[Fairmont210]

Is there a mileage that the CVT belts break. If so does the motor and drive assemble have to come out of the frame?? I have 19000 on my 2004 Burgman 650. planning a trip out west in the summer ???

 

[NormanB]

The belt is advertised as a 'life of the bike item' which sounds very reassuring or rather it did. We have had reports of belts failing at 50,000 miles or thereabouts but normally as a result of a bearing failure in the CVT assembly.

It is a major job to replace this belt and near enough the same work as doing a full overhaul on the CVT, it is not something anyone rational would undertake as 'preventative ' maintenance and is something in the order of 20 + hours if you know what you are doing.

 

[Dave_J]

There has not been a set mileage that failures have happened. There have been reports at 6500 miles and others at 90,000+ miles. The main issue with the CVT is its input adapter splines on 03 and 04's. Then Suzuki made a change for 05 and up that is a (SQUEAKIE) bit better. And some reports of CVT input bearings too. Yes the engine must be at least unbolted and dropped down for the CVT to clear the frame. Cheap bearings and under-sized adapters are the main cause!!! Better bearings and an adapter made in Poland ($250 + shipping) would make a 03 to 04 run to over 100,000+

Read the sticky on Primary adapters, LeDudes CVT repair thread, Buffelo's CVT belt repairs and many more.

Cheap bearings and under-sized adapters are the main cause!!!
THANK-YOU SUZUKI for engineering a fine product.

 

[Buffalo]

As the others said the belts will last a long time unless something else causes them to break. Mine went over 80,000 miles before the belt wore out. I had no other issues inside the CVT so just did a belt replace to get the bike running again.

 

[MJR]

Dave Hobin had his break at 45,000 mile on his '09 with no other failing parts.

Dave also has a '07 (currently apart in my garage) with 62,000 miles and the belt was slipping. The belt was starting to come apart, no other parts leading to it's impending failure though the bearings in the primary where seeping grease with a bit of noise.