Bando vs Gates Powelink

[skuttadawg]

Well I guess it could be like Ford vs Chevy etc , but today I was talking to my scooter dealer about belts . He told me GP is made in China while Bando is Japan and we compared 1 of each and I am now leaning to Bando .

The other day I posted how I had 8,202 miles on my belt and a guy said it must be a Bando . The CFMoto belts say CFMoto on them but I was told it was a Honda V belt .

So in short I would like to to ask Bando or Gates Powelink and why

[inkyben]

GP are good belts but I have yet to meet someone that needed to replace a bando belt due to natural wear. Its almost the same case with NGK vs other spark plugs.

[jach]

Honda uses Bando belts on its cars, that says something right there.

[wile]

I agree, I like BANDO better and the real BANDOs you can tell the difference they have more material they are thicker.
Wile

[larry001964]

I have 1200 miles on my Gates with no issues at all.. Both I think are very good, but my next belt will be a Bando.. Just because of Bando having more material in them and Fawkes tends to put a lot of stress on the CVT components.

[skuttadawg]

Well it sounds like Bando for me

[D-cat]

I prefer Bando too. I seem to have this affinity for breaking belts about 20 miles from home (I carry a spare now).


I have found when a Gates breaks, it snaps so there isn't a lot of free debris. When a Bando breaks, you find out just why it takes so much more for it to do so. It was a hell of a black spaghetti mess trying to get that all cleared out, but it lasted a good long while and only failed after I had been taking it on a hundred plus mile (almost non-stop) trip through the New Hampshire foot hills and lakes region (and it was already a good 5000 miles old). People who don't take their 50's on punishing excursions have reported over 10,000 miles on a Bando belt.
Hmmm, maybe I should vent my belt cover during this round of down time...

[skuttadawg]

I talked to my scooter dealer about Gates vs Bando and he told me Honda uses Bando and that my Echarm has a Honda V belt but labeled CFMoto on the bag . He only carries Kevlar Gates and Bando as the cheaper ones do not last long and break easier . The Gates had a raw edge where the Bando was all black . He even had some from MRP but I am not paying 25 extra just for a relabeled belt with their logo.

I am disappointed that belts do not last that long as my friend with a Harley that is belt driven told me his was good for 20,000 miles and its exposed . I know in the CVT its protected from the elements but also gets hotter .

Venting will help cool it just put a grate or screen behind the vents to block out rocks etc

[D-cat]

Yes but motorcycles have a direct and toothed drive. The tension is even across the entire width of the belt and doesn't generate its own heat. The scooter CVT is a side friction device, and friction=heat, so these transmissions get hot as well as slowly saw the sides of the belt. The hotter it gets the faster the wear. If you manage to get it hot enough to break down the rubber, it doesn't matter what the cord is made of, the belt will lose its structure and fall apart on the spot. A few of the strands on my previous Bando never broke, just climbed over the top after the rubber failed in that belt's rather violent death.

What surprised me most about the death of that belt is it didn't happen doing 50+ mph going down Rt. 11 by Mt. Major, but rather snapped a little later after I got over a hill doing 35 mph and throttled down approaching the Rt 28 circle. Aside from a pretty hard miss that was felt as the belt climbed over the drive face (a violent shudder as most of the belt snapped leaving a twisted mess wrapped around the rear pulley), it wasn't really obvious the belt snapped at first until a few dozen feet later when I tried to speed up. I ended up hanging out at McD's waiting for rescue (that was the last time I rode without a spare belt).