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Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 10:13 am
by bugsy
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As I left home this morning I heard a tapping noise whilst decelerating at low speeds. On stopping to check my clothing for loose apparel and flapping on plastics I checked the rear tyre and belt, the belt re fitted in March after the recall.

Whilst turning the rear wheel examining the belt I saw a pea sized lump in the belt. I guessed what it was. I rode to the dealers who took off the bottom plastic cover and all that could be seen inside the belt on the toothed side was what looked like the head of a silver screw. However it was this small piece of road chipping which they then had to remove from the outside totally embedded inside the belt. It must be very soft.

They knew I could have done nothing to have prevented this. A puncture is one of those things but the belt taking road chippings !
They said they would make a claim to a Yamaha and see if they would replace the belt and examine the sprockets when it came in for repair.
Another black mark for the mark 6. Not happy.

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 11:25 am
by newscooter
The same thing has happened on BMW belt drive motorcycles

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:10 pm
by Ralph
Yep last time they did the roads round here I saw a few the bigger chippings usually snap the belt.

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:32 pm
by MrGrumpy
Always felt that swapping to a belt drive instead of the enclosed chain was a bad idea!
And drive belts are horrifically expensive if you have to pay...I fear Yamaha will say well its wasn't a failure of design or manufacturing so tough sh....

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:46 pm
by bugsy
I fear you may be right and I will have to pay for this repair in full or have to make a percentage contribution. I will update you later.
I think that it may depend on the number of claims they are seeing. They must be wondering if the design of the belt’s plastic casings are sufficient. They clearly aren’t.
I have a feeling that once again the construction material of the belt may be part of the problem.

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:56 pm
by Ralph
The belts run quite tight and have little give, get something in there and something has to give.

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:39 pm
by MrGrumpy
I wonder if you could claim against the local council / highways authority, though I guess its a long shot unless you can demonstrate that the chip matches those on a road you've travelled on!

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:23 pm
by bugsy
I think we have to accept that chippings are a fact of life, mixing drivebelts with chippings should not be. It only needs more plastic protection.

Much like you I consider moving from a chain was a bad idea. I’m thinking of moving back to a chain driven bike. I never had any problems with them other than maintenance. If you put the time in and look after them properly they will never be a problem with minimal cost. No matter how careful I am with my TMax I have no control over belt maintenance and protection.

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:32 pm
by newscooter
Back in the good old days my Jawa bike ( and Meldrew's CZ ) had totally enclosed chains. My Jawa 350 enclosure was all metal and the chain effectively ran in an oil bath, things were simpler then !!

Re: Road chipping damage to T Max Kevlar belt today.

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 6:36 am
by newscooter
Sorry Meldrew, my bad but I knew that you had owned an East European bike in the past ! I only got one letter wrong !