Belts

[mickj]

How critical is it change the cam belts every two years, it seems quite an expense.

[Darren69]

The cost of belts is nothing compared to the cost of one letting go and wrecking a very expensive engine!

[Darkness]

The belts themselves aren’t that expensive, and they aren’t hard to fit yourself provided:
1. you can line up some dots,
2. You can count up to two [Take two belts off, put two belts on],
3. You can check the belt tension using Allen keys or tuning fork [See YouTube for details], and,
4. You can use a torque wrench to not over tighten the adjuster bolts.

Simple.

[Dukedesmo]

I now leave mine for 3 years and would be happy to go more on a 2V engine, subject to checking/inspecting.

IIRC the 2 year thing was born from problems mostly with early 4V engines but belts have improved over the years and if looked after will go far longer than the 2 years, especially on 2V engines that don't have the extreme 'backwards' routing over the tensioners.

[buzzbomb]

I think three years is ok now with the quality of Gates belts especially with the air cooled motors and have to admit that I get one of the tech's from the store to do mine as I don't feel confident to do it myself...

Surely personal preference should come into play, how hard or not you ride. Mileage etc.. regular gentle commuting I would have thought is a lot more forgiving than thrashing it's tits off for a few hours every weekend.

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by garry

Surely personal preference should come into play, how hard or not you ride. Mileage etc.. regular gentle commuting I would have thought is a lot more forgiving than thrashing it's tits off for a few hours every weekend.

I think how long and how often you leave the motor without turning it over is significant as the belts take a set at the tighter bends and can then crack when run.
So yes, 'regular gentle commuting ...... is a lot more forgiving than thrashing its tits off for a few hours every weekend', or worse yet, every other year.

[ChrisC2925]

Originally Posted by buzzbomb

I think three years is ok now with the quality of Gates belts especially with the air cooled motors and have to admit that I get one of the tech's from the store to do mine as I don't feel confident to do it myself...

Good typing for a pirate, Geoff! How's the eye?

[Jez900ie]

Cost over benifit, multiplied by risk of exceeding reccomended belt life

Belts cost £55, engine repairs a lot more than that.

[Mossleymonster]

I keep my belts very tight (being a schizophrenic) otherwise I upset the politically correct.They don't like it when someone's gender is exposed.

[Flip]

Originally Posted by Jez900ie

Cost over benifit, multiplied by risk of exceeding reccomended belt life

Belts cost £55, engine repairs a lot more than that.

When did you last buy a pair of genuine Ducati belts for a 900 motor for £55?
At that price I reckon yours are well overdue for changing!!

I think the last ones I bought three years ago cost more like £70 from Moto Rapido with our discount.

I haven't phoned them yet but I suspect them to be even more now so I am probably going to go the Exact-fit route this time especially if you believe what I have read about Ducati not using Gates since the VAG takeover and now sourcing them from the Far East.

Oddly the Exactfit (California Cycle Works) always were more expensive than the genuine Ducati ones as they boasted supposedly superior quality.

There's a story about Chris Kelly meeting with an ex-Director of Gates and that's how it got started (apparently Gates would never divulge what other vehicles the Ducati belts were used on).

However, since VAG put all the Ducati prices up in their 'bringing parts into line' pricing it now makes the Exactfit ones more reasonable.

For what it's worth I have been changing mine about every three years for a while now and I've never seen any signs of cracking or perishing when their time is up.

Oh, and I use the spring balance method for tensioning them which is as per the original Ducati way and the way shown in the Haynes manual- albeit with a fishing weight scale rather than a factory tool.

Have a read and makes yer own minds up:
http://www.exactuk.com/about-exactfit-cam-belts/

[Jez900ie]

Originally Posted by Flip

When did you last buy a pair of genuine Ducati belts for a 900 motor for £55?
At that price I reckon yours are well overdue for changing!!

I think the last ones I bought three years ago cost more like £70 from Moto Rapido with our discount.

I haven't phoned them yet but I suspect them to be even more now so I am probably going to go the Exact-fit route this time especially if you believe what I have read about Ducati not using Gates since the VAG takeover and now sourcing them from the Far East.

Oddly the Exactfit (California Cycle Works) always were more expensive than the genuine Ducati ones as they boasted supposedly superior quality.

There's a story about Chris Kelly meeting with an ex-Director of Gates and that's how it got started (apparently Gates would never divulge what other vehicles the Ducati belts were used on).

However, since VAG put all the Ducati prices up in their 'bringing parts into line' pricing it now makes the Exactfit ones more reasonable.

For what it's worth I have been changing mine about every three years for a while now and I've never seen any signs of cracking or perishing when their time is up.

Oh, and I use the spring balance method for tensioning them which is as per the original Ducati way and the way shown in the Haynes manual- albeit with a fishing weight scale rather than a factory tool.

Have a read and makes yer own minds up:
http://www.exactuk.com/about-exactfit-cam-belts/

Hi Flip,
The belts I bought were Exact Fit, £55 + shipping, total £59.45 last November. I get a discount as I joined & subscribed to the Ducati Forum, which was a fiver, but the belts aren't the only benifit. Everyone is eligable for the discount if they join & subscribe to that forum.

[damien666]

I’ve used the ducati ‘gates’ belts and exact fit belts. Happy with either.

[Flip]

Originally Posted by Jez900ie

Hi Flip,
The belts I bought were Exact Fit, £55 + shipping, total £59.45 last November. I get a discount as I joined & subscribed to the Ducati Forum, which was a fiver, but the belts aren't the only benifit. Everyone is eligable for the discount if they join & subscribe to that forum.

Ah that explains that then - I presumed you meant for Ducati ones, my mistake.

It seems Exactfit have put their prices up a tad as they are listing them for a 900 direct from their website (same as their eBay listings) at £69.95 including UK shipping or £89.95 to include SKF bearings (4-off) for the idler rollers and for another couple of quid they do it with the clutch pressure plate bearing too.

[Jez900ie]

Originally Posted by Flip

Ah that explains that then - I presumed you meant for Ducati ones, my mistake.

It seems Exactfit have put their prices up a tad as they are listing them for a 900 direct from their website (same as their eBay listings) at £69.95 including UK shipping or £89.95 to include SKF bearings (4-off) for the idler rollers and for another couple of quid they do it with the clutch pressure plate bearing too.

Yes, but join the Ducati Forum for a fiver and pay £59. Its only the price of a gallon of petrol saved , but it only takes a momment to do it