You’re going down the trail and your RZR suddenly loses power and you hear a noise coming from the rear. You’re bound up on an obstacle and you smell the scent of burning rubber. You’re inspecting your CVT system and you can see cracks starting to form in the cogs. Whether it is due to a problem while out riding or simply scheduled maintenance, we all will be faced with a decision when it comes to replacing the CVT belt on our RZR. What brand belt should I replace it with?
There’s a wide range of pricing when it comes to belts and the CVT belt is definitely an area where you want to invest in a high quality product. In our experience, cheap belts just don’t last. When reliability is the difference between getting back home or being dragged off the trail, going for the best belt for your XP 1000 is an investment well worth it.
Trinity Racing World’s Best Belt
The Trinity Racing belt was designed by one of the industry’s most well known and respected names for clutching and CVT systems, Glenn Erlandson. The belt was developed in conjunction with the world’s largest drive belt company engineering staff and Erlandson. The result is a belt that is built for the driver that is looking for the latest in technology and proven performance.
3rd Generation heavy-duty, high-twist Kevlar Cord for high horsepower tensile load requirements make it the strongest belt on the market. The belt features the highest shock-load rating on the market and is able to withstand the power of 400 HP machines for when you’re ready to get rowdy.
The belt features an increased top cog pressure load design that increases sidewall rigidity, prevents top cog bowing, but still allows for increased rotational flexibility. The bottom cog uses high modulous rubber compound (BZX1) for better heat resistance and heat dissipation and is impregnated with short Kevlar Cord for better belt to-sheave adhesion and reduced overall belt temperature. The bottom cogs also boast Kevlar Cord that wraps over bottom cogs increasing bottom cog strength when compared to other belts that use simple polyester.
The belt is designed with a precision ground sidewall angle for smooth engagement and increased power transfer. This helps lower operating belt temperature as well.
We have used these belts and found them to be extremely durable, even with belt temperatures seeing extremes that would disintegrate other belts. The Trinity Racing World’s Best Belt lives up to it’s name and is trusted by countless racers and recreation riders alike. The World’s Best Belt is made in Japan and is backed by a one year warranty.
Carlisle Ultimax XP Belt
Timken is a major supplier of drive belts to the OE manufacturers. Each Ultimax XP belt has been engineered for use on specific applications to provideoptimal performance. Ultimax XP belts are engineered for added strength, reliability and belt life.
The Ultimax XP belt is constructed with fiber-loaded advanced polymer compounds designed for specifically for the Polaris RZR. The fiber-loaded rubber is designed to grip the clutches throughout the life of the belt, significantly reducing belt slippage. It is made with strong and stable aramid cord for superior resistance to shock loads and provides exceptionally smooth engagement when being used at low speeds. The shock load resistance helps tremendously when launching from a standstill to wide open throttle.
Several top racing teams run the Ultimax XP Belt. These premium quality belts are backed by an industry leading three year warranty and are made in the USA.
Geniune Polaris OEM Belts
Speculation has run rampant on who actually manufacturers the OE belts for Polaris, but the whoever is producing them has kept a tight lip. While the Geniune Polaris belt is the most expensive belt we tested, their belts are designed, engineered and tested by Polaris engineers and field test crews to ensure they deliver a perfect fit, maximum performance and ultimate durability.
Polaris also keeps pretty close to the chest the actual composition of their CVT drive belts and belt longevity is their claim to fame under regular riding conditions. Many race teams also prefer to run OEM Polaris belts. No doubt that these belts are solid, but feel that these belts are more susceptible to belt slippage than others and don’t handle heat as well under hard driving conditions.
Geniune Polaris OEM Belts are made in the USA and generally are not covered under warranty, though dealer experience may vary.
Trinity Racing Standstorm Belt
The goal of this belt was to handle 200-400hp with wide open full throttle assault style riding, especially in the sand and dunes.
The bottom cog is impregnated with short Kevlar Cord for better belt-to-sheave adhesion and reduce overall belt temperatures. The bottom cog also has the design for greater rotational efficiency at full shift and as capsulated Kevlar Cord to increase rotational strength and lower overall cord friction.
The precision ground sidewall angle mimics the World’s Best Belt for smooth engagement, increased power transfer and lower operating belt temperature. Visually, you can see a material difference in the top cogs. They feature an increased top cog pressure load design that increases sidewall rigidity, prevents top cog bowing, but still allows for increased rotational flexibility.
The Trinity Sand Storm Belt is made in the USA and backed by a one year warranty.
Gates G Force C12 Carbon Belts
If you’re looking for a belt on a budget and you don’t do extended wide open throttle riding, then the Gates G Force Carbon Belt may be a good choice for you.
The Gates belt is the first CVT belt utilizing carbon tensile cord for minimal stretch and extraordinary strength. High-performance neoprene with a trapezoidal topnotch and rounded bottom cog design maximizes heat control and flexibility. Carbon tensile cords are bonded to aramid fiber-loaded rubber with specially formulated adhesion gum, resulting in increased side-load resistance, preventing belt distortion and edge cord pullout.
The unique structure of the Gates belt can possibly make changing these belts out easier than others on the market. If a belt disintegrates while riding, you can sometimes be left with a mess of cords that you will need to pull out or cut to remove the broken belt from your RZR. Because Gates uses a carbon tensile cord, this doesn’t present as much of an issue. The Gates G Force C12 belt also engages smoothly and works very well in technical riding conditions. The weak point on this belt is extended periods of wide open full speed riding. We have experienced this issue ourselves with the belt shearing off the bottom cogs while at full throttle for more than several minutes. However, for casual riding or even slower technical rock crawling, we’ve had great luck with them.
The Gates G Force C12 Carbon Belt is made in the USA and is backed by a one year warranty.
