Full Season Original Belt

[Big_Phil]

2300 miles so far on original belt. all stock. literally haven't had the panel off since new. like you I drive sensibly. only seen triple digits a few times for short periods. I don't do the voom voom voom at the pumps and what not, which I have never understood, of course my muffler is stock, so it wouldn't be cool anyway. I have used reverse maybe a dozen times and don't feel the need to back in to a spot at the pub to look cool. I always take off easy and never run hard until a few miles of warm up. the lack of engine braking and downshifting is very obvious. It likes to squeal taking off or returning to throttle after quick slow down. I plan to maybe do a spring and or helix for that. for now if I happen to brake, I go back into it easy. actually I avoid braking or stopping at all.
I really don't like all the slack in the belt. I believe it is that way for the stupid push button reverse. I have experience dealing with that on the phazers, which stock required you to get off and lift rear end to shift until you shim more slack in. I plan to look into shimming or whatever to tighten the belt and avoid reverse as I do anyway. I like to go forward and park and maneuver in a manner that avoids reverse. with my apex and nytro I put them in reverse before starting to get them out of trailer etc.
I have been a snowmobile mechanic my whole life and most belt issues I believe are the result of that one time someone gets stuck or tries to inch into the trailer etc. a very minor spot in the belt could catch up with it 1000 miles later. even just letting someone try your sled, they could put a spot in it without you even knowing. "most" sleds I see down here have damaged belts that they have been using for multiple seasons. the lack of experience or understanding leads to it. then one day when conditions are good and they get to open it up and "boom" I have seen many people come here to pick their sled up and flat spot the belt loading it, right after my speech... be good to your belt and it will be good to you.

No Offense, but that sounds like a ridiculous way to ride a performance sled. I almost always take off hard. Reverse it made to be used, I had mine in reverse more than 12 times in the last 2 rides. Mine used to squeal like that after hard braking, and it snapped a few belts. That is not normal clutch operation, and if you drive your sled hard, you will snap a belt very quickly. I know, because my sled used to do that before I fixed the problem.

If you're driving like that, 2300 miles isnt even that impressive on a belt. You're not using the power, so you're not really going to have belt issues unless something is seriously off.

 

[stevewithOCD]

2300 miles so far on original belt. all stock. literally haven't had the panel off since new. like you I drive sensibly. only seen triple digits a few times for short periods. I don't do the voom voom voom at the pumps and what not, which I have never understood, of course my muffler is stock, so it wouldn't be cool anyway. I have used reverse maybe a dozen times and don't feel the need to back in to a spot at the pub to look cool. I always take off easy and never run hard until a few miles of warm up. the lack of engine braking and downshifting is very obvious. It likes to squeal taking off or returning to throttle after quick slow down. I plan to maybe do a spring and or helix for that. for now if I happen to brake, I go back into it easy. actually I avoid braking or stopping at all.
I really don't like all the slack in the belt. I believe it is that way for the stupid push button reverse. I have experience dealing with that on the phazers, which stock required you to get off and lift rear end to shift until you shim more slack in. I plan to look into shimming or whatever to tighten the belt and avoid reverse as I do anyway. I like to go forward and park and maneuver in a manner that avoids reverse. with my apex and nytro I put them in reverse before starting to get them out of trailer etc.
I have been a snowmobile mechanic my whole life and most belt issues I believe are the result of that one time someone gets stuck or tries to inch into the trailer etc. a very minor spot in the belt could catch up with it 1000 miles later. even just letting someone try your sled, they could put a spot in it without you even knowing. "most" sleds I see down here have damaged belts that they have been using for multiple seasons. the lack of experience or understanding leads to it. then one day when conditions are good and they get to open it up and "boom" I have seen many people come here to pick their sled up and flat spot the belt loading it, right after my speech... be good to your belt and it will be good to you.

There is a lot of truth to what you said here, but if you drove mine it WILL blow at 900 miles.
I run hard, but my last 2 belts were broken in good, warmed up good, hardly ever used reverse. In fact i warmed up sled on stand in mornings & half the miles were fuel saving runs. I had multiple people run the EXACT same trails the exact same speeds because they were on my tail the whole time. One of them on a Sidewinder & he outweighs me by 100 pounds. I blew at 900 & he blew at 2200 miles.
His belt runs 20 degrees cooler so my riding style, albeit aggressive, is NOT the issue.
I hope everybody good & bad posts their results on the polls here so we can find some answers.

