How much!!!!

Ducati is due a belt change this year, and to save some cash, I thought
I'd do them myself.

Just checked the price.

Nearly 60 quid.

Surely some mistake? - I can get an Alfa belt kit including balance
shaft belt and tensioners for that kind of money, ffs.

 

Calm down, you might give yourself a coronary.

I have two bikes with cambelts. Both around a similar price IIRC.

 

Is the alfa price from GSF or someone like that?

And the ducati belt from a more niche supplier?

 

Last time I paid about £20 a belt, IIRC.

 

From a Fiat / Alfa specialist online.

From a Ducati / Guzzi specialist on eBay.

Not a lot of difference - and I bet the belts are shared with some cheap
hatchback, too.

 

Ring motostrada in shipley for a price, i live a mile away & if they are
cheap i will chuck in post.

 

I've noticed that some Ducati parts sold on eBay are *way* more
expensive than they are from 'normal' channels.

 

GL1500 belts were £50 a pair off Ebay, IIRC they're over £50 each from
Honda.

Then again, they are a 100,000 mile service item.

GL1800 is chain driven, so no worries there, though it will need a
vavle clearance check every 32,000 miles, rather than never on the
1500.

 

And they're $15 each from rockauto.com, top quality Gates P/N T275.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?catalog=64&partnum=T275

I disremember what part number GL1200 belts were, but the same story
applied. Bought from Honda they were similarly silly prices but as
a part for a car they were pocket change.

Getting back to Ducati, a quick glance at the forums says that Gates
are the OEM for Ducati belts but won't/don't sell them to the public.

 

I'd lay money that industrial transmission stockists could order them up
for peanuts. In fact, I'd not be surprised if they're a standard length
in Gates' cataloguw.

 

Why don't you handle this one then, seeing as how I've done the last two
Merkania->UK aid jobs on the rota, for Grimly and WUN.

 

Just the same as anywhere else - caveat emptor, and watch the damned
postage charges too.

Just because they're selling through ebay's portal doesn't really mean
they're giving it away ... any more. Used to be cheap, but now there's
so many traders all prices seem to rise to the highest common
denominator.

 

I don't have a Ducati, let alone a drive belt and there's no nearby
Gates stockist.
Those who are interested to obtain one should have the nous to source
one, easily enough - all they have to do is find a local industrial
transmission stockist in the YP. Assuming of course, that I'm right in
my assertion; I'd be surprised if Ducati had Gates or someone else make
up a special belt just for them (the cost, for starters); it's very
likely they picked an off the shelf part.
This is how users get stitched up and dealers make their profits - as is
well known, bearings have been like this for utterly ages.