1400 Alternator Belt Questions

[et18]

I'm coming up on the 31K mile service on my 1400 Touring and I'm wondering if I really need to change the belt this soon.  Searches of this forum and others have turned up one belt with a chunk missing, another with visible wear and cracks and the rest that looked like new at 30K and even 50K or more.  But no broken belts and no stranded bikes due to belt failure.  So I'm wondering:

1. Has anyone here had a belt failure on a 1400?
2. Have you changed or had your belt changed?  Mileage and what did it look like?

Thanks

[Kiwi_Roy]

I'm sure the belt will last much longer than that but if it were to break on a trip you might be down for several days.
I elected to change the one on my Griso early used just the tools I would normally carry on a trip and carried the old one under the seat as a spare.

https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=97967.0

Here's a thread I did on changing the belt, it was on a Griso but should apply to the other CARC bikes as well


Although I was in the comfort of the garage I deliberately restricted myself to the tools I normally carry on the bike.
Allen Keys, 4,5 & 6mm (these have a ball end but it's just a nice to have)
Ring/Open end wrench 13mm, a small adjustable would do at a pinch.

Remove bottom 4 cover screws
Remove ECU cover and ECU holding bolts, swing it out of the way.
Remove the 5th cover screw and the breather box standoff which also acts as a cover screw.
Loosen the 6mm clamping screw at about 11 o'clock with regard to the alternator pulley.
Remove the cheek from the right hand side of tank
Loosen the locknut on the belt adjuster, easily accessed once the cheek is out of the way.
Back off the belt adjuster until at least 1/2" of thread is exposed
Squeeze the belt together so the alternator swings down, if the belt is broken lever the alternator down

Place new belt around alternator pulley, start it around crank pulley
Turn the crank with a wrench or crank it with the starter and the belt will pop on.
Re-tighten the belt tensioner and the locknut. I just put it back where it was but also noted it was easy to twist the belt through 90° in between pulleys. It should also be possible to turn the motor over using a small wrench on the alternator pulley nut, a little slip would be ok.
Re-tighten the 6mm Allen clamp screw
Refit cover
Bolt back the ECU and cover.

The original belt at 40,000 km has a few small stones embedded in it probably from the Dempster trip but still has plenty of life left, I will carry it as a spare.

I probably missed a step or two, I will review the notes I made this evening\


Showing the breather standoff bolt/cover screw.


Cover removed showing top two fasteners


Showing the Allen key in alternator clamp bolt
You can also see the Belt tension adjuster


It's much easier to access the adjuster if you remove the right tank cheek


Back the screw off at least 1/2" (15mm)

[RCraft]

I changed the alternator belt on my 2014 California at about 75,000 miles and it showed very little wear and tear. I've only heard of one ever breaking out on the road and while it made an awful sound he was able to ride the bike home before the battery was completely drained. about 40 miles

[et18]

Thanks, guys.  Just what I was thinking, it's probably good for at least another 25K.  I swapped the belt out on my oilhead at 40K since I was doing hall effect sensor swap anyway and it looked fine, only one I've ever done.