ATVPT

Gates Trail Runner ATV Belt

Gates Trail Runner ATV Belt. All belts used in these Field Tests and Review have been supplied courtesy of Gates.

We have acquired the 12AT3330 Gates Trail Runner ATV Belt to install and field test on our Kawasaki Prairies here at ATVPT. We will be putting them through the same gruelling tests as we have done to both the Dayco and the Carlisle CVT Belts. We have avid expectations for this new belt offered by Gates.

The belt dimensions are 1 1/4" (32mm) X 33 3/8" (848mm)

Gates Part # 12AT3330

Product Review
Product:	- Gates Drive Belt: 12AT3330
Test Duration:	- ongoing
Odometer:	- 100 miles tested
Tested By:	- Jody Robinson
Machine:	- 2004 Twin Peaks 700 (same as Kawasaki Prairie)
Review Date:	- 04/13/2006

Preface:
	My machine is NOT STOCK! I have set it up for fast trail riding. I have done many performance modifications, including disconnecting the KEBC unit entirely and I am running a V-Force cover. I have also modified my clutch to achieve a higher top speed. Also, my sheaves have been somewhat compromised and appear to be “sand blasted” with small dimples throughout all surfaces on all 4 sheaves. They have been resurfaced by a scotch-brite pad so no sharp edges protrude, but the dimples remain. I know that this can not be good for a belt. I consider myself an extreme test case, and if it will work under these conditions, then is should last some magnitude longer in a stock machine.
First Impressions:
	The Belt is heavy duty. There are no cogs on the outer circumference of the belt. The belt is stiffer than any other belt that I have ran. If you take the belt and try to squeeze it flat (picture the belt going around the drive pulley shaft at idle) it takes 3 to 4 times the effort that it does with others, including OEM, Dayco and Carlisle. In some part, this may be due to the absence of cogs along the outer circumference of the belt, but it’s more than just that. I believe that this belt is made with a higher service factor than other belts. The writing on the belt clearly states that KEVLAR is used in the construction.
Installation:
	With an OEM belt, I run a 1mm shim in the secondary to tension it properly. I had to add another 1mm shim to get this back into spec. I will keep check on the belt to see if or when it loosens up during break in. I attribute this extra shim to the stiffness of the belt. It takes a considerable amount of force to make the belt flat across the top of the sheaves and to take up the slack across the bottom. I think I actually push a little harder on this belt than the recommended pressure in order to measure deflection because of this added effort.
Break In:
	After installing a new belt, I think it’s a good idea to warm the belt up a little and break it in with easy to normal riding in order to remove any oil residue that might still be on the sheaves. As hard as it is to do, try to refrain from doing holeshots until you have the engine up to temp and a mile or more logged on the belt. Some people also believe in warming up the belt during every ride, and I think that’s a good idea to get the compound up to operating temperature and can only increase belt life. Since I am the “extreme” test case, I am going to dispense with the warm-ups. I pretty much just hammer it after the engine warms up, just like you probably do too.
Performance:
	I started out this test with a Dalton Blue primary / Dalton Purple secondary springs. Grip was excellent, no slippage and no problems. I checked deflection and it had not loosened up after 50 miles of hard riding. I decided to throw a high stall primary at the belt. I installed the Orange / Blue from Dalton and have put 50 more miles on it with no problems. The belt is still performing well, at least as good as OEM. No squeaks at idle, no slippage under hard acceleration.
The “Release” and Freewheel” Relationship between Disconnected KEBC, Primary Springs, and the Gates Belt
	The following will only apply if you have disconnected the KEBC. The only thing that this belt does that is slightly undesirable, to me at least, is that it seems to be releasing and going into freewheel mode approximately 1 to 2 MPH higher than other belts. For example, If you are descending a steep hill at speed, the engine will hold back even if the KEBC is disconnected, up to a point, until the primary sheave slows down enough to allow the primary spring to force apart the sheaves. This will “release the belt and the bike will “freewheel” and speed up, similar to it being kicked into neutral. This is barely noticeable with a stock or Dalton Blue spring and other belts that I have tested because it happenes around 3 mph. With this belt, it seemed to release around 4 to 5 MPH. Not a big deal to me cause I hate the un-predictable, jerky nature of the KEBC, and I would rather apply breaking manually at this speed to be smooth and in control. It’s a little different with the Orange / Blue. It kicks out at around 7 MPH (with OEM belt) and this can sometimes be a hassle when you are riding fast in tight woods. The Gates Belt released at 9mph I attribute this to the stiff nature of the belt. The “memory” or “set” of the belt makes it want to return to a more round state, which makes it release from the sheaves a little earlier than the more flexible belts. This seems like logical behavior for a “heavier-duty” type belt to me.
Thoughts:
	I am still a little unsure on how to set the deflection at this point. It may be fine with “OEM stock shimming”. I am going to leave it as is for now, as any tighter will induce a creeping when idling in gear. I am pleased with the belt so far. From my initial experience and limited trail mileage, I think that if any belt stands a chance to surpass the OEM Bando belt, This is the one. My clutch set-up and the high engagement RPM’s of the Orange Blue spring will certainly be a good test for it. I plan on further subjecting this belt to a torture test by riding in a XC race or two. Pushing it hard for 1 ½ to 2 hours in the NC heat will tell the tale.
******* GATES BELT UPDATE 03-13-2007 *******
	The Gates belt has been on my quad for 11 months now with no problems. That's over 1,000 hard miles with less than perfect sheave faces on a modified clutch with ZERO problems; NO slippage and NO re-adjustment! I recently purchased front and rear clutches with less than a hundred miles on them to replace my old ones. They came with a new Kaw belt, so I guess I will run the OEM belt with the "new" sheaves. That is the only reason that the gates belt will be leaving my machine. I plan on experimenting with my old clutches a little, and when I get the faces machined, the old Gates belt will go back on. This thing is simply hard to kill. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to anyone that can change their own belt... which should be just about everybody reading this review. During this time it has endured XC racing, long hot NC trail rides and cold WV snow. I was nice to the belt for a few miles until I felt that it had seated, but otherwise, I just hammered on it hard from the start, pulling wheelies and never backing down from a drag race. I didn't treat it nice because I am a believer in Gates Belts. I spec and use Gates industrial belts on the machinery that I design at work. I can't say for sure that this belt is better than OEM, but I can tell you that my original OEM belt was toast after the same amount of time and that was on new sheaves. FINAL CONCLUSION: This is by far the best aftermarket belt I have tested. I found it locally for about half the cost of the OEM, and performed for me just as good, and for a longer period of time. It requires approximately one additional mm of shim in the primary sheave, so have that on hand before installation.