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Belt blowing sleds vs. non?

dansvan

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Apr 14, 2011
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I'm really considering a 850 freeride. I've been reading everything I can about this belt issue. I read references to "non blowers" vs sleds that blow a lot of belts. So is it a hit or miss? You get a good one or a bad one? They don't all blow belts? I know conditions and rider weight etc. all come into play. What are my chances of getting a "good" one?
 

Adam12

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I didn't blow a belt this year but I don't think my riding style would blow one. It seems to be the guys that are always in the steep technical stuff on and off WOT and picking their way up a slope. I do some of that but it is usually to get to nice patches of untouched fields, climbs etc.

I don't find myself in 5' fresh here in central Oregon either. . . . at least not this year. What kind of terrain, conditions and riding style do you have?
 

kanedog

Undefeated mountain clutching champ of the world.
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Excellent questions but I personally couldn't throw 10-15k into the air and hope for a good sled instead of a bad one.

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duncan76

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I'm really considering a 850 freeride. I've been reading everything I can about this belt issue. I read references to "non blowers" vs sleds that blow a lot of belts. So is it a hit or miss? You get a good one or a bad one? They don't all blow belts? I know conditions and rider weight etc. all come into play. What are my chances of getting a "good" one?

I'd do it. I'm 6'3 250 and don't ride easy and guess what I didn't blow a belt this year either. At one point I was wondering just how deep it would have to be to get stuck. Well that turned out to be tits deep before I actually got stuck. Was my clutch hot yup but when you are riding in snow that deep wtf do you expect. Flash back to 2008 everyone talking smack just like now. I put ruffly 5500 miles on that motor before I put a brand new one with an 872 in it still got runs excellent. The point is there bad ones yup but there are far more good one than bad ones. I think there are far to many tide pod eating condum snorting keyboard jockeys that can't have everything perfect so they come on here and plag us with there perseption of how it should be when in reality if they had a snowmobile in the 90s and rode hard and then jumped on there 2018 they wouldn't bitch theyed ride and be happy how far we've come. Rant over.
 

Matte Murder

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I’m with Duncan on this. 2018 174, 250lns of twisted steel and sex appeal plus snivel gear, plus Avy pack and gear, plus tools, plus extensive first aid gear plus my riding gear. Gotta be 300lbs minimum. I had a belt get scalped, caught it before it blew at 280 hard miles. Took it too my dealer, he warranties my belt and changed my secondary spring and put weight in my clutch. Total cost of $90. Put another 350 hard miles on it after that trouble free. Oh and I added a little more weight to the clutch along the way.
 

kanedog

Undefeated mountain clutching champ of the world.
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Funny about the weight comments. My riding bro carries an additional 86lbs of gear on top of his 200 naked lbs of man meat. He blows belts but not as much as one would think. 8 belts in 3000km unconfirmed.


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Big10inch

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I understood buying an XM Doo. One of my buddies is at 3000 miles on his '15, only on the second belt. Only failure in three seasons was a fuel pump. Compared to my three new Polaris sleds in the same time period, all of my buddies on Doos had great reliability.


Now this belt problem... like a 2012 Cat LOL. Now two years in and still not fixed and you would consider buying one? I just made a change from a problematic batch of sleds. Without being dead reliable there is nothing I like about the chassis. With an unresolved belt blowing issue, I can't believe they sell any 850s...
 
D
May 24, 2012
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Doo belts issues is similar to Poo engine issues. Some Doos go through belts every 200km and some Poos go through engines every 2000 km. The word on the street is they will last thousands of km if ridden in the meadows and light on the throttle, but anyone who knows how to ride will know the truth and add a period spelt out in bold letters in case anyone has the intention on arguing this new version of the black and white truth. Where did all the guys go who had experience with alignment, mounts, clutching, gearing and venting?
 

snow-doo

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Belt longevity

Rode 535 miles this winter ,Idaho once ,Wyoming twice,buy a sled head clutch setup change the secondary spring and ride it.240 lbs with out backpack and other stuff.Wide open uphill with the Polaris guys,same belt ,no belt scuffing on clutches.This thing gets it 165 track.
 
B
Feb 18, 2009
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2018 154 X. 500+ miles of mountain riding and no issues here, belt looks like new. I did add SHR adjustable weights and some xtreme vents but otherwise stock. I'm not an extreme rider but love boondocking and not easy on the throttle. Rode a 2016 Axys side by side and could not wait to get back to my Summit.
 

TJ427

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We own two 850s (175 and 165). The 165 is a 2017 and blew one belt while the 175 is a 2018 and still has the stock belt. We had at least 8 or more days where one hour in we commented this is once in a lifetime snow conditions with untouched chest deep powder. 5 separate days I had to start riding other peoples sleds by 1:30 PM to avoid running the gas tank empty on the 175. Still on stock belt. Most of the various riding partners are on 'Doo 850s and we helped change 7 or 8 belts on 3 different turbo Axys sleds but nothing on the 850s (one had Impulse turbo at 8 lbs boost). Maybe we were just fortunate and those we rode with were also fortunate but they are great sleds and we will keep buying them. The snow conditions were outstanding this year and in 38 days riding out West we did not have a single day without thigh deep untouched powder or better. The belt and clutches generated plenty of heat this season. The negative internet stories get hyped while the happy 99% gets downplayed.
 
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