BTW: My grandmother can blow SOUPY's belts.......and she is not even alive!

 

[Soupy]

Step
Away
From
The
Keyboard
Soupy

Haha!

 

[4strokes]

No Offense, but that sounds like a ridiculous way to ride a performance sled. I almost always take off hard. Reverse it made to be used, I had mine in reverse more than 12 times in the last 2 rides. Mine used to squeal like that after hard braking, and it snapped a few belts. That is not normal clutch operation, and if you drive your sled hard, you will snap a belt very quickly. I know, because my sled used to do that before I fixed the problem.

If you're driving like that, 2300 miles isnt even that impressive on a belt. You're not using the power, so you're not really going to have belt issues unless something is seriously off.

what was your fix? I have no doubt the calibration is off. my point is a lot of the failures are normal stuff. as far as my use of my machine goes, there is a difference between riding hard and being hard on the machine. the speed limit here is 45 and I rarely go under 55, but I run hard when I can, when it is appropriate. I ride 3 - 5 thousand miles every year. 22000 miles on my nytro with 3 belts. only meet a few people in my life that ride as hard as I do. But, yes, I cant run this thing to the max here without killing someone. lots of pages here on chain case issues, not sure why you think it is wise for me to go out of my way to ride around town in reverse. I like to go forward.... No differnent with a vehicle or an excavator, I like to plan moves ahead and make it easy and safe

 

[sgauthier]

LOL. JMO. but the sidewinder is a high performance machine, you shouldn't have baby it. Not saying hold it to the bar all the time, but come on, this is a 200hp sled. you shouldn't have to worry about something breaking or blowing apart when you get on it once in a while. sorry not trying to piss anyone off by how they operate there sled, to each there own but i know i'd use the power if i had one because i do on my Apex otherwise i would have bought something smaller. just my 2 cents

 

[ClutchMaster]

LOL. JMO. but the sidewinder is a high performance machine, you shouldn't have baby it. Not saying hold it to the bar all the time, but come on, this is a 200hp sled. you shouldn't have to worry about something breaking or blowing apart when you get on it once in a while. sorry not trying to piss anyone off by how they operate there sled, to each there own but i know i'd use the power if i had one because i do on my Apex otherwise i would have bought something smaller. just my 2 cents

Yea I agree! Reminds me of all the old farts I see driving around in Corvettes doing 5mph under the speed limit, what a waste.

 

[Doc Harley]

Yea I agree! Reminds me of all the old farts I see driving around in Corvettes doing 5mph under the speed limit, what a waste.

With that said.....

I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. Then I need a nap......

 

[Big_Phil]

what was your fix? I have no doubt the calibration is off. my point is a lot of the failures are normal stuff. as far as my use of my machine goes, there is a difference between riding hard and being hard on the machine. the speed limit here is 45 and I rarely go under 55, but I run hard when I can, when it is appropriate. I ride 3 - 5 thousand miles every year. 22000 miles on my nytro with 3 belts. only meet a few people in my life that ride as hard as I do. But, yes, I cant run this thing to the max here without killing someone. lots of pages here on chain case issues, not sure why you think it is wise for me to go out of my way to ride around town in reverse. I like to go forward.... No differnent with a vehicle or an excavator, I like to plan moves ahead and make it easy and safe

Dealer put new bushings in the secondary. There was also some casting flash making it bind slightly. Even after all that, the belt would not come back to the top of the secondary when getting on the brakes. Dalton black orange secondary spring wrapped at 6-1 helped quite a bit too. It still isn’t perfect In my opinion, but I didn’t want to start experimenting with buying new helixes and such.

Never said anything about driving around in reverse, just that I don’t avoid using reverse, nor should we have to. I think a lot of the chaincase issues are because these chains stretch quite a bit. Especially with good traction. I’ve had to tighten the chain several times this year.

