Tmax drive belt snapped

[MrGrumpy]

The problem with inspecting it is that I suspect that very little damage will be visible until failure is imminent - I suspect that on yours once delamination started, failure followed pretty quickly. Once you could see visible damage, it would be in actually in the middle of failing! There is supposed to be a minimum width for V-belts, though whether this would have been a indicator of imminent failure on yours I'm not sure - I suspect not.

[Data]

I was wondering if you were talking about the V-belt or the final drive belt, but as you appear to have a mk3, it must be the V-Belt!

Oh bugger - I've not heard of many belts snapping - the Yamaha ones look like they are brand new after 12k miles! It so annoying to have to bin something that looks like its got years of life left in it.
On my mk6, I've just done what I said I've never do and bought an aftermarket belt - a'JT Max' belt via Wemoto, on the basis that Wemoto wouldn't sell rubbish - and it was only £72 compared to over £170 for the Yamaha article! Now you've got me worried that I should have bought a Yam one, though I guess that even if it does fail early I'm still quids in. Don't really fancy it failing in the outside lane of a M-way though.....

Definitely don't let a £72 belt go 12k Grumpy! Belts are one thing never to economise on with regard to a Tmax or any fairly powerful bike. If a belt breaks on any scooter it can cause damage & then there's the safety aspect. Won't be much fun being run down by a truck or cager or trying to control a lengthy rear wheel skid if one should happen.

[Data]

Right, advice time: Don’t let your belt snap, it’s a total pain in the ass. Two hours to remove the primary and secondary sheaves and pull/cut melted Kevlar string bundles from it, plus chunks of toothed belt. I was expecting an intact but snapped belt, instead I just found rubber shrapnel and Kevlar rope. Sheaves and variator all cleaned up ready for a rebuild with new belt over the weekend.

Glad you're ok! As knight said, it could have been much worse. The nearest I have been to a situation like this was when dynoing a Honda Silverwing 600. The engine seized at full throttle while the bike was accelerating on it's second run of three. It was showing just over 60mph on the clock. Rear wheel locked instantly for about a second & a half as the clutch failed to let go instantly. Thankfully the bike was well tethered. Engine totalled. Oil pump had disintegrated but no oil pressure warning light came on.

[Pukmeister]

New belt fitted this afternoon, had just enough time to ride it up the driveway. Nice to see it move again under its own steam. Will do a gentle bedding-in test ride tomorrow afternoon for 20 or so miles, my real priority is getting my poor dog to the vets for 9:15, she has just got a Liver Cancer positive biopsy result so the bloody bike can wait I have more important issues for now.

[MrGrumpy]

I was wondering if you were talking about the V-belt or the final drive belt, but as you appear to have a mk3, it must be the V-Belt!

Oh bugger - I've not heard of many belts snapping - the Yamaha ones look like they are brand new after 12k miles! It so annoying to have to bin something that looks like its got years of life left in it.
On my mk6, I've just done what I said I've never do and bought an aftermarket belt - a'JT Max' belt via Wemoto, on the basis that Wemoto wouldn't sell rubbish - and it was only £72 compared to over £170 for the Yamaha article! Now you've got me worried that I should have bought a Yam one, though I guess that even if it does fail early I'm still quids in. Don't really fancy it failing in the outside lane of a M-way though.....

Definitely don't let a £72 belt go 12k Grumpy! Belts are one thing never to economise on with regard to a Tmax or any fairly powerful bike. If a belt breaks on any scooter it can cause damage & then there's the safety aspect. Won't be much fun being run down by a truck or cager or trying to control a lengthy rear wheel skid if one should happen.

I know - I said that I'd never get an aftermarket belt, but Yamaha ones are so insanely expensive that I blinked! The JT Max initially feels absolutely fine. But even if I throw it away early I'd still be quids in.

[Pukmeister]

Test ride completed, I could feel the new belt bedding in as the ride progressed through my local urban jungle. A final dash on the local motorway and all is good once more.

This belt is getting replaced within 9500 miles. Never again am I cleaning up the detritus from a snapped belt.

[Funkycowie]

Having had a similar issue happen to me riding my old Gilera Nexus 500 with a non OEM belt whilst in Lane 4 of the M25 overtaking a car doing just over 60, passing a lorry passing another lorry, I never used anything but a Yamaha OEM Tmax belt on my MK3. I did not want to risk it ever again.

That belt by the way ripped to shreds like yours.

[Pukmeister]

To be honest the new Dayco belt is making a bit of a chirp-chirp noise from the variator sheave at idle which is really annoying me (although it rides fine) so maybe next summer I will bite the bullet and buy a genuine Yamaha belt for it.

I just replaced the EBC HH Sintered front pads I had in it for a set of organic Polini pads, I think these EBC may be bootleg as they have zero initial bite, crap feel and need a good pull on the lever to stop. Not what you want for your winter commuting. These new pads haven't even bedded in yet (first ride today) and already they have more bite than the EBC did.

[Betty]

Bit worried now the V belt has just started slipping on my Mk6 when given full beans and i'm on 10k Yamaha want £700 for the 12k service which includes the Belt change.
The Mechanic said it sounded like the Rollers needed replacing.

[MrGrumpy]

Bit worried now the V belt has just started slipping on my Mk6 when given full beans and i'm on 10k Yamaha want £700 for the 12k service which includes the Belt change.
The Mechanic said it sounded like the Rollers needed replacing.

Seems very premature....I've just replaced the V-belt on mine after 12k miles, and everything was fine and the belt looked brand new. Also replaced the rollers which looked fine after 12k (or maybe18k) miles. I put MrPulley sliding roller thingies on instead as they are supposed to last longer. You may have an issue, but it really shouldn't be a wear problem after 10k miles, unless you REALLY thrash it.

Thinking back...there was a problem with early mk6 CVTs - I had some funny issues when running, and it seemed to get stuck at 6000rpm. Yamaha could be persuaded, albeit with difficulty, to replace the whole unit under warranty.