How to Know when to replace drive belt

my SW has 17,000 miles i have put 1,200 on it in the 3 weeks i've owned it, dealer said they serviced it but i don't trust dealers. so today i dove off in it, air filter needed replaced, oil filter as well, i changed the tire, and inspected the drive belt, its filter was bad dusty, and the drive belt to me looks new.. but i don't know what a new one looks like,

opinions?

i got almost 22000 on my original belt my friend had over 27000 on his

"Officially" belts get changed at 16,000 mile intervals when the belt "V" light comes on. While yours may have been changed before that, given the conditions of the other components that were supposedly serviced, it is possible that your dealer reset the belt light before you purchased the scoot. No sense having that belt light come on and you bring the scoot back to him for a warranty belt change, now would it?

Many folks here have gone 20,000+ miles before changing the belt. Best bet would be to purchase a new belt (Partzilla.com has good discount prices) and plan on changing it in the next couple of months.  Save the old belt for an emergency spare.

There are belt change tutorials here as well a a couple of good posts on how to measure the belt for wear. It is virtually impossible to determine belt wear from a visual inspection, and the acutal wear measurement is cumbersome and not the least bit obvious. Use the Search window to find the post thread(s) for belt measuring.

Tim

TY .. sounds like a sound suggestion, will change the belt soon and carry the old for a spare, and the tools to do a road side change.

WithSilverWing I use 20,000 miles, new bike, miles put on in 6-9 month period.
Older bike, if unsure, change!!

Walking sucks, dealers usually don't have belt in stock, so carry spare belt.After near 400,000 ilesrubberband drive scooters----use OEM belts, bought from local dealer to help him stay in business---never know when you may need him.

Note I leave drive line----clutch/rollers or sliders stock. Reason: Honda probably had it figured out/middle of nowhere trouble, stock, you might have chance of getting fixed. Want different performance.....buy a motorcycle

Walking doesn't suck it's good for you, it's pushing a 500+lbs scooter wearing riding gear that knackers you. I'm quite amused by the forum members who reckon they can change a belt by the side of the road, they'll of course be carrying all the right stuff including a home made pulley holding tool, the right spanners/ wrenches including a torque wrench. Maybe a plastic sheet to kneel on, a container for all the fasteners, a head torch for night time, a reflective hazard warning triangle, waterproofs in case it's raining etc, and a swear box to put money in every time you curse as cars and trucks drive dangerously close to you.

Because you'll all assuming you'll be in a nice quite shady area where you can play workshop, the reality is there'll be dirt, dust, grit, breezes to blow all your stuff about, traffic whizzing by, rain, hot sun, etc.

Isn't it simpler to change the belt at the mileage recommended in the Rider Handbook and much talked about Maintenance Manuals and then you can forget about all this crouching by the side of the road nonsense and just enjoy your 6 month 'riding season'.

I changed mine early just to be safe - it had 15,999 miles on the clock!

Note: on drive belts---I have broken only one in near 400,000mile---Helix with belt near end of service miles----lucky for me when I was stopped after coming off freeway after day of wide open riding. Honda Riders club came to get me, taking me and bike to nearby friend's garage, where I changed with spare I carried. Helix belt change easy-----Changing SilverWing belt at roadside, not a task I want to try.

I've changed the drive belt on the side of the road on my Honda Reflex. Also on a trip to Arkansas
with some friends, one of the riders needed to replace a drive belt on his Silverwing 600 on the side
of the road. We had the tools, spare belt and the know how to fix it. Not a big deal at all. We were
prepared for the possibility. No whining or fretting about it. Some times changed close to schedule,
sometimes later, but aware of the possible consequences of waiting too long... and not perturbed by
that. So if the belt breaks, I fix it. No need to call for help or a tow or DEAR HEAVENS!!! push the
beast somewhere.

I agree changing the SWings belt is an easy task. I would think it could easily and quickly be changed on the roadside with minimal tools. The downside is who carries a spare belt or the tools required for a belt change?? Not me. . However if I was going on a long tour I probably would.