2010 R1200rt

[racer7]

+1 for the bottle trick and the latest belt design. I took my first one off at about 24K and it looked virtually new. Belts are pretty easy- if they look and feel OK then they are OK. I'm certain the new belt can go double that 24K with no issues on my bike, an 08 RT. As Don says, the setup is a big improvement over previous.
And the almost tooless change pocedure is pretty painless.

[David13]

The litany I have heard recited is 'carry a spare belt'. I don't think they recite that from the belt NOT failing.
In Coarsegold there were about 40 BMW riders, mostly RT and some GS, and some others. 10 got involved in changing the belt. Others knew of it, but no one, no one said "oh, you don't need to replace that belt, it will never fail".
Everyone seemed to understand, change the belt.
And in fact, this thread started out with ... a belt failing and stranding, til the truck came, someone on Betty I.
dc

[jack3 in burien]

So, with all the talk about carrying a spare, has anyone posted a list of belts that will satisfy the 1200 requirements, aside from a BMW belt?

[deilenberger]

The litany I have heard recited is 'carry a spare belt'. I don't think they recite that from the belt NOT failing.
In Coarsegold there were about 40 BMW riders, mostly RT and some GS, and some others.

How many R1200 vs R1100/R1150 owners? The earlier oilheads (with a fixed belt that had to be adjusted) were known to eat belts, especially when high electrical loads were added to the bikes (like one years Ironbutt..) Those models did have the belt-eater reputation for a while, but it seems to have quieted down a bit in the past few years.

10 got involved in changing the belt. Others knew of it, but no one, no one said "oh, you don't need to replace that belt, it will never fail".
Everyone seemed to understand, change the belt.

Certainly if the alternator stopped making electrons, that's the first place I'd look no matter what vehicle it is.. but as I mentioned, I've been here since the forum opened for business, and this is the first thread I can recall with belts breaking being reported. Given the Internets "problem amplifier" tendency (people report when things break, rarely do they report when they don't.. although I DO recall several posts from people who changed the belt at the recommended interval and found the old one looking like new..) I'd expect to have seen more reports if it is a problem area.

And in fact, this thread started out with ... a belt failing and stranding, til the truck came, someone on Betty I.
dc

Yup. Can't say it never happens. Dunno all the conditions on the bikes that it did happen on. Is "Betty I" running high power auxiliary lights? Heated gear for two? Dunno.. but be interesting to know. And Betty-I was an 1150, not a 1200, different belt entirely.

It seems the belt you replaced in Coarsegold actually hadn't failed, and you stated "The belt looked real good." - but said that can't be used to determine condition. Actually - it can, and is on lots of vehicles (like my Porsche - the inspection is to look at the grooved rubber side of the belt, and if there are more then XX cracks per CM, replace it.. I generally replace it at the first sign of cracks in the rubber side, but I tend to err on the side of caution.) There were NO cracks visible on the 36k belt I replaced on my R12R even when folding the belt so the fold was on the grooved side.

[David13]

Certainly all possible.
For one thing, I wonder how many oilheads have now been replaced by hexheads, with a lesser problem on the belts, but with riders with a memory of a belt break?
And having forgot that they got a new bike in the meantime.
I think internet amplification also has to be more intense than ever, as I think more people today are on the internet, and the forums today, than every before.
But I still like the idea of replacing the belt before it breaks, not after, by the side of the road somewhere.
2 months ago when my fpc failed in Mexico, I did not have any room by the side of the road.
Fortunately, it restarted and got me into a rest area, before it did the total permanent failure.
dc