Reflex 250 broken belt

[Maddog]

Smoked a belt on my way to work this evening. It's a 2007 Honda reflex with 12,000mi on the original belt. Just wondering what's a realistic mileage innerval for belt change? I realize this first one may have just died from old age, as I bought the bike with 1500mi last year. I'm hoping the belts normally go longer than 10k.

[kz1000st]

I just changed a Kevlar belt in my 2009 Fashion at about 9,500. It was cracking between the teeth. I'm guessing that 10,000 miles is a safe point. What you got is exceptional.

[Maddog]

So I opened up the Reflex today. As expected, found shreaded belt bits everywhere. What I didn't expect was having to order the part to fix it. The prices were all across the board, even on the identical part and manufacturer. Ended up going with 2 OEM Bando belts and one Gates premium belts. I just figure I'll be using them since consensus is the last app one year or 12000mi. Easy to replace before they fail and $20.30 isn't a bad price.
I should have known, the day prior, I went for top end speed and it was off by 8mph, I just figured the conditions held me back. Didn't figure a belt was deteriorating and ready to strand me.

[Maddog]

Installed the new Bando OE belt today, all went well, even got rid of that pesky chatter off the line on first acceleration. Went onto the highway for a top end run. First time on the top end and @ 6k RPMs the scoot seemed to loose power as if in a serious head wind. Then that sick sound of the belt shreaded into bits. I coast to a stop. Got 6mi out of this belt, crap! Glad I bought 3 of them.
Home again, removed all the bits again. Checked the install, all bolts tight all assemblies correct, TRY Again!
This time @ 6k it starts losing power again, I backed off throttle and go home Again! Without the truck rescue.
Close inspection revealed minor grooves in the outer variator face, lucky to have the stocker that I replaced nearly a year ago.
Replaced the variatior with a used stock unit and road tested, promising results, but it's cold and dark early so more testing to do later.

[novaraptor]

I recently read that usual 250cc belt life is from 8,000 to 12,000 miles. I'm guessing that is with the gates or bando belts. Most of the cheap belts don't get anywhere near that, and I'm sure riding style matters. I'm approaching 9,000 on my original gates powerlink. Probably will change it in the next week or so, when I change the oil.

[Maddog]

After multiple try's I realized the variator was Not the issue. Fellow member Bandito2 recommended use OE parts. Thought "Bando" was the replacement part. BUT the OE Honda belt made by Bando turned out to be wider by 2mm.
The smaller width belts were over traveling the clutch and getting shreaded because they should never go that far into the center.
Long story short, $22.30 is a very poor buy on a belt if you value your time!
For the Reflex the belt # is Honda 23100 KFG 641 , cost app $80.00. Lesson Learned.

[cheapeto]

Some of the BR riders are using the Erlandson belts, I think I paid $50.00 or so
I think your scooter is listed on the back of the package.
I've not heard of any issues so far anyway.

[novaraptor]

Sux Maddog, but glad you found the issue. I changed my belt out last nite at just under 9000 miles. Gates powerlink. Did have to use my impact driver. Couldn't get enough slack to pull it over. There were small light cracks between the teeth, but other than some shuddering from the start, I think I could have ran this belt for at least another thousand. So, I'll toss it in the spares area of my trunk. I do have another cheap brand of belt that I bought last year as a spare, but after reading up some, I bought another Gates. (presuming it's not a lookalike knock-off). Sunny riding to you..

[Maddog]

Free new drive belts- Gates Powerlink 906 22 30 and a Bando 906 22.5 30 just pay shipping! Seriously they don't work on my machine, I figure $6.50 for the small flat rate box.

[bnc]

There is a Yahoo Reflex group you might want to visit. It is well known over there that non-OEM belts are not the same dimensions as the Honda belts. That group recommends changing the belt at 10K but sooner if a lot of freeway riding is involved.

My Reflex service manual and the owners manual says to inspect the belt a 8K and replace at 12K.

[cpete1]

maddog,
I stopped riding this year due to an accident on my scooter. Regardless, I had an issue with my cf moto fashion similiar to yours. The driven pulley on your scooter has to be lubed in order to work properly. There are youtube clips that show you how to dismantle it and lube the sleeves. This probably has to be done every 8000 miles or maybe 10,000. In my situation, the scoot just kept on eating belts. There are different techniques to getting the large nut off the driven pulley to break it down, again on you tube. While your at it, check your needle bearings, (you'll see when you get it apart). Its a bit intimidating at first but once you get it down its not a big deal. Hope this helps you out.
Chris

[Maddog]

That is one of the first things that I did. You should clean out all the belt bits, and remove the clutch drum to ensure the debris is out of the spring area. My issue was just a poorly sized belt. The OEM belt is 23mm wide, where the imitation replacement belts are 21mm. This has a huge effect on where the belt rides in the pully system.
I've been up and running, logging 45mi daily since the initial failure. Smooth sailing, except for today's storm front that dumped 5 in of rain.

[bnc]

The driven pulley on your scooter has to be lubed in order to work properly.

I just had the ball bearing go bad in mine last month. You have to remove the roller bearing just to get at the ball bearing. Then there is a circlip so far down the shaft that my regular circlip pliers could not reach it. I just bought the entire assembly with a new ball and roller bearing installed from Honda. Honda actually sends a tube of grease with the new part.

I thought that unexpectedly nice of Honda.