# New design Gatorback - don't believe the hype



## JPs300 (Mar 23, 2011)

I'm usually an OE belt only person. 

After reading the various reviews on the Can-Am forums for the new design Goodyear Gatorback 33GBS976 belt, and being a GTR dealer I figured for how low my cost is I'd give it a shot & see how it holds up. 

Well, it didn't make it 3hrs.......

Was throttling through some thicker stuff in 2wd and it completely came apart. No fore-warning what-so-ever, no noises, no smoke, just a big "POP/BANG" followed by whap-whap-whap-whap. I honestly thought I broke something major drivetrain(initially seemed a trans as all shafts were fine). Upon re-firing it to check, I rev'd it one time in neutral and pieces went flying from the CVT exhaust snorkel - 










Now, we're a solid mile back in the sticks, in mud you can't walk through. My bud's XMR got a work-out dragging me back to camp. 

Opened the cover up to this - 



















All that was left after removal - 











It was rode for just over 45min of easy riding, run a little, stopped & shut-off, then run a little more. - I rode some around my shop Friday while at work(put belt on there when it showed up to be ready to load & head out that evening), then rode from camp down the access roads/light trails that night up to the main stage/party area and back. 

Maybe 2hrs worth of trails & mud Saturday morning and it ended itself. I proceeded to put my worn 60hr OE belt back in (the one I've smoked a couple times previously) and beat on it the rest of the weekend w/o any issues. 


Clutching is stock with an EPI Orange primary, 650 secondary helix, three stock outlander weights & three renegade/XMR weights. - The xmr weights were a new addition at the time of the belt change, and has really dialed the clutch in great for my useage; no more issues with lighting the 29.5 law2's up whenever neccessary. 

I will be grabbing a new BRP belt from my dealer shortly.


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## kirkland (Oct 24, 2012)

Dang, ill be sure not to buy that one.. Thanks for the write up that's def not acceptable with little to no time on it


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## phreebsd (Dec 16, 2004)

heat explosion. suck belt!


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## 650Brute (Dec 18, 2008)

GatorJunk

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2


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## 02KODIAK400 (May 16, 2012)

Yikes!!!!


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## jrpro130 (May 10, 2009)

HOLY CRAP! Dude, Adam @ QSC reccomends the gates g force belt, I've heard nothing but amazing about them and you can get 3 of them for the price of one OEM! I bought two of them, everyone else we ride with that has had belt probs went to the gates and have been good so far! I actually just put one on my buddies 1k and it has been great.


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## brutemike (Mar 23, 2010)

OEM all the way...


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## narfbrain (Sep 25, 2012)

lucky to get 3 hours out of a gatorcrap belt........my record i made about 2 1/2 miles before it obliterated itself....the only belt you can buy on a sunday........i stock spares now


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## kygreen (Oct 15, 2011)

Yupp the best aftermarket belt I ever had was a dayco that lasted a mud season but I normally get a full year out of a new original witch usually includes snow bogging and all


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## JPs300 (Mar 23, 2011)

Daycos are often reffered to as "day-old", because all that I have run you were lucky to get a day out of. - I have heard they are decent in some apps but from first hand experience I would never run one in a kitty or a ham. 

I'll probably just grab a new OE for now and pick-up one of the g-forces later for a spare. I got 60hrs out of the original belt & that was while sorting out the clutching & smoking it a few times before getting it dialed. It's now back in the bike & did well the rest of the weekend so a new one that isn't worn-out will do as it should. - At least with the OE wear is all I have to worry about, not random total failure like this crap.


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## jrpro130 (May 10, 2009)

Now that I think of it, I have been having probs with the serpentine on my truck, it WAS a gatorback, it literally exploded and have since put on a dayco gold series and it's been fine. I only got 2500 miles out of the gatorback!


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## kygreen (Oct 15, 2011)

On the list o company's not to buy from now haha


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