TS belt. $320 ?

[portgrinder]

Fell out of my chair.

Lots of room for someone to undercut them and supply a sensible solution.

 

[Hawkster]

Run with it

TIMBERSLED BELT DRIVE SPARE BELTS - TKI CNC

Poly Chain GT Carbon Belts — Nothing Tougher. Fits TKI Timbersled Belt Drive. The patented use of Carbon Fiber as the tensile cord in this belt provides increased horsepower rating for greater power density and compactness and increased flexibility, allowing the use of backside idlers.

tkicnc.com

 

[M5-]

Do you get a spare when you snow check? My Yeti snow check came with a spare belt.

M5

 

[AllHatNoCattle]

Run with it

TIMBERSLED BELT DRIVE SPARE BELTS - TKI CNC

Poly Chain GT Carbon Belts — Nothing Tougher. Fits TKI Timbersled Belt Drive. The patented use of Carbon Fiber as the tensile cord in this belt provides increased horsepower rating for greater power density and compactness and increased flexibility, allowing the use of backside idlers.

tkicnc.com

Does this fit the new Timbersled QDT? I assumed this only worked with their system.

 

[AllHatNoCattle]

Do you get a spare when you snow check? My Yeti snow check came with a spare belt.

M5

No, I didn't.

 

[ravenous]

I wonder why Yeti gives you a spare? Is it still a weakness? I dont know if I like my QDT on the ARO 3 yet.
It looks cool and I can lord it over my buddies that dont have it, but I am not expecting a miraculous unleashing
of lost power or anything. I just hope its reliable. I have never had a problem with chains in 8 years of snowbikes.

 

[GKR]

I have not seen failures on Yeti 28mm belts. No more than I have seen chain failures anyway. The only time I have seen belts break is user error, like hitting neutral and then wacking it into gear while the engine is still spooled up. This is going to break something typically regardless and for me the belt is the easiest "fuse" to replace.

 

[Hawkster]

Does this fit the new Timbersled QDT? I assumed this only worked with their system.

I don't know, an e-mail or call might be a start. I went down the same road in my situation.

Belt drives have never been a weakness, the frame supporting the drive was the weakness, Some skids gave belts a bad name because they flexed, cheap ass ****, was never the belts fault.

Try telling a 11,000 horsepower dragster belts are bad, apples to oranges but still imagine a chain doing that?

The only way you can compare a belt to a chain is by converting the same skid , belts give you quicker response, less flinging mass that affect threw out the hp range when your ringing the **** out of the throttle, engagement, temps/never seen a belt turn purple.

Again those manufactures that broke belts came out with either a **** flexing skid or a bad belt . It's not the belt it's an excuse.

 

[teal_210]

My plan prior to switching brands was to have a chain drive set-up in the pickup for the just in case event. You can get a chain and sprockets for just over $100 USD. The QDT belt is somewhat fragile in how it needs to be transported, you can't bend it too tight or it's no good, and a broken belt is usually associated with a broken belt cover, with a broken belt cover it often takes several belts to make it out of the backcountry.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

My plan prior to switching brands was to have a chain drive set-up in the pickup for the just in case event. You can get a chain and sprockets for just over $100 USD. The QDT belt is somewhat fragile in how it needs to be transported, you can't bend it too tight or it's no good, and a broken belt is usually associated with a broken belt cover, with a broken belt cover it often takes several belts to make it out of the backcountry.

“Several belts” Sounds expensive.

 

[M5-]

Just tie up a pair of panty hose, kick it old school, simply ride out. Good luck explaining to the bros why you are wearing panty hose.

M5

 

[teal_210]

“Several belts” Sounds expensive.

I saw one poor guy on another brand go through 5 belts in 2 days because of a leaky cover... Some learn slower than others. ?

During my Yeti days I was always in a towable area when the belt broke so we just towed it out.

 

[AllHatNoCattle]

Why does a leaky cover destroy belts?

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Why does a leaky cover destroy belts?

Snow ingestion kills belts.

Chain’s just eat snow.

