bando had it and the Gates Powerlink non-Kevlar belt I also have (don't ask) doesn't. On closer examination I could see faded lettering on the old belt. "Bando" it said. "Hmmmm CF Moto puts Bando belts in their scooters. Nice." I also saw that all the bearings in my transmission said "Made in Japan" when I replaced the clutch shaft. Also nice. It bodes well for the future.
The moral to me is that if you have a 2008-09 scooter with the original belt, replace it. Mine was dry and rubbed but didn't appear to be stretched. 10,000 miles is coming soon.