I now know. A trip for 4 1/4 miles up a mountain trail with loose rocks and large boulders,that's what!
I took Patric up Powerline trail towards the summit of Cedro Peak which was going to be a test for his brand new Predator 212 non-hemi engine.
Little did I know that I was to have a really trying day in 95 degree F heat on that mountain for my Hawk-TY bike.
The climb was a challenge with lots of wheel spin and gunning the engine. Both of us had to fight to keep our bikes from tuning backwards on us because of pulling wheelies over the large rocks and boulders.
The first problem with my bike was the TAV was surging. It had just been cleaned,bushing oiled and the sheaves cleaned. This was to get worse.
Then I hit a large rock and pried off the spring for the kickstand. I had to stop and re-trace my ride to find it. I did. Putting it on in the direct sun at 6,500 feet ASL was fun.
Then I hit the foot-pegs on a large boulder and bent the right peg back 60 degrees. Took two of us in the sun to get it back straight by kicking the peg in turn.
We continued the climb. My bike was pulling hard and if I opened up the throttle fully to climb over a large rock or boulder the TAV would grab and pull a wheelie every time. It has never done this before. We rode to the summit, then started our descend using as many bike and Deer trails we could find.
We reached an apex of one of the more steep trails in two hours of very hard climbing and 10 feet from a fire road in front of us, the belt on the TAV parted like a gun shot.
We were able to push the bike the last ten feet to the fire road . The TAV was so hot there was smoke coming out of the plastic housing.
I carry two spare belts, but the TAV was so hot you could not touch it! There was no way in the direct sun to wait for the TAV to cool.
I decided to coast down the 21/4 miles back to the car to allow the TAV to cool down. I only had a 100 yard up-hill push on a dirt road until I could coast the rest of the way to my car.
Once there,there was a small Pinon Tree providing a little shade, it was then 95 Degrees F.
I pulled the cover off of the TAV and there was the remains of a badly cooked drive belt. And this was an expensive Japanese Bando 668 18.2 30 Kevlar belt!
I doubt I have 8 hours riding time on this belt and it was checked just three days ago and appeared to be fine.
The clutch was so hot that the belt material was fused to the surface of the centrifugal sheave. The bronze/brass slip ring was baked to the "X" shaped slip shaft with molten belt material.
I took over an hour for the TAV to cool where you could hold it with a cloth!
I have never seen a TAV or any other mini bike drive system get this hot before. We scrapped off the burned on belt material from the TAV moving parts and I installed a new Commit Drive belt only to have the " guarantied unbreakable" pull rope break off 6 inches after the pull handle. The heat had transferred through the crank shaft and into the rope pulley and the nylon rope was brittle at the spot it tore apart.
I have never seen this before in my life.
The chain drive clutch did get cherry red from friction before but never left me stranded.
My good luck saved my butt as it could have been out on a really steep climb uphill to the car for many miles.
I have to rethink using a TAV for mountain trail riding.
Other than stress on the TAV from the steep climb, I have no idea as to why the belt drive system got so hot? As stated I always service the TAV after every ride to prevent this sort of thing from happening.
( yes the belt was on the pulley facing the correct direction)
I took Patric up Powerline trail towards the summit of Cedro Peak which was going to be a test for his brand new Predator 212 non-hemi engine.
Little did I know that I was to have a really trying day in 95 degree F heat on that mountain for my Hawk-TY bike.
The climb was a challenge with lots of wheel spin and gunning the engine. Both of us had to fight to keep our bikes from tuning backwards on us because of pulling wheelies over the large rocks and boulders.
The first problem with my bike was the TAV was surging. It had just been cleaned,bushing oiled and the sheaves cleaned. This was to get worse.
Then I hit a large rock and pried off the spring for the kickstand. I had to stop and re-trace my ride to find it. I did. Putting it on in the direct sun at 6,500 feet ASL was fun.
Then I hit the foot-pegs on a large boulder and bent the right peg back 60 degrees. Took two of us in the sun to get it back straight by kicking the peg in turn.
We continued the climb. My bike was pulling hard and if I opened up the throttle fully to climb over a large rock or boulder the TAV would grab and pull a wheelie every time. It has never done this before. We rode to the summit, then started our descend using as many bike and Deer trails we could find.
We reached an apex of one of the more steep trails in two hours of very hard climbing and 10 feet from a fire road in front of us, the belt on the TAV parted like a gun shot.
We were able to push the bike the last ten feet to the fire road . The TAV was so hot there was smoke coming out of the plastic housing.
I carry two spare belts, but the TAV was so hot you could not touch it! There was no way in the direct sun to wait for the TAV to cool.
I decided to coast down the 21/4 miles back to the car to allow the TAV to cool down. I only had a 100 yard up-hill push on a dirt road until I could coast the rest of the way to my car.
Once there,there was a small Pinon Tree providing a little shade, it was then 95 Degrees F.
I pulled the cover off of the TAV and there was the remains of a badly cooked drive belt. And this was an expensive Japanese Bando 668 18.2 30 Kevlar belt!
I doubt I have 8 hours riding time on this belt and it was checked just three days ago and appeared to be fine.
The clutch was so hot that the belt material was fused to the surface of the centrifugal sheave. The bronze/brass slip ring was baked to the "X" shaped slip shaft with molten belt material.
I took over an hour for the TAV to cool where you could hold it with a cloth!
I have never seen a TAV or any other mini bike drive system get this hot before. We scrapped off the burned on belt material from the TAV moving parts and I installed a new Commit Drive belt only to have the " guarantied unbreakable" pull rope break off 6 inches after the pull handle. The heat had transferred through the crank shaft and into the rope pulley and the nylon rope was brittle at the spot it tore apart.
I have never seen this before in my life.
The chain drive clutch did get cherry red from friction before but never left me stranded.
My good luck saved my butt as it could have been out on a really steep climb uphill to the car for many miles.
I have to rethink using a TAV for mountain trail riding.
Other than stress on the TAV from the steep climb, I have no idea as to why the belt drive system got so hot? As stated I always service the TAV after every ride to prevent this sort of thing from happening.
( yes the belt was on the pulley facing the correct direction)
.