[Dad]

 

[Brian]

Don't sweat it. This plastic isn't your father's Bakelite.

Modern plastics, used in the right places, are a near perfect solution to many problems. Depending on material used they can be self-lubricating, quiet, light-weight/low-inertia, and have high strength:weight ratios.

Suzuki still uses metal where it's needed most.

 

[mactd83]

the plastic gears are only there to adjust the movement of the drive pulley in and out to change gear ratios via an electric motor, they arent used for the actual drive train.

 

[allwalk]

I have repaired a lot of equipment in my years. Believe it or not the metal gears most usually show more wear than the plastic gears. The Plastic tends to give a little where as the metal just wears out. I have found myself replacing metal gears far more often than plastic or plastic compound gears. I wouldnt worry about them being in your gearbox, I'm not and I knew about them before I purchased.

 

[Dad]

Whew! That's a relief - these being new tech transmissions made me look twice. Any idea how long this type of tranny has been in use worldwide?

 

[Randy]

CVT has been around since 1886,(yes that's 1886) and recently has begun to find its way into production automobiles.
Right now there are a few more cars out there then you may think using CVT

 

[pauljo]

Whew! That's a relief - these being new tech transmissions made me look twice. Any idea how long this type of tranny has been in use worldwide?

It depends on what you mean by "type"... ECVT transmissions are used currently in some car models. However, the transmission in the AN650 is the first of its kind for a 2 wheeled vehicle as far as I know. The materials, design and build of the AN650 ECVT transmission is somewhat different from the ECVT in an Audi automobile. It is designed for a relatively low horsepower engine moving a 500 lb vehicle. The Audi transmission on the other hand, has to work with a high horsepower engine moving a vehicle that weighs thousands of lbs. So the Audi transmission is understandably over-built compared to the scooter's transmission.

The new Ford 500 car will have an optional ECVT transmission too. It is slated to be the replacement for the Ford Taurus. It will offer an all wheel drive option also - but ONLY with the ECVT transmission. Over the next few years, we should see the use of ECVT transmissions increasing.

 

[Brian]

Whew! That's a relief - these being new tech transmissions made me look twice. Any idea how long this type of tranny has been in use worldwide?

As mentioned, variable and continuously variable transmissions of different sorts have been around for a long time. Some were controlled by the driver -- via levers, cranks, etc. -- while others used centripetal force to affect the change.

Using a computer to measure various parameters and then set the ratio accordingly is relatively new, although I am aware of experiments on applications for commercial vehicles back in the 1970s.

WIthin the next five years I doubt there will be a major car or motorcycle manufacturer that doesn't have at least one vehicle available with an ECCVT.