Anyone added a Dr. pulley or Malossi Variator/Clutch/Belt FULL Combo on an RI?

[alyn 7777]

My clutch bell is blue from overheating (don't ask) and my clutch pads are a bit low, and now that I've read the 500 variators aren't hardened aluminum and also aren't the highest quality in the world, I'm looking at alternatives.  I'm loathe to mix and match, i.e. Hit Clutch and Kymco variator and belt or Malossi vario with Kymco clutch and Malossi belt.  I'm thinking the safest way to go is an all Malossi system or an all Dr. pulley system.  On the Italian forum they do this a lot but I want feedback from anyone on this forum who's modded their EFI Xciting 500 this way as I am sure it will respond differently than the carbed 500s.  Any advice and performance experiences from someone who's done it would be appreciated.  The video that always makes me think this is a good way to go is here:

The guy's running a Malossi vario, malossi belt and Malossi clutch spring presumably in a Kymco clutch.  But he's got a carbed version with a Leo Vince. He's getting 180km (111mph)+ indicated (probably 165 actual) at 8k and hits 150km (93mph) at 7k . Pretty impressive. There's no way my stock 09 Ri will do that.   

[sissy mary]

If installed right, the stock system will last & last & last. But if u have an up-grade bug biting u in the butt, then I would go with a full change over. Mix and match does not work well. I learned that the hard way. Video guy must have tweaked the carb also? Let us know how it works if u do so? 

[alyn 7777]

Agreed, the mix and match doesn't seem to work well for anyone.  My issue is that I'm riding the hell out of my 2009 RI ABS. It has become my daily driver unexpectedly. I almost never drive my Land Rover anymore.  I have fitted out the Xciting with a top case and quickly removable side luggage so it's highly configurable.  If I needed to spend $9k on this kind of transportation I would. I'd jump on a new My Road but the seat looks horrible, it needs a windshield, luggage and the tire size is the same as what I've got - so I'd be in a new 700 10k with tax configured. The BMW looks 'okay", don't like the looks as much as the Xciting and the BMW shop rate sucks. The Xciting I can maintain on my own.

That said, to spend another 1k on my 4k used bike is nothing to me if it's a worthy upgrade and where the Xciting sucks is the drive system.  It pulls ok, much better with the Dr. Pulley's, but take off is shakey with vibration, I've driven a new one and they're all the same.  I had to use a dremel to clean up the inside of the stock variator to make the Sliders travel freely and as stated above I need a new clutch bell anyway, so I'm thinking a hit clutch, the Dr. Pulley bell and the Dr Pulley variator is fairly cheap money for more 'grab' on take-off, stronger pull, less heat and a variator designed specifically for the sliders.  I would never go back to the stock rollers now, even if I have to change the sliders every 4k. It takes me 15 minutes.

I think an upgraded variator/clutch and bell for $800 is worth it if it lets me use the normal power of the bike more efficiently, I just can't seem to find any user experience from someone who's done this completely on an RI. 

[BigOrange]

I have a Malossi Maxi Fly clutch 5 paw with a stock kymco clutch bell. I don't know what the variator or rollers are I looked at them once.

The new clutch, clutch bell and belt make the xciting fly.

[alyn 7777]

This is good to know.  Are you using the stock Kymco belt?  How many miles on the new setup?  I'm assuming it grabs harder initially and pulls harder all through the power band?  Do you feel the engine braking is the same? Thanks.

[BigOrange]

little grabby on take off and at low speed.  Pulls like a freight train straight through the whole powerband.

[sissy mary]

7777, If u go with a Mallossi var, I would then use a Mallossi belt also. The Mallossi belt is thinner than the stock X500 belt. I think this is 1 reason why the Mallossi belts shred when used with a stock var? The Mallossi belt should be used only with the Mallossi var. The Mallossi belt is only 1 mm wider than when Kymco says to replace an old belt. So it is very thin in comparison to the stock belt. The reason u have luck with the sliders is because you smoothed out the inner surface of the var. In a stock X500 var the Dr pulleys hang up, the var gets out of where it should be (in or out), builds heat, and tears up everything.    Can u send pics of your hard bags? Where did u get them? And how much are they?

[alyn 7777]

Re: bags, after weeks of trying to get uncooperative German distributors to send me the chrome side mounts for Givi monokey bags (at $340 incl shipping) I gave up on the hard side bags, and I am glad I did as I don't like to have the side bags mounted all the time and I HATED the look of the chrome mounts when the bags weren't attached.  So I went the much cheaper route and I like it so much better because I get much more storage from a much LIGHTER setup. 

I bought the new Nelson Rigg CL-855 27 litre soft Side bags off Amazon for $104 shipped.  They are extremely well made and hold a ton. I mounted them reversed (like the looked better - see pics) and stuck on a red rear reflector from Harbor Freight ($2.99) on each bag.  For the top case I searched long and hard for the smallest Monokey case that would still hold a large Modular full face and settled on a gray Givi E360 40L (smaller and better looking IMHO than the E460) case which I bought used for $120. It's mounted on the Givi SR89 monokey mount. I have ordered the Admore LED kit which is on sale for $77 and plan to install, it's crazy bright w/ turn, running and stop LEDs.

This gives me a total of 94 litres of storage and I have a Gears Navigator tail bag for an additional 52 litres if needed.  The whole setup is light, easily removable to a stripped bike in about a minute or less.

Note: If mounting the Nelson Riggs mount them angled down as I did and about the same position as in the pics. I played with mounting position for days to find the sweet spot for drag and this is it.  They make the bike feel more stable when attached for some reason. I rarely take them off. Rain covers come with them standard.

The entire setup ran me $330 including the Givi mount.  It would have been $630 just for the Givi E21 side bags and mount kit alone. And I would have had a lot less storage (and less money in the bank).

[sissy mary]

I can see the back strap would be looped around the passenger hand rail, but what is the forward strap attached to?

[alyn 7777]

The thick top straps (the 2 halves separated) are under the seat attached to stick-on velcro pads on the side of the interior of the seat. This allows the full usage of underseat storage. The lower front straps connect under the fairing to the inside end of the foot pegs. The rear straps connect to the tubular supports for the givi monokey rack.  The bags are solid as heck and every bit as sturdy as the E21s on the chrome monokey mounts. Plus they hold a lot more.

[sissy mary]

Found them on chaparrel for about $101.00 One of my future purchases for sure. Thanks.

[alyn 7777]

...and they're worth every penny. They wanted to charge me $100 just to SHIP over the rack mounts for the hard bags.

What surprises me is the handling with this setup.  I thought with the top box and side luggage on, the 500 would handle like a pig.  But if I keep only light stuff in the top bag and just 13-14 pounds in each saddle bag the 500 actually handles better than when naked. Perhaps it won't corner as hard but it feels a lot more balanced when loaded and it's more comfortable at 70mph.  Have no idea why. The other bonus is that I find people don't tail me as close with this setup.  I probably look a whole lot bigger and wider from the rear and the stick on reflectors help.  Can't wait to install the admore lighting kit on the E360 for night riding.