Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Enjoy XS650.com?Consider making a donation to help support the site. XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Something I've been wondering, could you make solid pieces and get rid of the damper springs if you have a cush on the rear wheel? I know the springs can fail, and with going to a high ratio primary I have to pull it all off anyway.
I don't think it would be a good idea. They're absorbing/dampening the crank pulses that are gonna go through the tranny if you remove them. Rear wheel cush's are downstream..... I don't think your tranny would like it.
I was just curious, especially since other bikes I have worked on have no damping at the clutch. Singles, twins, triples and fours none of them have had the damper in the clutch other than the XS. I'm sure with the cush the springs live an easier life than they otherwise would.
Ah, I thought of that. They have no damping other than those springs, no cush in the trans, driveshaft/half shafts, or differential. And some race set ups have no springs.
I've seen the vesconite pieces being used in australia, kinda pricey. It seems they limit spring travel, but don't lock things in place.
I did some reading on the primary compensator and learned sportsters don't have them, and they fail on the big twins.
I would think that if something were critical it would be more prolific. I mean there are a bunch of twins, parallel and V, out there with no damping on the drivetrain other than the cush.
My take on it is the springs take the place of the rear wheel cush drive.
So if you have a rear wheel cush drive it will probably do.
You lead the way with EFI give the rear cush no clutch damper springs a go and see what its like.
I have the Aussie vesconite spacers and springs in the clutch on my tracker with high ratio primary gears and I am not that fond of it . I prefer the feel of the fully sprung clutch.
The key point, as raised by Jim above, is that there WILL be shock loading from the pulses of the crank power strokes and something has to absorb them. Downstream, the drivechain has lots of capacity to absorb shocks coming from the wheel end of the drivetrain, but right up close to the crankshaft, you really only have the clutch itself.
If it isn't the cush springs in the clutch, then those shocks will be applied to the gears in the transmission and they are pretty stiff parts that are also hardened and that is a recipe for a broken gear tooth - or two.
Perhaps the outcome could be termed a ...."clurch"?
Lol, yeah. Most of my internet browsing is on my phone, and I have autocorrect turned off.
I'll leave the springs in place. I was just curious if anyone with the "big" engines had removed them and what the result was. If they were going to fail you'd think the 860/880 and other really big set ups would be the ones having issues, especially since they tend to be in sidecar race set ups.