Drive train failure

[ballbreaker]

Thanks for the replies gv550 and redjay. The really big question for me is why both the spline and pulley both strip out. Seems to me that the internal spline should be made of hardened steel that would not strip and the pulley should be made of softer material so it should strip if the washer let go and let the spline remain intact. Easier to replace front pulley only instead of having a engine that is cost prohibitive to split and repair. Easy to say buy another on Ebay but sight unseen how do you know if you are getting one in good condition or the same as what you have already.. At the end of the day the customer pays for it all and if Yamaha can have the same problem it doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy. Just my opinion.

[redjay]

I think a lot of bikes have an Achilles heel and sometimes it takes years for them to surface. I don't think any motorcycle manufacturer tests them for tens of thousands of miles with an assortment of driving styles and road conditions. We are basically the guinea pigs who weed out the weak points so the manufacturer can hopefully improve on its design for the next model.

[ballbreaker]

Well Redjay I would have to agree with your entire statement. I have had no major issues with any of my Kawasaki's since 1994. I do my maintenance that is stated in the owner's manual. However as you have said if there are any weak points then I feel the manufacturer should send a bulletin to the dealerships alerting them to it and add it to the required maintenance in the owner's manual. If you don't know about it you can't be proactive. If you do know about it and don't do it then it is on me and I can't whine.

[redjay]

In some cases the dealers dont know there is an issue so they cant pass it on to the manufacturer. I told my local Yamaha dealer about the rear wheel bearing issue on the 1300 V Star and they had never heard of it yet 3 guys on the V star forum had had a catastrophic failure when the ungreased bearing had "welded" itself to the axle.
In your case if you had bought a used engine and installed it the dealer would not have known about the transmission issue.

[ballbreaker]

I can tell you one thing for sure redjay. If my Vaquero transmission or front drive/pulley ever goes I will sitting in my service managers office informing him all about it. LOL

[Ponitail]

Ballbreaker, everything you said makes sense. However, I also agree 100% with RedJay. I feel that the pulley should fail first and the spline stay intact. When my brother and I pulled mine apart the first thing our Dad said was,
"It looks like the shaft wasn't properly heat treated." With 18 years experience as a professional welder and machinist I've never seen a spline do this.

[redjay]

All kinds of things can happen during the production of parts and not every part is tested for quality control. It is possible that parts that are not 100% are installed on the production line. Couple that with a design that is not perfect and failures happen.

[ballbreaker]

I agree redjay and understand what you are saying.. I also know that it is easy to say that this forum brings forward the known problems and it doesn't happen to everyone. I get it. When they quit making the big engine for the classic I went to the nomad. Then when they quit making the Nomad I went to the Vaquero. Don't know what will happen when they stop making a Vaquero. However since I am almost 71 years of age I guess I won't worry about it too much. I will still have my 2007 Sportster XL custom 1200 to ride. LOL Ride safe

[redjay]

I think the replacement for the 1700 model line is on the way. It is in its 12th year and overdue for an update. Either that or they will drop the large capacity bikes altogether.

[smokier]

Originally Posted by redjay

I think the replacement for the 1700 model line is on the way. It is in its 12th year and overdue for an update. Either that or they will drop the large capacity bikes altogether.

Agree and disappointing. ((Generally referring to bikes over 1000 CCs... ---> )) Yamaha dropped most of the STAR line a couple years back and are down to the VENTURE and ELUDER. These aren't selling very well. (Clock ticking?). Honda dropped all their big cruisers, save the Fury & GW (OK GW may not fit this category). Don't see too many of those Furies around (Clock ticking?). Suzuki still has a big Cruiser line up, not sure how well they are doing. We know Mama Kaw has been thinning her big bike selection, Voyager and Vaquero.

The last two Kawi dealerships I have been in had one or the other, not both on the floor. When asked, "they don't sell" is the response. "We can sell side-by-side and sport/adventure tourers all day; big cruisers don't move." is the explanation. Agreed, two shops in Iowa is NOT a correct DEMOGRAPHIC or scientific poll.

A lot of babbling to say nothing, but to agree: the big displacement CRUISERS segment seems to be shrinking.


Ride safe,
Smokier

[redjay]

I went into a couple of multi brand dealerships last year and they said the sales of road bikes was off whereas off road vehicles, ATV's, quads, dirt bikes etc they could not get enough of.

[seawolf]

Guess I should stay more engaged with the forum. Just blew up a belt yesterday. actually teeth all peeled off but belt stayed together. will tear down and see what pulleys look like. Bike has 126k kms on it. the belt was changed out at 90k so this new one had almost 30k.

[redjay]

I think there is a Gates belt that you can substitute for the OEM belt.
Hopefully someone will be along to help you out with a belt number.

[Peg]

Originally Posted by redjay

I think there is a Gates belt that you can substitute for the OEM belt.
Hopefully someone will be along to help you out with a belt number.

The Gates belt # is CC640077.

Last time I tried to find one, they showed as out of stock everywhere. A quick look now gets the same result. Another sign of the impending demise of cruisers, perhaps?

And as for adventure tourers... I have to admit I've cast more than a couple of longing looks towards new bikes from Ducati, BMW, & Aprilia lately, which come equipped with adaptive cruise control, active suspension, and a myriad of other tech features... Cruisers, particularly from Maw Kaw, have never really kept up with the tech.

[ballbreaker]

Got to agree with you Peg on Kawasaki not keeping up with the tech. Seems easier to get rid of models . I guess Indian and Harley will fight it out for the touring bikes and others for the adventure tourers.