AK 550 Drive Belt

[NomadCF]

People dump bikes for scooters because they're tired of fooling with chains. Why would anyone want to remove the belt for a chain?!
Or, is the important thing is that it's a 'MOD' --- even if you've gained nothing....because Kymco doesn't know as much as the modders do?
Stig

Clearly you've never been alone or with a group where someone's had their belt either break or get trashed while riding. Belts aren't my favorite thing but no one can deny a chains ability to be easily replaced on the side of the road. Sure their area few belt replacement friendly bikes. But even then unless your chains hidden under a mound of plastic. It's still going to be more replacement friendly then a belt.

Yes the belt in most other ways is "superior". It requires less maintenance, quieter, and cleaner. But everything comes at a cost.

Then again my preference has always been shaft drives. I can't think of a more reliable transfer method.

Ps. There was one caveat to this, the old (1920?) non-teeth driven belt drives. Hell one of those you could use an old (heavy) dressing belt to how will your way to "home".

[Ruffus]

@NomadCF, interesting subject coming up.

How many rotten drivebelts on SCOOTERS have you personally seen and replaced streetsides?

Relaiabilty, my ranking:
-drive shafts (cardanic) on higher priced motorcycles like Guzzi, BMW, Honda
-chain propelled, nearly any brand
-belt driven (variomatic) and wide belt like Harley D., Indian

Loss of performance (motor to driven wheel)
-drive shaft  12-15%
-chain 5-7%
-belt 7-9%

Costs of replacement and likelyhood of failure
-drive shaft  $1500-2000,-  not very likely during bikes life
-chain & sprockets ~$200,- every 10-20000 km
-belt (vario) $ 50-200,-  every 10000 km
-wide belt (Harley) $400,- every 60000 km

So, if you compare only these parameters (there would be many more to consider) and see, hear  and feel a smooth factory tuned scooter of any cubature, there are not so many arguments against.

Of course a motorcycle/scooter is most of the time seen by its owner more like a pet than a tool, and therefore emotions come into play.
Any vehicle plant is orienting on market, productions costs and area of interest, customer group.
If a company produces for example drive shaft cycles than for sure not for the broad wordwide "student / commuter market", but for the clientel with money.

For a single cardanic drive shaft costs approximately the same than a whole inexpensive belt driven scoot at asian market, so it's easy to see where tendency goes.

[Stig / Major Tom]

@NomadCF, interesting subject coming up.

How many rotten drivebelts on SCOOTERS have you personally seen and replaced streetsides?

Relaiabilty, my ranking:
-drive shafts (cardanic) on higher priced motorcycles like Guzzi, BMW, Honda
-chain propelled, nearly any brand
-belt driven (variomatic) and wide belt like Harley D., Indian

Loss of performance (motor to driven wheel)
-drive shaft  12-15%
-chain 5-7%
-belt 7-9%

Costs of replacement and likelyhood of failure
-drive shaft  $1500-2000,-  not very likely during bikes life
-chain & sprockets ~$200,- every 10-20000 km
-belt (vario) $ 50-200,-  every 10000 km
-wide belt (Harley) $400,- every 60000 km

So, if you compare only these parameters (there would be many more to consider) and see, hear  and feel a smooth factory tuned scooter of any cubature, there are not so many arguments against.

Of course a motorcycle/scooter is most of the time seen by its owner more like a pet than a tool, and therefore emotions come into play.
Any vehicle plant is orienting on market, productions costs and area of interest, customer group.
If a company produces for example drive shaft cycles than for sure not for the broad wordwide "student / commuter market", but for the clientel with money.

For a single cardanic drive shaft costs approximately the same than a whole inexpensive belt driven scoot at asian market, so it's easy to see where tendency goes.

Recently watched a fellow replace a belt on a SilverWing on the side of a highway on youtube.
Follow factory schedule for replacement (he didn't) - and please report in here when your OEM belt breaks before the scheduled replacement
time! We'll start keeping records.
Stig

[CROSSBOLT]

About the 12000 mile/20000 kms CVT belt replacement: my opinion for my type of riding is that 12000 miles is way too soon. This recent belt crisis here was at 15000 miles on the DT 300i and its dimensions were EXACTLY the same as the new, correct OEM replacement. The visual was the same as well with the exception of a little dirt on the original.

Recommend inspection at 12000 and then go from there.

[Ruffus]

@CROSSBOLT, yes,
 I'm 100% with you in this matter, in your case.
 But for a technical judgement of an highly stressed item on a motorcycle/machine one needs some experience or being a hopefully trained technican.

And how many drivers do have that?
How many drivers do have even the skills or tools to open their scoots CVT case?

How to distinguish between a new proper looking belt and a new which was stored up to ten years at a dealers shelf, let alone a used good looking one?

Material is aging, even without being used, and Murphys Law is lurking.

[jermwars]

It is rather confusing. Kymco really should have called the two belts something totally different to make it easy to tell them apart.

This is the only site I've found that has a parts listing for the AK 550.
https://www.bike-parts-kymco.uk/kymco-motorcycle/550-SCOOTER/AK
It says this is for the Euro 4 version but I don't think there is much, if any, difference with what we have in the USA.
Looking on the parts breakout I see that the final drive belt is part number 40530-LGC6-E00 and is called "Timing Belt" in the parts list. The CVT belt is part number 23100-LGC6-E00 and is called "Belt Drive" in the parts list. So I would guess that should answer the question about which belt is which.

