| Author | Message | ||
     Tone |
Hi, I learned from this forum that the spring plate in the clutch is a catastrophic failure waiting to happen, so I figured maybe I will replace the entire clutch pack while I am at it. So in my google searching for a supplier for a new clutch pack, I ran across a nifty invention: A centrifugal clutch. Has anyone installed one of these on a Buell? If so, can you tell me what part number might fit my 2002 S3T? Here is a link to a company that makes these for Harleys... I don't know if there are also other companies doing this. http://www.aim-tamachi.com/motorcycle/ (and no... English is not this company's first language it looks like...) So the idea is that the faster this thing spins, the more pressure it applies to the clutch plates. This generally results in more pressure being applied to the plates as torque goes up. This of course, helps prevent clutch slippage -- it is at higher torque that slippage will be most likely to occur. Apparently this clutch is a little easier than stock to disengage at idle speed. At high speed it will be more difficult to disengage than when at idle, but only for the start of the travel -- as the clutch lever travels towards the handlebar, the force required rapidly decreases to the same as at idle, thus it is described as pulling on something that sort of feels stuck, then gives. This description makes sense given the design. thanks for any info you can provide! (Message edited by tone on June 05, 2008) Here are some photos of an install of this thing. Does this look like it would fit in a Buell? http://www.hotrodsbikeworks.com/tech/0611_hrbw_variable_pressure_clutch_fix/index.html/ (Message edited by tone on June 05, 2008) | ||
| Tone |
holy cow. A Buell parts outfit in the Netherlands ( twinmotorcycles.nl ) tells me that the VPC clutch will work in my specific Buell (2002 S3T) with no problem! They also say that the VPC clutch fits in pre-XB Buells. So hell yeah - I'm gonna try it out. It's pretty damn pricy - $300 or so - but I'm gonna write it off in my mind as a gadget that will improve the resale value of my bike for whenever I sell it. In the mean time I can enjoy an easier clutch. I've gotten used to it by now but the clutch handle really seemed hard to engage when I first got the bike. Even now, if I get stuck in crawling traffic, it's a pain. I'll post photos and specific measurements when I get it done to assist in case anyone else wants to see if it'll fit in any other models... | ||
| Rick_a |
Just remove the spring plate and add one friction plate and two metal...instant heavy-duty race clutch...and CHEAP. Those spring plates rarely fail catastrophically...the rivets usually just loosen some over time. |
