Why you change belts.

[900Rebuilder]

Do new belts have a lifespan do you know? I've got a set still in their cardboard sleeve from Ducati but they must be 10+ years old but have never been fitted

[Mr Gazza]

They should be fine if you have kept them coolish or at least at an even temperature and most importantly, out of light.
If I know I'm going to keep belts for while I just slip them out of the sleeve so they store in a more round shape.

I think I would probably buy new again after 10 years myself though. (How much did you spend on carbs?)

[900Rebuilder]

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

They should be fine if you have kept them coolish or at least at an even temperature and most importantly, out of light.
If I know I'm going to keep belts for while I just slip them out of the sleeve so they store in a more round shape.

I think I would probably buy new again after 10 years myself though. (How much did you spend on carbs?)

Hahaha!

Whilst I'll buy some new ones the pile of bits I bought all those years ago included new belts and new tyres. Shame to chuck them away but better to be safe than sorry.

[Luddite]

Originally Posted by 900Rebuilder

Do new belts have a lifespan do you know? I've got a set still in their cardboard sleeve from Ducati but they must be 10+ years old but have never been fitted

I was wondering about this recently as I've had some Exactfit belts in the spares box for a couple of years. As with Mr G, I always store them out of the light and removed from their cardboard sleeve, so they're perfectly round at the moment.

I did a bit of a search online and found a quote on another forum from Chris at Ca Cycleworks in response to just this question.

"If the belts are stored in plastic and away from sunlight, they have an infinite shelf life. Our manufacturer/importer stores samples from every batch of product he orders then checks the belts every year. Every year, they have consistently stayed "fresh".

We do have EU and UK distributor via Stu at ExactUK."

These Exactfit belts have always been touted as having a three-year operational life but, since Ducati have apparently extended the service life of OE belts on some of the earlier models to five years, http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...ad.php?t=58960 I'm wondering if there's been any corresponding change to the recommended lifespan of the Exactfit belts. I must drop an email to Stu at Exact UK to see if he has any thoughts on the matter.

[Leamreject]

Originally Posted by 900Rebuilder

Do new belts have a lifespan do you know? I've got a set still in their cardboard sleeve from Ducati but they must be 10+ years old but have never been fitted

Need to be stored out of sunlight, in a cool place & importantly away from items with electrical brushed motors such as fridge or freezers as the arcing from them causes ozone which accelerates rubber degradation.

[900Rebuilder]

Originally Posted by Leamreject

Need to be stored out of sunlight, in a cool place & importantly away from items with electrical brushed motors such as fridge or freezers as the arcing from them causes ozone which accelerates rubber degradation.

For the price I'll get a new set and chuck both these and those on the motor now