 

[NOS-PRO]

There is a thread on this. It’s currently back on page 5. Fewer than 20 votes almost 50/50 but more blown belts with shorter C-C. Not sure you can take too much from that much data
https://ty4stroke.com/threads/another-poll-this-is-for-everyone-with-a-sidewinder.152602/

Yes, I started that thread to see where everyone sits for C to C distance, who's blowing belts and whose not. Be nice to see more data on it...

I had a portion of the top cogs come off my belt this weekend....but I was doing some serious off trail and hill climbing. Belt did not blow and if I wouldn't have had an extra, I could have limped it back to the hotel.
Gotta give that belt credit. Asphalt racing all spring thru fall, testing on asphalt, testing in snow and very hard off-trail....at 1,300 miles on that Gates CF belt, I'm very happy! Top speed this year was 128mph on trail and I backed off. Did 135mph last season but ran out of gear and the belt climbed over the primary sheave.

Thunder Products clutching, orange spring at 2-3, 33/35 helix, EVO stage 4, C to C distance 265.1mm with 61mm offset.

Pic was from this past weekend

 

[Motorhead]

I broke it in by the book. Once broke in, that is another story. I will say that I do not ride it as hard as I want, just because I know If I ride to the bar, to the bar, to the bar, my belt will get hot and explode. So I ride it sensibly HARD, and pray that the belt stays together.

The rest of the sled has been tested tough!!

All my past Yamaha’s went multiple seasons on a belt! Usually changed them out at 3K or so just because. I have never gone easy on any of my sleds, and at 62 it still ain’t happening, and if Maine had a speed limit on their trails, I would not be there. Not to say I am dangerous while on the trails, there are plenty of spots to turn them on where I ride!!

 

[Motorhead]

Yes, I started that thread to see where everyone sits for C to C distance, who's blowing belts and whose not. Be nice to see more data on it...

I had a portion of the top cogs come off my belt this weekend....but I was doing some serious off trail and hill climbing. Belt did not blow and if I wouldn't have had an extra, I could have limped it back to the hotel.
Gotta give that belt credit. Asphalt racing all spring thru fall, testing on asphalt, testing in snow and very hard off-trail....at 1,300 miles on that Gates CF belt, I'm very happy!

Thunder Products clutching, orange spring at 2-3, 33/35 helix, EVO stage 4, C to C distance 265.1mm with 61mm offset.

Pic was from this past weekend

View attachment 139336[/QUOT

Coming over a bump, or out of the hole shot!

 

[Motorhead]

Holy crap Nos-Pro, that is some tail stand. Lifting while coming over hill or Hole Shot?

 

[4strokes]

LOL. JMO. but the sidewinder is a high performance machine, you shouldn't have baby it. Not saying hold it to the bar all the time, but come on, this is a 200hp sled. you shouldn't have to worry about something breaking or blowing apart when you get on it once in a while. sorry not trying to piss anyone off by how they operate there sled, to each there own but i know i'd use the power if i had one because i do on my Apex otherwise i would have bought something smaller. just my 2 cents

Its funny you mention the apex, because I have an 06 since new. put 13000 miles on it, along with a fleet of yamahas and more. My wife doesn't even want to use it anymore and has to use the winder just to keep up with my nytro. Now I only use it to go to church on sundays. hoping to let the grandkids learn how to ride on it... Just got in from a 200 mile day, think I will go back out for another loop in reverse at full throttle, because it has it and I have something to prove. Nice to know how others would use it "if" they had one. very helpfull

 

[DennyTuna]

Back to the original topic, just finished my last trip and now have 2300 miles on the 18 LTX-LE all on the original belt. All stock except for Dalton black/orange secondary, bronze /black primary and TD heavy duty rollers. Top speed on the gps was 112, 116 on the speedo. I don't ride crazy every second but I do like to use the go lever when ever possible, oh and I have used reverse dozens of times.

 

[NOS-PRO]

Holy crap Nos-Pro, that is some tail stand. Lifting while coming over hill or Hole Shot?

This is just hole shot. I have tons of videos "tail standing" or "flag-poling" within feet of stabbing the throttle. @murdered137 @shagman @yamahaguy @boostednytro @SnoNinja are the guys that I ride with, they will tell ya