Modern Vespa

I don't know why I didn't learn the first time, but I tried another third party drive belt for my GT200L. This time it was a Furioso. The belt snapped at 2,500 miles! Below is a picture of the remnants. Luckily it didn't get all wrapped up like last time and was easy to remove. I had my wife bring a belt and my tools out and I changed the belt to an OEM on the side of the highway. Not a fun prospect in 98 degree, high humidity Florida. From now on I am using only OEM and replacing every 8 thousand miles as the service manual recommends. This is my 4th snapped belt. When will I ever learn! Luckily I came out of all these without damage to me or the bike. I in no way endorse this as it could be very dangerous. Here are my stats on the 4 belts I have snapped:

first OEM belt: 11,500 miles.
Malossi belt: 6,000 miles
second OEM belt: 10,000 miles
Furioso belt: 2,500 miles

Be Safe! Don't be like me!

Thanks for the post.

As an aside, you should change even an OEM belt at 7500 miles. Beyond that and the chances of snapping go up significantly.

Yup, I would definitely stick to the OEM belt

But even then, I would check them more frequently than 8K in this weather
I just had mine checked at around 3K... it was really worn

And I need to supply the belts here (because there's no Vespa dealer nearby),
so I'm dead sure it was OEM

The distance any belt can go depends on the bike, the rider, and the type of roads.

My experience of safe change limits, always checked at the lower mark:
GT/GTS belts - 7-8,000 miles
X9/MP3 500 - 6-7,000 miles
X9/MP3 250 - 12-15,000 miles
GP800 - 15-18,000 miles

I was tailoring it to his specific bike.

That's the newer factory-recommended interval.

(And I would put the MP3/250 in the same category...)

Jim I'm wondering why you expect the MP3 belts to last longer, given that the whole engine, rollers, belt are exactly the same part nos as the GTS?

That's been my experience with the X9, and I checked with both JT and some French guys that the MP3 250's seem to last that long as well. However that might just be longer (less start-stop) journeys by the riders concerned. So check early if in doubt!

My very excellent dealer in NJ said that folks around there
often seemed to go through belts more quickly than the Europeans,
perhaps due to different road conditions and riding styles

So I've been checking my belts frequently
and have gone through at least 3 of them in 12,000 miles

I'm sure I could have used some of them longer,
but a shredded belt is a catastrophic failure that I'm not eager to experience

I would think that belts would wear out faster in the hotter, humid areas of the world. In Florida, plastic and rubber seem to deteriorate at a fast pace compared to when i lived out in Utah.

Oh, and also, what is the deal with OEM belts going up from $100 to $150? I have seen them qouted as high as $169. What gives? Seems like we are getting price gouged a bit here.

Seeing as how they are about GBP34 *retail* here in the UK for the 500 belts, yes, you are being gouged. Order them from the UK or Germany.

I just did the currency conversion from BP to US dollar, they are charging us at a min $50 more than what you all pay for it there and in some cases $100 more.

Good Post.

With as many pics as we have seen over the last year or so of aftermarket drive belts self-destructing at low mileage you would almost have to be crazy to go with anything besides a OEM Piaggio belt! I will have 2 seasons on mine after this year and probably 5k miles. I will change mine anyway as I do a lot of highway riding and I don't need any catastrophic belt failure.

Cheap Insurance. Replace your belt. If you take it in to have service done, demand they use a Piaggio belt.

Keeping the transmission air intake filter clean will make the belt last longer - this filter fills up with debris very quickly and limits the amount of air that can flow through the tranny.

Really? thanks for the tip, i wouldn't have thought

just cleaned mine for the first time at 3000 km, 'twas really dusty and full of leaf bits and insects. just want to ask, may be a stupid question. does it need oiling? mine is dry

No oil required - it's just to keep larger bits of crap out - the transmission isn't as sensitive to microscopic bits as the engine internals.

Thanks Jim, I just love your answers

This is another of those recurring threads on MV!

Where the belt is concerned it seems only OEM will do

Ride safe,

Mark 8)

Umm, yeah...
Now that I've seen the price differences, I'm wondering

What Jim said!

Best,

Mark

Ahah!
Maybe the sandy roads in SC are limiting my belt life

(Perhaps because we don't pay enough taxes to get street cleaners,
we end up paying in other ways?)

{Edited to make sense}

I changed the original belt at around 8000 miles. My mechanic and friend, Boris Loose, gave me the old belt and it looked like new. He put in a Malossi belt that has been fine. I just finished a 250 mile ride today and am just short of 16,000 miles. I will have this belt changed within the next month. Since Boris has Malossi belts in stock and I have had good results with this one, I will go ahead and have him install another. My riding is all in Florida and Georgia so it is hot, and I often take rides from 150 to 300 miles at 65 to 75 mph. I also like to take advantage of the acceleration the GT allows so I do not baby the bike at all and have had no issues with either belt.

OEM Belt broke @ 7,400 miles. Sad, just sad!

Change your belt or it will look like this:

I always thought it would be a good thing to have a small 'window' on the transmission cover so you can see what's going on inside with the belt.

a window would be great but would you would need to employ the drunken sea-lion to keep it clean !!

Lol. I think mine got drunk again. I will settle him well this weekend.