New Drive Belt Time

I will soon be needing a new drive belt, looking at prices on EBay. Most genuine ones from Italy & Germany well over one hundred and twenty pounds. Gates belt eighty pounds. I have used three gates belts over the years and never had any problems.

Here in the UK www.wemoto.com sell the genuine belt for £102.10 and a Mitsuboshi belt £79.12. Remember you'll have to spend your hoard of old style £1 coins in next couple of months before they go out of circulation and cease to be legal tender.

Hiya
Interesting about the belt manufacturers. I have bought a genuine Honda belt, stamped with the correct part number and packaged by Honda. It's  a Mitsuboshi belt!!. What genuine Honda belt do you have?  
Mr Blobby

Look mate all I did was pass on the prices from wemoto, I've no real interest in the mechanical side of things.

However and completely off topic, I did have the rear brake sticking on slightly a few months ago when out on a ride, and after a few miles the heat generated blew the brake line off at the banjo bolt. The combination of heat and brake fluid destroyed the rear brake pads and seals, the parking brake pads, and coated the rear disc with the debris.

Luckily I rode home without incident and sorted it. It took a number of weeks because a genuine Honda replacement brake line had to come from Japan.

I didn't start a topic about it because it I knew what caused the brake to be slightly on. (a Barkbuster hand guard moved slightly out of position somehow and pressed against the lever) Plus everything is repaired now, so I feel no need to take questions on the subject.

Mr Blobby wrote:

Hiya
Interesting about the belt manufacturers. I have bought a genuine Honda belt, stamped with the correct part number and packaged by Honda. It's  a Mitsuboshi belt!!. What genuine Honda belt do you have?  
Mr Blobby

No surprise, many manufactures have other manufactures build their parts, why have a belt / filters / oil whatever made in their own plants when it's done cheaper elsewhere and meets their specs. Example, HD runs / ran Showa front forks most HD folks don't even know it.

I have used Gates belts on my old chopper and for various camshaft drives on cars and bikes for years with no problems.

I recently changed the belt on my S. Wing for a Gates belt. After allowing it to "bed in" for a hundred miles or so, it feels fine.

I'd like to say better, but I also changed to Dr Pulley 25g. sliders and a set of Malossi white clutch shoe springs at the same time in an attempt to raise the launch rpm's slightly. Nevertheless, I'd still recommend using the Gates belt considering the savings.

It's all worked out beautifully and no more embarrassing fairing rattle on take-offs. Although not by any significant amount, my acceleration does feel quicker. Motorway cruising rpm's are about the same - maybe a couple of hundred lower. As I changed more than one thing I cannot say which item made the most difference, but I'm very happy with the way the driveline performs right now.