J Costa.

[sissy mary]

I was looking around the net, and I can't find anyone who sells the J Costa variators anymore? I even emailed a few places and they said they do not sell them. What's up? Did they pull out of the USA? I see them for sale in the UK & New Zeland, but not here. Did they have problems and pulled them from the market?  SISSY

[sissy mary]

I talked to a place that used to sell them and they said J Costa pulled them from the market. He said they were having alot of problems. Cracking and such. I also read on some post that the spindals (rollers) (weights) were wearing un-even? So their gone I guess? Sissy

[Hoolander2]

Well, I know you had that bad experience with the Malossi belt, Sissy, but I hear their variators are good. 

[sissy mary]

After reading & talking to others who have knowledge of variators, Dr Pulleys and such, I have come to the conclusion that it was not the Dr P's or the melossi belt! It was probably the fact that the sleeve (the outer pulley slides back and forth on), heated up and locked inside the outer pulley half, and therefore destroyed the belt. The J Costa sleeve has multiple holes drilled all through it. All of these holes have a cooling effect as air can pass through, and then keep the heat down on the sleeve/outer pulley. The melossi variator uses a special lubercation/treatment to keep the 2 parts from heating up. So you can see that the other 2 companies have done their home work, and they (through testing), found that this heat issue had to be addressed! It is my feeling that Kymco has a design flaw in the cooling of these two parts? I think why the parts failed is because last year (on my michigan trip), I ran at 60-65 MPH. And the trip was much cooler. This year the trip was much warmer, and I was halling butt at speed's of 75-80 for a fair amount of the trip. When the parts failed, I had been doing a good 75 or so, for quite sometime. And it was much warmer. I think Kymco makes a great scoot. And I love it. But I am going to put on a Melossi variator before I do any more serious touring. After reading other types of forums, web sites and such, this problem has happened to other people also. All at or around my mileage, or a little more. If owners just bop around town, or do short touring trips, this may never happen? But it isn't going to happen to me again. Im already into this for about $1,000, but I feel that the investment into the Melossi will be money well spent. Sissy.     

[Hoolander2]

Yeah!  A good choice, I think.  Well, as I said, my sleeve always looks dry and burnt when I take things apart even if it's only been a couple of months.  And, of course it isn't sliding well in that condition. I have learned to clean it well and lube lightly every time I have it apart.  I only ride short hops, never more than 20 miles or so at a time and never sustain high speeds.  So, yes, I agree it's some sort of flaw in the design.

Hey, on another note but still related to variator:  You know those three slide pieces that look like a U or V that the two pulley halves slide on?  My Dr. P ones broke!  It wasn't visible from just looking at them but upon opening up the variator I found bits of them had broken off the back sides and found the bits under the actual sliders down in the ramps. 

My Dr. P sliders themselves are still ok.  I put the stock slide pieces back in.  I would have to recommend not using those Dr. P slide pieces.

[sissy mary]

Hoolander, Google Tuf oil. This stuff is great in engines & reduces gas consumption/friction. I use it along with Mobile One synthetic 15/50 oil in all of my vehicals. It is in the (Guinnes)? if I spelled it right, book of world records as the slippery'est substance known to man, & resist heat like nothing else on earth. I would really like to know if the sleeve and inside of the pulley half were coated with this stuff, how much better or longer these parts would hold up under the heat? I really think it would be worth a try. I for one am not going to remove the cover a couple of times a year to make sure my variator is not going to lock up on me or not. I don't have the tools to do so, nor the time. If I feel I have to do this, I will get rid of the bike. This is why I think I will bite the bullet and order the Melossi. Sissy.

[sissy mary]

Yes, also on the plastic parts! These should be of a much better quality. Or even made out of someother material. There crap. Sissy