installed Dr Pulley Sliders, first impression

[flyingzonker]

Yesterday I stood my trusty PCX on its center stand, removed the lower side cover--of course I broke a threaded tab off in the process--impact wrenched off the variator and clutch nuts, changed the belt (old belt had 11000 miles on it but still looked terrific and will be kept for a spare) and exchanged the stock variator weights for 11 gr Dr Pulley sliders. Stock weights were in good shape, no flats that I could detect.

This morning I took the scooter for a test ride. What can I say? Not too much. She seems maybe a little peppier at the low end, but other than that nothing has changed. The top end is about the same, maybe a little diminished. I seem to notice the engine more for some reason. It seems a little louder.It could be that I notice this because I am paying more attention to it just now.

I will say more when I can tell how the change has affected the mpg.

[Jge64]

Interesting... I did the dr pulley 13g sliders and it was a marked diff in acceleration , top end about the same. Very happy 1000 miles later with the change.

[chicaboo]

As above, for me the 11g sliders are night and day. Maybe because I'm a Clydesdale I notice the improvement more so?
Did you buy your bike used? I wonder if it already had slightly lighter rollers than stock? You might want to weigh them.
Anyhow, for me there was +20kph on the top end and significantly better acceleration.

[you you]

Yesterday I stood my trusty PCX on its center stand, removed the lower side cover--of course I broke a threaded tab off in the process--impact wrenched off the variator and clutch nuts, changed the belt (old belt had 11000 miles on it but still looked terrific and will be kept for a spare) and exchanged the stock variator weights for 11 gr Dr Pulley sliders. Stock weights were in good shape, no flats that I could detect.

This morning I took the scooter for a test ride. What can I say? Not too much. She seems maybe a little peppier at the low end, but other than that nothing has changed. The top end is about the same, maybe a little diminished. I seem to notice the engine more for some reason. It seems a little louder.It could be that I notice this because I am paying more attention to it just now.

I will say more when I can tell how the change has affected the mpg.

Thank you so much for being honest. One of the best posts ever.

[k2apache6.0]

I installed the 12g sliders about 10 days ago, noticably smoother, peppier in the mid range and a 3mph gain in top speed. I wouldnt call it night and day but rather subtle, but still definately noticable. As far as the top end is concerned, the belt may have to wear its way past the groove that has worn into your varaitor face, especially if you have a good few mikles on your scoot. Mine improved after a few days of use.

[chicaboo]

I just had another thought, I really need to give my scooter more than 50% throttle input to get the most out of it now.
Maybe you need to adjust your throttle input so the sliders are pushing harder on the variator plate with more revs?

But I also agree with Apache, you've changed two variables by including the belt, but you're only evaluating the sliders...
Presumably, you've gone from 18g rollers to 11g sliders. You should be tearing up hills and have better acceleration to 60mph with a higher top speed.
Mind you, this is all from someone who is 6'2" and 256lbs, so I make a great lead air brake. Maybe if you weigh 160lbs there is nothing to be gained?

Anyhow, unless you didn't clean the variator/drive faces with metho or something to get any greasy fingerprints off, I can't think of anything else.

[k2apache6.0]

I noticed that the variator face had a slight ridge about 3mm from the edge that the belt had worn in after 2,000 miles I had on it. My thought is that with the new sliders pushing the plate in that bit more than the rollers, the belt must 1st overcome that slight ridge, after it's smoothed out after some use it could allow the belt to get to the top edge of the variator face through wearing flat again...Just a theory, but after 10 days I've picked up 3 extra mph that wasn't there on day one. (same flat ground, no wind) Hmmm

[flyingzonker]

As above, for me the 11g sliders are night and day. Maybe because I'm a Clydesdale I notice the improvement more so?
Did you buy your bike used? I wonder if it already had slightly lighter rollers than stock? You might want to weigh them.
Anyhow, for me there was +20kph on the top end and significantly better acceleration.

I intend to weigh the old rollers--need to get some batts for my digital scale.

[flyingzonker]

I installed the 12g sliders about 10 days ago, noticably smoother, peppier in the mid range and a 3mph gain in top speed. I wouldnt call it night and day but rather subtle, but still definately noticable. As far as the top end is concerned, the belt may have to wear its way past the groove that has worn into your varaitor face, especially if you have a good few mikles on your scoot. Mine improved after a few days of use.

You may have a point there. The new belt adds a variable to the situation that may be prejudicial to the purity of the Assessment of Doc Pu9lley's test results.

[flyingzonker]

[quote="you you

Thank you so much for being honest. One of the best posts ever.[/quote]

de nada

[flyingzonker]

I just had another thought, I really need to give my scooter more than 50% throttle input to get the most out of it now.
Maybe you need to adjust your throttle input so the sliders are pushing harder on the variator plate with more revs?

But I also agree with Apache, you've changed two variables by including the belt, but you're only evaluating the sliders...
Presumably, you've gone from 18g rollers to 11g sliders. You should be tearing up hills and have better acceleration to 60mph with a higher top speed.
Mind you, this is all from someone who is 6'2" and 256lbs, so I make a great lead air brake. Maybe if you weigh 160lbs there is nothing to be gained?

Anyhow, unless you didn't clean the variator/drive faces with metho or something to get any greasy fingerprints off, I can't think of anything else.

It's quite true, your bike has a lot more meat to haul than mine and that may play into my results. If a 3 or 4 gm difference in the variator weights makes a difference, a hundred pound difference--and more--in the weights of the riders is certainly not going to be without a measurable consequence.

[Mel46]

I am not sure about sliders, but I do know that when I changed my rollers to 13gm I had a marked improvement in acceleration, though the top end stayed the same. Then, when I upgraded the variator and drive face to the NCY ones, it really improved....top end 75 mph. I have heard from multiple members that the sliders are even better than the rollers.

[flyingzonker]

I am not sure about sliders, but I do know that when I changed my rollers to 13gm I had a marked improvement in acceleration, though the top end stayed the same. Then, when I upgraded the variator and drive face to the NCY ones, it really improved....top end 75 mph. I have heard from multiple members that the sliders are even better than the rollers.

It is surely good to know the power is there to reach 75 if you really have to--say, you can only get to a certain place by doing 10 or 20 miles on the Interstate--but, unless the need is dire, I wouldn't want to be on a PCX that is going 75 pmh. It just doesn't hold the road the way a heavier bike does. I confess, however, that there have been many times when I would have liked to have the speed to run from traffic into an emptier stretch of road, but had to stay neck and neck with semis and SUVs.

If I want to go somewhere that calls for speeds of 55 or more, I take my Reflex. Any speed above 65 I do not like to do on two wheels. Maybe if I had experience with something heavier, like a Burgman 400 or a TMAX, I might change my mind about that.

[chicaboo]

Every time I've been over 90-100kph I get buffeted left-right-left-right etc from the wind.
It's a very unsteady sensation and I don't know if there's a mechanical reason for it or just high winds?
So I'm not particularly interested in going even faster on the PCX with this phenomenon occurring...

[Mel46]

The PCX is not a great bike at 75 mph. It is too light. However, there have been times when we were on the freeway only because we couldn't get to where we intended to go without going onto it for a short distance. Running at 60 was fine if traffic was not in a hurry to run us over. Then we wished we could have just a little more speed. Now, with the upgraded variator it can. Still, it isn't meant for long hauls at that speed.