I did this on my 2005 Kymco People 50. Many of the same basic principals apply to lots of different scooters though, so I figured I'd post a little write-up. If anyone has any questions or comments, be sure to chime in.
I like to change the belt around 6-7000 miles. I don't typically trust one after 8,000. Many manufactures have scheduled service intervals where the belt is recommended to be changed. Have a look in your manual, and take note of when that is.
On the People 50, changing the belt is fairly straight forward, as it is on most scooters. The following is a step-by-step guide to changing the belt on your scooter.
The tools that you're going to need will vary just a bit from scooter to scooter, but the basics are here:
-An impact gun (you can use air or electric) with appropriate sockets for the variator (17mm on this scooter) and the clutch (14mm).
*** Please note that I use an impact wrench for most jobs like this. The manufacturer recommends using a torque wrench that must be used with special clutch holding tools and all of that. I will try to show photos of using that method also at a later date. For your reference, here are the torque specs for the People 50:
TORQUE VALUES
Drive face nut 3.5?4.0kg-m
Clutch outer nut 3.5?4.5kg-m
Clutch drive plate nut 5.0?6.0kg-m
-8mm "T" handle, though a simple 8mm socket with a ratchet will do just fine.
-A flat blade screwdriver.
-A small pry bar.
-A soft-faced (plastic) dead-blow hammer.
The new belt.
This is my Kymco People 50 scooter. It's an awesome machine, and has been very reliable for me for close to 10,000 kilometers now!
This is the CVT cover. The belt (and other parts of the Continuously Variable Transmission) are accessed by removing the 8mm bolts that hold the cover on.
Begin removing the 8mm bolts from around the CVT cover.
This small brake cable bracket also must be removed.
Don't forget the one in the center!
Disconnecting the rubber hose here is optional. Unless the CVT cover is very dirty, I always leave it connected just to make it easier.
After you get the bolts out of the cover, give it a few good tugs from the kickstart lever (you do not have to remove the kickstart lever unless you're working on a 150cc GY6 scooter in most cases).
If tugging on the kickstart lever does not get the cover off (It rarely does) you can give the edges of the cover a few blows from a soft-faced dead-blow hammer while you continue to tug on the cover. Be careful not to damage the paint on the cover though. I have been using this method for years with no troubles.
If it
still won't come off, then there are a couple of pry-points you can use to help the cover come off of the block. Above, you can see the rear pry point.
Here is the front pry point.
Now you should have the CVT cover off of the engine! Congratulations!
Pay attention to the starter bendix. Most of the time it will try to fall out and get cocked to the side. You'll want to push it back in so that it's seated properly. (There will be a photo of this later)
Next, you'll want to remove the variator nut.
Now you can remove the outside pulley half. The CVT fan, a washer, and a "Kick start ratchet" (as called by Kymco) which is a funny shaped metal piece with splines on the inside, and a place for the kickstarter to catch on.
Now you can remove the clutch nut.
Remove the clutch bell.
At this point, I like to pinch the belt in the middle so that there's a little extra slack. This makes removing the clutch (with the belt attached) just a little easier.
Now you can easily slide the clutch and torque driver assembly off of the input shaft. Note that for simply changing the belt, the variator does not have to be removed. I do recommend that you pull the variator off of the crankshaft and inspect the roller weights and ramp sliders though. (Photos of this process are included later)
Comparing the old belt with the new.
To install the new belt, the easiest way is to spread the two pulley halves of the torque driver apart with your hands. Two-handed is best, but I could only take a picture with one hand, of course.
After you get the pulleys spread apart, insert the belt.
This is what your belt/pulleys should look like.
Now you can simply slide the clutch with the belt back onto the input shaft.
Slide the clutch bell back on.
Tighten the clutch nut.
Now put the outside pulley of the variator back on. Take extra care to install the parts so that the splines are properly fitted to the crankshaft.
Put the CVT fan and other goodies back on.
Tighten up the variator nut.
Make sure you push the starter bendix back into it's resting place if it fell out earlier.
To make things a tad easier next time, I recommend a tiny dab of grease on the CVT side of the starter bendix.
If you smear the grease into the hole shown above, it'll suite it's purpose just fine. Remember, use a very small amount. You don't want grease on your belt and such!
The bolts on the Kymco CVT covers are unique. Often times the rubber part and the washer are pulled back as shown above.
It's a simple little thing, but I like to push the washer and rubber back up towards the head of the bolt. This makes it a little easier to install.
Now just bolt the CVT cover back up, and you're ready to rock!
If you want to, you can even give yourself a cheesy thumbs-up to congratulate yourself on a job well-done!
If you want to really get into it, when changing the belt you can also check and change your roller weights, clean the variator, check the clutch pads for wear, clean and grease the kickstart gears and so forth! I have photos of all of this also, if you're interested.
I hope this guide is useful to someone out there. If I can be of any help, let me know!
Ciao!
~Josh
