Belt Issue?

[Sponge60]

Hello all. My 24 XP Northstar has started struggling to move smoothly when using very light throttle. (as in moving it a short distance) It "lurches" pretty heavily in forward or reverse. Hitting the gas harder doesn't seem to produce the same issue. Really hadn't noticed it until very recently when I was moving it around it's parking spot in turf mode on concrete. 1,800 miles. Is this a belt issue? It's not been run hard, stuck or towed anything.

 

[Greg63]

When is the last time you took the clutch cover off and blew the dust out of the clutch’s? I do mine every two rides. Also inspect the belt for uneven wear and check the clutch for any burnt belt marks. It could be the clutch or the belt. I wasn’t noticing anything like that at 1800 miles on my machine but I changed the belt any way and but the old one in my box for a spare just in case I have an issue on the trail.

 

[JTBarlow]

Jerky engagement is typically a burnt belt. Most belt burn on these machines happens when you start out. If you ease into the throttle too gently, the clutch doesn’t clamp down on the belt fast enough so it can rub a little divot in it. For better belt life, you want to use enough throttle quickly to fully engage the clutch, rather than easing in and slipping it.
Like Greg said, it’s also good to frequently pull the cover and blow the dust out of everything.