TKI Belt Drive Pro/Cons?

[skegpro]

Con: cost

Pro: Less weight, less rotating mass, easier gear changes. If youblow a belt in the hills you put a new one on, easy peasy. If you blow a chainBEST case you go back to the trailer and get a new one, ride up and change it. Makingsure you have new oil and tools to do so. Worse case you take out the gears,inner/outer halves of the case. Now your paying for a belt at a minimum forbuddy to tow you out or a chopper ride. Your however many day trip and hours ofdriving you did is done. You now have to rebuild the whole case or suck it upand do the belt drive now. This is exactly why my 12 had a C3 kit on it and nowmy 18 has a TKI kit on it

Very valid point.

 

[skegpro]

So what's the difference between the TKI kit and the c3 kit?

 

[bgraff1]

not a whole lot as far as I know. both work on the same idea. C3 is Canadian based, TKI is US. although its more money to get the TKI from the states Toms customer service is top notch. cant speak for C3 since specialty took over the belt drives as I haven't dealt with them but having them local is nice. id be happy with either kit.

 

[Bnorth]

I've heard the TKI tensioner is better but that may just be internet hearsay.

 

[0neoldfart]

Never ran a TKI setup, so I cant comment. I have ran C3 setups on my Cat 925, a 2013 Pro, and on my last 285hp 4stroke. Haven’t lost a belt yet. Gearing the Pro down helped the sled a bunch, and getting rid of the extra weight out of both the 925 and the 4s was awesome, and there was noticeably better throttle response as a bonus. I did it to make them more bulletproof in the backcountry, and although I carried a spare belt, miles

 

[northof40]

Cons are definitely the cost now a days. When I got my TKI for my 13, I had piled up my auto tensioner, that I got about 500 miles out of, and was going to replace with a manual tensioner and hd gears, at that point it wasn't that much of a difference to go belt drive.

Pros, I swapped that drive over to my 16, and have 5000 fat guy on a 153 mountain miles on the original belt, and the day that belt goes I need a 9/16 and a torx and 20 min and im on my way. Also, when you drive 12 to 15 hours to get to get out west, and you have ocd about preventative maintenance so your sled runs as good as it can and hopefully makes it back to the truck each day, it is one less thing to pull apart between rides lol.

 

[Teth-Air]

not a whole lot as far as I know. both work on the same idea. C3 is Canadian based, TKI is US. although its more money to get the TKI from the states Toms customer service is top notch. cant speak for C3 since specialty took over the belt drives as I haven't dealt with them but having them local is nice. id be happy with either kit.

With Tom's help we have been keeping the TKI drives stocked in Calgary at competitive prices to the C3. So if you buy from Source Innovations some money stays in Canada and obviously some goes to the USA. When you buy from C3 I have been told there are 3 countries your money goes to but I can't confirm that, you will have to do your own homework.

 

[Caper11]

With Tom's help we have been keeping the TKI drives stocked in Calgary at competitive prices to the C3. So if you buy from Source Innovations some money stays in Canada and obviously some goes to the USA. When you buy from C3 I have been told there are 3 countries your money goes to but I can't confirm that, you will have to do your own homework.

Good to know your keeping a stock of Toms product.

Ive also heard that the C3 is not manufactured in canada anymore.

 

[AGGRESIVEZEBRA]

I can say C3 is all Canadian made. there are 2 machine shops we use to make our products one in Edmonton and one in Vernon. just got a pallet from Vernon the other day.

 

[skegpro]

I can say C3 is all Canadian made. there are 2 machine shops we use to make our products one in Edmonton and one in Vernon. just got a pallet from Vernon the other day.

Is C3 owned by specialty in spruce Grove or how does that work?

 

[AGGRESIVEZEBRA]

Yup that is correct two years ago we took them over. We have kept a few of the old staff on board to help with R&D and machining.

 

[skegpro]

Yup that is correct two years ago we took them over. We have kept a few of the old staff on board to help with R&D and machining.

Excuse my ignorance
How do you fit in with Specialty?

 

[AGGRESIVEZEBRA]

no problem at all. I am a tech there.

 

[jhurkot]

The TKI is a great kit. Hold a Gates poly chain in one hand a conventional chain in the other. Not hard to figure out.

 

[Caper11]

The TKI is a great kit. Hold a Gates poly chain in one hand a conventional chain in the other. Not hard to figure out.

Yep the gates carbon is a very tough belt but its also very stiff, rolling resistance is way higher on a cold gates belt compared to a chain drive.

 

[kanedog]

Yep the gates carbon is a very tough belt but its also very stiff, rolling resistance is way higher on a cold gates belt compared to a chain drive.

Cold belt=minus 50hp?

 

[skegpro]

Yep the gates carbon is a very tough belt but its also very stiff, rolling resistance is way higher on a cold gates belt compared to a chain drive.

How many km does that take to go away?

 

[Caper11]

Cold belt=minus 50hp?

No the Gates carbon is stiff at room temp,
Small top sprocket and cold stiff belt just increases the rolling resistance till the belt and gears warm up.

Skegpro, After the belt ages it will loosen up a bit and small hairline cracks will start to show up on the backside of the belt. Which is nothing to be concerned about, most gates polychains do it on belt drives due to the small top sprocket.

 

[Caper11]

Here is a pic of a very old gates carbon that I replaced at work recently. This belt was still running the equipment, but I noticed a increase in vibration and shut it down and discovered this. The Blue teflon lubricant is completely gone off the cog.
The carbon is a extremely well built belt, and im surprised it took that abuse with the cogs missing. This belt looks like the same width as a tki belt drive belt, just a little longer tho.

 

[kanedog]

No the Gates carbon is stiff at room temp,
Small top sprocket and cold stiff belt just increases the rolling resistance till the belt and gears warm up.

Skegpro, After the belt ages it will loosen up a bit and small hairline cracks will start to show up on the backside of the belt. Which is nothing to be concerned about, most gates polychains do it on belt drives due to the small top sprocket.

Cape this is incorrect info. The smallest gear gates recommends is a 23t. Most sled belt drive companies run between a 25-27t top pulley which is far from too small.
As far as I know, I am the only sled running a 23t top and I have no cracking or failures. Your info is bunk. Haha