 

[AllHatNoCattle]

I am really starting to wonder why I went with this belt drive. So far I have learned this belt will be:

1. Less reliable
2. WAY more expensive
3. Spare belts will be difficult to carry a spare of
4. If the belt gets snow on it, it will blow the belt
5. Does not drop panties any better than a chain

Are the marginal gains in throttle response really worth it?

Are we sure that the sprockets will fit in place of the belt pulleys? Seems like carrying sprockets, chain and chain idler is the only real solution.

 

[teal_210]

I am really starting to wonder why I went with this belt drive. So far I have learned this belt will be:

1. Less reliable
2. WAY more expensive
3. Spare belts will be difficult to carry a spare of
4. If the belt gets snow on it, it will blow the belt
5. Does not drop panties any better than a chain

Are the marginal gains in throttle response really worth it?

Are we sure that the sprockets will fit in place of the belt pulleys? Seems like carrying sprockets, chain and chain idler is the only real solution.

I wouldn't worry too much, hopefully QDT proves to be reliable.

The driveshafts are the same, so you should be able to bolt a chain and sprocket set up right on. I did just read that the pulley bolts are are torque to yield and single use, so might want to throw an extra sets of bolts in your tool bag also.

 

[GKR]

Same here, 13 tooth sprocket just barely rubbed on Riot 3/ 2023 FC450. I filed down the guide a bit and moved the guide back as much as it would go. About an 1/8" clear now.

I am really starting to wonder why I went with this belt drive. So far I have learned this belt will be:

1. Less reliable

Nope, seen many chains break too.

2. WAY more expensive

Yes, fair statement.

3. Spare belts will be difficult to carry a spare of

Nope. Not that bad. Don’t kink it or wrap it wrong way, etc. Even if you have one in the trailer, someone could ride for it if need be. They are reliable unless you do things like run it at wrong tension, get it oily, etc. TheTimbersled belt looks heavier that the Yeti belts and they rarely break.
If you accidentally hit neutral avoid hammering it into gear, just stop and take the stuck if you have to. That’s how you break belts.

4. If the belt gets snow on it, it will blow the belt

Meh, not really an issue. If you break a belt case possibly an issue but that’s rare and you can usually ride out.

5. Does not drop panties any better than a chain

Yep. Roll with the belt drive. When you know, you know.

Are the marginal gains in throttle response really worth it?

Yes. I think so. In a light relatively low HP machine that drive inertia is noticeable. The belt is more efficient and the light weight parts have much less rotational inertia which you can feel. Think heavy flywheel effect. It’s not going to be OMG, 50 HP! More so a subtle difference that is all round better and riding in the trees and and tight spaces is much more fun.

Are we sure that the sprockets will fit in place of the belt pulleys? Seems like carrying sprockets, chain and chain idler is the only real solution.

 

[Chadx]

There is another situation where one can inadvertently stress a belt; On a cold start with a cold belt, your clutch plates are often stuck together and don't free up until they are warmed up and/or broke free. It takes a lot of force to break them free when stone cold. Meaning, you pull the bike out of the trailer, start it, and within a minute, go to click it into gear so you can pull it around to a different spot along side the truck. You pull in the clutch, shift it into gear and clunk; the bike dies because pulling in the clutch didn't release the stuck clutch plates so shifting it into first acts like you didn't even have the clutch lever pulled in. That abrupt driveline shock is very hard on the entire driveline including a cold belts. Some make/model bike clutches stick more than others and oil used is a contributing factor. I had an issue on a previous snowbike build and realized I needed to really let that bike warm up (10 - 15minutes) before that first shift so the clutch plates would release. My latest build is less prone to it, but still, I no longer move the bike to a more convenient spot nor do that first shift into gear until after it warms up 10 minutes or so (depends on ambient temperature that day).

 

[turbonium]

I am selling a belt for a yeti pm me

 

[Hawkster]

I guess I should consider myself lucky last time I ordered a belt it was at least four years ago. Ordered 2 out of the east coast 110.00 a piece. Went from the factory Carlyle to a Gates.
Something distributors don't want you to know.
Some belts are made in wide widths and than are cut to a required width to fit the application.
Hell of a mark up, do your research , time consuming but it's all on line.

Chadx brought up a good point , lay it over and crack the throttle a few times, besides cold it might have a chunk of ice. Kick stands do work