Arnold Schwarzenegger Clutch Woes

My ss800 clutch feels fine until i get on track and do a dozen gear changes every lap and by the end of the 15min session my wrist is dead.
As i said, my wrist is damaged and i'm looking for the lightest clutch action i can lay my hands on.
Plus i'm a pussy!!
Cheers
Bomber
 
Try switching hands in the bedroom and crushing all your beer cans when empty.......that should help. I felt Reds hydraulic clutch mod whilst over there last and it is slightly lighter than the RGS one. Not as light as the beemer one though!


 
There must be a huge variation on pull over different bikes.I am 130kg and thats being polite,work on the tools as a chippy.Mine was crazy hard,what have I let myself in for,PULL TOOLS HARD.Riding around the street it was bearable.Do 40 minutes in the twistys with a gear change ever 20 seconds and to get home I had the keep my thumb on top near my fingers or it would be really painful.My first big ride to the first Philip Island GP,probably 2.5 to 3000ks including 350ks of dirt ended with me having pins and needles in my left wrist for a couple of months.When I read in Classic Bike about Phils extended clutch arm it was a massive blessing.Mine works very well,I get neutral with the bike stopped easy.You do need to have a good feel for the adjustment,must have some freeplay at the bar.If its so easy a pull stock and thats with nice big curves in the new cable,then why would I brake a cable 3 or 4 times a year.That takes some doing and yes I radius ed any sharp edges hear the cable inner.With the extended lever I broke a cable a couple of months back,the first in maybe 5 years.Still carry a spare just in case.
 
Hey Bomber, I wouldn't have taken you for a limp-wristed type when we met a couple of weeks ago. Each to his own I suppose  ;)

Joking aside, I did try the clutch on Bomber's Martin, and it felt a bit heavier than the (un-modified) clutch on my Jota. Mine has a new cable so that might explain why it's marginally lighter than Bomber's. But I wouldn't mind a lighter one for the reason Vince described - twisty roads lose their appeal after 100 gear changes in quick succession. I didn't think Red was geared-up to produce the Keith Nairn patented hydraulic conversion. I could be tempted to buy one if he is. Red's a good bloke, but I blame him for my dwindling bank account!

Cheers,
Cam
 
More friction at the plates = less force required at the springs (and so the lever).

What are the plate options with regard to coef of friction?
 
Dellortoman said:
I didn't think Red was geared-up to produce the Keith Nairn patented hydraulic conversion. I could be tempted to buy one if he is. Red's a good bloke, but I blame him for my dwindling bank account!
Cheers,
Cam
Click to expand...

will be soon, hydraulic covers are getting towards the top of the list
am nearly finished building Triple engines for this year, probably lunch time tomorrow
only have the Twins to do then  :D
and then get into the odd jobs that have banked up

 
I run belt drive 2V Ducatis too, and while I have never had any trouble with the stock cluch pull setup, have heard of plenty of folks who have.  There are two solutions, either you can go for an Oberon slave cylinder, to lighten the clutch pull, or even better, you can remove two out of the 6 clutch springs without any ill effects on clutch slip etc.

I would investigate the spring removal solution as its free, and I'm a cheapskate.

On another forum I was reading about using Suzuki GS650 friction plates in dry clutch Ducatis, they fit, and are about 1/4 the price, so I will be investigating this option when the time comes


 
I steer clear of hydraulic clutches when racing - too expensive and hassle for that occasional trip on my arse - always use the extended arm  - I use SFC750 springs too and one jounalist described my clutch action as "able to pull in the clutch lever with the fingernail of my little finger".  - Regards - Phil
 
Thanks Phil.
I reckon i will extend the arm, put on a new cable and explore better levers first then if still not happy explore the hydraulics option with red.
Bomber
 
Pulled my actuating arm off yesterday to get a lengthened one made.
Thinking i will lengthen it about 10mm so it only just clears the top of the cover.
Will be a slight kink in the cable but can't be helped.
teh cable was a dogs breakfast at the bottom end.
A new one will certainly help.
 
Actuating arms wear - esp in the area that pushes the ball bearing (to rod). If your arm is worn, the bearing surfaces will be indented and as you pull the lever the whole mechanism is trying to 'climb' as well as 'push'. It's kinda fighting itself. Hard to explain, but obvious when you see it. I re-shaped mine and actuation was improved, but I think the original bearing surfaces were hardened, so the re-shaping wont last long - though at the rate I am riding my Lav, 30 feckin years :-(
 
Laverda Bomber said:
Pulled my actuating arm off yesterday to get a lengthened one made.
Thinking i will lengthen it about 10mm so it only just clears the top of the cover.
Will be a slight kink in the cable but can't be helped.
teh cable was a dogs breakfast at the bottom end.
A new one will certainly help.
Click to expand...

Bomber,

I can supply a kit comprising of longer lever, cable stop extension and M8x1 fixing bolt for the extension, bright zinc plated and ready to fit, costs ?23.50 + postage.

piet
 
Piet, I think Bomber is trying to keep the extended lever inside the cover, rather than do the the the slotted cover conversion with the cable attachment on the outside. He's only extending it by 10mm.

Bomber, with the cable coming out of the adjuster at an angle, you may lose as much in friction as you gain with the extended arm. There will also be a strong possibility of the cable failing at that point.

If you find the (slightly) extended arm to be a benefit, it would be worth investigating whether you could re-align the cable. I don't know how much metal is around the threaded cable adjuster hole in the top case, but you might be able to bore out the existing thread at the new angle, and tap it to accept a larger threaded insert - like a timesert.

Cheers,
Cam
 
Cheers Cam
I wasnt aware that the proven mod was to slot the cover.
i might just give it a whirl with a 10mm longer arm and new cable and see what it feels like,
The angle of the cable may counteract the benefit, may not.
Kev
Thanks but ill give this a try first.
Regards
 
Fuck all that....mine s going to Keith for one of his hydraulic conversion jobs....I tried one when I was up ther a few weeks ago..light as a fever  so though I am ok with a heavy clutch on the ope n road, why put up with it when such a neat solution is available .From what I have read ,the long lever ran thing rarely works satisfactorily....ugly too.
Nick 7
 
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