Kymco AK 550 CVT belt replaced

[rjs987]

This weekend I replaced the belt in the CVT on my AK 550. This job has a 12,000 mile service interval in the schedule.

I picked up a few new tools and parts just for doing this job. Well, the tools I'll use for a lot of other things.
I needed 2 M5 bolts to hold the secondary pulley plates apart only while replacing the belt. These were shown in the service manual but no information about size or length or any other detail for them other than where to put them. They are now stored with my EasyBoost Variator holder tool since that is the only job for which they will be needed.
I also needed a set of e-Torx sockets so bought a set on Amazon that included both standard Torx bits as well as the e-Torx sockets.
https://a.co/d/hXZWPaU

The old belt didn't look too bad but was a little worn. I'll keep it for a temporary emergency swap if something happens to the new belt.
Part of this job is also what is needed to clean or replace the CVT filter. I am continually impressed with the quality and durability of the plastics and mechanics of this Kymco bike. There are tabs but they are very beefy compared with any other bike or scooter I've worked on so much less likely to break. They are also well thought out on how they fit together so even less chance of breaking.

Here is a link to the PDF service manual PDF document for this model. It is a really good idea for any owner of this scooter to have this manual. I downloaded it free from a European Kymco regional office web site. It is too big to add as an attachment but feel free to download it.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LdGFvBSMclucDqnrHYyf7J9jOnFecmUU/view?usp=sharing
Here is a link to the PDF document I wrote up with pictures for the entire project from start to finish. Feel free to ask any questions.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g9SjZwoKZBY5Aw7W-1gG7U5-aUB03rq9/view?usp=sharing

[VTour]

Thanks for the write up on the belt change and the links to the manual.  I just bought my 2023 AK550 Touring bike a month ago and only have 4500 miles on it so far.  While I will most likely use the dealer for service I always like to know a little about what is needed before approaching them.  As I search the forum it is kind of hard to find all the AK550 info.  Things like looking for hand guards or (bark guards) and other farkles are hard to find.  Today I am looking for information on tires and tire life.  I noted that with my low mileage my rear tire is down to 4/32.  Information about others tire experience and brand experience would be very helpful.

Anyway, Thanks for the post and if you are ever in the Las Vegas area let me know and we may be able to do some interesting rides.

Mike
VTour

[rjs987]

Thanks for the write up on the belt change and the links to the manual.  I just bought my 2023 AK550 Touring bike a month ago and only have 4500 miles on it so far.  While I will most likely use the dealer for service I always like to know a little about what is needed before approaching them.  As I search the forum it is kind of hard to find all the AK550 info.  Things like looking for hand guards or (bark guards) and other farkles are hard to find.  Today I am looking for information on tires and tire life.  I noted that with my low mileage my rear tire is down to 4/32.  Information about others tire experience and brand experience would be very helpful.

Anyway, Thanks for the post and if you are ever in the Las Vegas area let me know and we may be able to do some interesting rides.

Mike
VTour

I usually try to start the title on all my posts here with "Kymco AK 550..." to make them easier to find.
The ADV Rider forum also has several threads on the AK 550 that have a lot of information.

I found that tires on my last 3 bikes (CTX1300, Burgman 650, and now AK 550) usually last about the same miles. Front is typically 6000 miles or maybe a bit more and rear is typically just a little more than that. My Burgman tires lasted just over 6000 mile for the front and just under 7000 miles for the rear. So far my AK tires lasted 6670 miles for the front and 8303 miles for the rear... But I've only needed to replace tires once on my AK. I am sticking with the stock Metzeler FeelFree tires since those have proven to be good performing tires. I've used Shinko tires on past bikes but those are a crapshoot if they ride good or not. They did on my CTX but Shinko would have to pay me a LOT to put them on a Burgman ever again. That brand really didn't last much different for number of miles and the price for these Metzeler tires are not that much over the price of Shinko tires. Shinko tires for the AK might not be Radial tires like OEM are. They weren't for my Burgman. I prefer to stick with Radial tires these days.

