Timing belts.

[Gowing]

Query, I just read an article from a top Ducati mechanic saying a Ducati that sat pretty much unused for a couple years would be in danger of belt breaking. The part of the belt that bends on the gear wheel takes a set and weakens. Does the same thing happen to our wing belts? With the small crank wheel and the larger cam wheels? After a couple years, say a couple hundred miles, should they be changed?

[Track T 2411]

Belts can definitely take a 'set' after a few years of disuse. $30-40 and a few hours of wrenching is pretty cheap insurance compared to bent valves or a holed piston, IMhO. While Honda never published a service schedule on changing the timing belts, I've read recommendations of 20k miles.

[Fred Camper]

Or 5 years, which ever is sooner. The 5 year mark most likely due to the curve bend issue during parking.

[twooldwings]

on top of that is the previous owners "sitting a couple of years" statement, which often seems to translate into "sitting since the turn of the century".

[Whiskerfish]

If you do not have hard documentation when they were changed then change them. My personal rule is 5 years. Unless you are a obsessive rider, the mileage accumulated in 5 years should not be an issue but age is a factor. If the bike has sat for any significant length of time I would not trust them past about 2 years. And make sure to use a quality name brand. No Barracuda is not a quality name brand.