Having the official OEM part number should help in finding the right belts. Another way to tell them apart when looking at aftermarket sources is to look at the outer and inner surfaces of the belts. The CVT belt will have teeth on both sides, though much smaller teeth usually on the outer side. The final drive belt will be smooth on the outer side and only have teeth on the inner surface of the belt.

oh, thanks for the parts link...been looking for something like that

[NomadCF]

@NomadCF, interesting subject coming up.

How many rotten drivebelts on SCOOTERS have you personally seen and replaced streetsides?

Scooters, zero. I rarely ride with other scooters.

Motorcycles, three times I've seen a belt get shredded. One has just been replaced with in the last ~200 miles. We know that was if you met up with him at the dealer that just replaced it. The second time was just over th boarder of West Virginia. It was maybe damp out and the truck Infront of us didn't have a cover. The short of is that these metal "strips" came flying out and the other rider thought he missed it. But as the rear tires rolled over it. It twisted it up and turned it into a razor blade. Sliced it part way across. And the third, I have no idea the other then the belt let go. It could have been "30 yrs" and dry rotted for all I know.

Again I've also bought bike with a drive shaft. Sure my scooters have all been belts. But I rarely keep them for long. While I enjoy riding scooters, it doesn't last long before I'm looking for a bike again. My avg for a scooter is about 2 yrs whereas my avg for keeping a bike is 8yrs. But maybe the 550 will be different.

And yes I get it, I don't seem to fit into the forum very well. I ride fast, don't gear up and seem to disagree with most of yous about everything.

[jermwars]

About the 12000 mile/20000 kms CVT belt replacement: my opinion for my type of riding is that 12000 miles is way too soon. This recent belt crisis here was at 15000 miles on the DT 300i and its dimensions were EXACTLY the same as the new, correct OEM replacement. The visual was the same as well with the exception of a little dirt on the original.

Recommend inspection at 12000 and then go from there.

I finally replaced the CVT belt in my yamaha at about 40,000 miles...i didnt measure the old one or anything but it seemed like it had some miles left in it...wasnt cracked or delaminated too badly and it was 13 years old

I was impressed

[jermwars]

Good idea to take it in to the shop if you suspect the belt is too tight. Then you can check it yourself with the force tool to get a benchmark right after it is set to spec.

Bob - If we could get the readings from that expensive tool for a belt that uses the 10lb tension as spec, shouldn't we be able to corelate a usable measurement with the cheap/universal 10lb tool? Maybe with a little math of some sort...or maybe we get lucky and that expensive tool just reads 10lbs really precisely (and other gunk) and all we really need is the 10lb force tool

theres gotta be a simple workaround for this

i hope

[rjs987]

I'm not positive there would be any correlation between the pricey sonic tool and the much more affordable force pressure tool. I also don't think there would be a valid translation from checking on another bike to see what the deflection should be on the AK 550. The proper deflection is based on the belt type/size/width/density as well as the distance between the centers of the front and rear sprockets. Measurement is taken as close to the center between those centers on either the upper or lower run of the belt. Deflection on belts that have a 10 lb deflection specification is based on how much deflection per inch or quarter inch or something like that and multiplied by the distance between sprocket centers.

BTW- I don't really know all this. I only pretend to know it based on what I've read and a video I watched for doing this. 

I'm sure there are others who are FAR more experienced and knowledgeable about it that I am. 

When I buy my AK 550 I do intend to get the less pricey tool to take with me and measure the belt tension with it before I leave the dealer's store and make notes about the results so I can do it again when I need to set the tension (tire changes or any other rear wheel maintenance). I would expect they would have it set up right. I might even try to convince them to verify that the tension is set is properly before I take it away.

[jermwars]

When I buy my AK 550 I do intend to get the less pricey tool to take with me and measure the belt tension with it before I leave the dealer's store and make notes about the results so I can do it again when I need to set the tension (tire changes or any other rear wheel maintenance). I would expect they would have it set up right. I might even try to convince them to verify that the tension is set is properly before I take it away.

I need to get more aggressive with the service guy.

Hes kind of a gruff prick...isnt helpful at all

[CROSSBOLT]

I need to get more aggressive with the service guy.

Hes kind of a gruff prick...isnt helpful at all

Some of the grouches are really knowlegeable. And some are just ignorant grouches. Hard to tell the difference EXCEPT the ones with the knowledge really FIX things!

[jermwars]

Some of the grouches are really knowlegeable. And some are just ignorant grouches. Hard to tell the difference EXCEPT the ones with the knowledge really FIX things!

This guy seems really disenchanted with his career direction. He comes off as being better suited for a job as a corrections officer at a county jail.

[Grumpy old man]

spoke with Kymco USA about finding a dealer near me with the sonic tester for belt tension and after an hour found that Kymco  USA does not require it's dealers to have any specific equipment and there probably is not a dealer in the USA with the proper tension tester.   WTF?  How can this be?  I changed my rear tire and did my best to tension it using a dial mic and adjusted to sound.  it seems OK but? 
 After 4200 miles the rear tire was getting within 2 32nds on wear bars.  Went Dark side.  installed a 165 60 15  Vredestein  Quatrac and I love it.  can't tell it from a bike tire except that it will last 40,000 miles.

[rjs987]

I've noted elsewhere that I now do use a 10 lb force tool for setting belt tension... same as HD owners do. I look for between 7/16 and 3/8 inch deflection of the belt with 10 lbs force using the tool at a point half way between the centers of the front and rear sprockets. I put a notch in the inner lower belt cover to fit the tool and only have to remove the outer lower cover to check the tension. Easy to do now and no expensive sonic tool or visits to the dealer.
This pic and video were done before I cut the notch but it is the same with the notch made.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eXWXWupHjjypcFBC7