One task that I have been putting off for a long time is replacing the drive belt on my 250cc scooter. I noticed almost two years ago that it was giving signs that the belt had begun to stretch. Last year I did a visual inspection but it looked good so I didn't replace it then. A couple of weeks ago I resolved to replace the belt and am I glad I did. It showed early signs of cracks in the rubber which means that a breakage will come along when you least expect it. I had a new belt in stock and got down to replacing it which entails removing a plastic panel and the metal case on the engine and a drive pulley. Removal was a snap but it was during reassembly when things went awry.
My Dad always said to look at what you're doing when you're working and he knew his stuff around a motorcycle engine. Without going into too much detail I was holding a Puller, a device that removes stubborn parts, in one hand and trying not to drop it and grabbed what I thought was a new drive belt with the other hand. Nope. I had the old and new belt lying on the ground next to each other and accidentally grabbed the old belt. Thinking I had put the correct belt in place I tightened and reassembled the scooter only discovering during cleanup that I had the new belt in my hands as I went to throw it out.
Furious with myself I began doing the job over only this time it went much better. I had all the right tools out, new Loctite and the knowledge refreshly gained from having just done the task. It went much better the second time. I don't know if the new belt will last as long but if it doesn't I'm ready to do it again. Unless I forget what I learned, a problem at my age. What I will remember is to throw the old belt as far away from me as I can before putting the scooter back together. What do they say, "You win some, you lose some?" I won and lost all on the same job. Lesson learned.