Keep in mind that tire life varies a lot depending on many factors. Road surface, temperatures, riding style are just a few of the factors that can drastically effect tire life. I know many riders in other places from where I am who rode on the same tires on the same bike (such as the ST1100) and their resulting miles on those tires were VERY different than mine. I usually ended up with a lot more miles than they did, but some others rode more miles than I did. All on the same tires on the same bike.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Just a quick comment about your tire mileage.
I've never ridden a scooter that weighed in at more than 500 lbs....that said, I've always found that my front tires last twice as long as my rears. Always.
I would have thought that this pattern would have been especially true on a heavy, more powerful scooter? 🤔

Interesting.....
Stig

[rjs987]

Just a quick comment about your tire mileage.
I've never ridden a scooter that weighed in at more than 500 lbs....that said, I've always found that my front tires last twice as long as my rears. Always.
I would have thought that this pattern would have been especially true on a heavy, more powerful scooter? 🤔

Interesting.....
Stig

Tire mileage varies a lot depending on a lot of factors. My GW rear tire usually lasted a lot longer than the front. My ST and CTX bikes were closer front/rear but the rear did still last longer. As also did my Burgman and the AK. Never had a bike rear tire last twice the front but I have heard from many other riders who did. I've also spoken with riders of the ST1300 who ran through both tires at nearly the same miles but they usually rode really hard on their bikes.

[Neil955i]

Tire mileage varies a lot depending on a lot of factors. My GW rear tire usually lasted a lot longer than the front. My ST and CTX bikes were closer front/rear but the rear did still last longer. As also did my Burgman and the AK. Never had a bike rear tire last twice the front but I have heard from many other riders who did. I've also spoken with riders of the ST1300 who ran through both tires at nearly the same miles but they usually rode really hard on their bikes.

That interests me Rob as I NEVER have the front wear before the rear and my usual rate is 2 x Rear to 1 x Front.  Nature of the roads in the UK vs USA maybe?

[nokster]

Thanks for the useful write-up. The service manual is handy, but lacking in detail.

[rjs987]

Thanks for the useful write-up. The service manual is handy, but lacking in detail.

My career was in highly technical stuff. Good at figuring out how things work and how they go together. What the manuals don't provide I am usually good at figuring out. I only use the manuals as a starting point and go from there.

[nokster]

Did you source the CVT belt from your local dealer or elsewhere? Slightly surprised by these $300+ prices for the belt I'm seeing online. Seems a bit heavy for just a belt, but what do I know?

[CROSSBOLT]

Did you source the CVT belt from your local dealer or elsewhere? Slightly surprised by these $300+ prices for the belt I'm seeing online. Seems a bit heavy for just a belt, but what do I know?

They are getting as crazy with belt prices as they are with some tire prices!

[rjs987]

Did you source the CVT belt from your local dealer or elsewhere? Slightly surprised by these $300+ prices for the belt I'm seeing online. Seems a bit heavy for just a belt, but what do I know?

I called my "local" dealer to find out their price and then bought it for a lot less at Taiwan Big Scooter Shop.
Here: https://taiwanbigscootershop.com/collections/ak550
They have a lot of parts available at reasonable prices and don't take a long time shipping it to me in central Iowa.

The belt there is currently, and was when I bought a year ago, $138 + $25 shipping.
https://taiwanbigscootershop.com/collections/ak550/products/kymco-original-parts-transmission-pulley-parts-b-ak550?variant=39519582158947
Far less than the nearly $300 that the dealer was asking and what I received was the official OEM Kymco part.

In May I bought a set of rear brake pads from them just to have on hand. Still don't need them yet but I know I have them on the shelf. I have my sights on 2 sets of EBC front brake pads (FA630HH) which are the very same as OEM just without the Kymco logo printed on them. Amazon has a few sets for a good price.