What was mentioned earlier is correct. A multiplate wet clutch like on HDs and most Japanese bikes can take the abusemuch better than a single plate dry clutch like in a car, or on older BMW bikes. The HDs have it over the Japanese bikes in that the primay oil and tranny oil is separated from the engine oil, hence it will not get as hot quicker. Most universal Japanese bikes have the engine, tranny, and clutch all bathed in the same oil. Soasthe engines on theseJapanese bikes get hot, the clutch springsheat up, metalfatigue sets in and the bikes "lose" clutches until they cool back down. That's way I have the riders take a cool down lap every now and then.

The most abusive part is learning the friction zone technique. The exercise repetition while learning balance, coordination, and building muscle memory can be hard on a bike because it's done in excess, over and over with different applications. However, once the technique is learned the actual application is very short and quick. How long does it take to make a full lock u-turn with a board dragging lean on the streets, 4-6 seconds at the most? Nobody pulls into a parking lot and does five mins of full lock circles in 18' unless they are showing off.

I usually suggest to BMW riders that they consider using my training bikes and avoid premature wear on their clutch. For those who choose to use their own bikes, I transition them into the freewheeling method earlier. Last week I had a couple of Ducati riders take the Ride Like A Procourse. Those bikes were multiplate dry clutches. Even though I had them freewheeling, you could smell their clutches and even see them smoking through the vents.

Mark

 

I've had every brand of bike. Only Honda's have clutch wear out problems. At different times I've had 3 Honda's. All had clutch problems.

It's just me, but I've never understood how riding like a pro equates with riding as slow as possible. I've never had a need to ride as slow as possible. Like a pro means slam on the brakes, not go down, and dodge everything that made you slam on the brakes.

 

I think a lot of Ducati's have a dry clutch as well.

 

car clutch & cycle clutch = apples & oranges

A friend who is an MSF/RIders Edge instructor always says "Throttle controls engine speed; clutch controls forward speed." Of course, there are a lot of missing details, but it's a good way to think when approaching slow-speed maneuvering. Motorcycle clutches are designed to be "slipped."

 

I had a 2002 honda Shadow 1100 Spirit, with 130,000 on the orginal cluch, and stator....and I have several friends with either a spirit, or a sabre, anf they all are between 50k and 100k all on orginal clutches....

 

Slow speed maneuvering is much more challenging than riding at speed. Have you ever watched one of those police motorcycle skills competitions? Try circling those cones on a E-glide sometime . . lol

 

By all means, feel free to drive in rush hour traffic as fast as you can slamming on the brakes without falling and dodging cars.
Let me know if you get home.

Slow speed riding may be forced upon you by circumstances. In such cases, being able to control your vehicle smoothly, without continuous jerking and yanks is the difference between getting where you have to get relaxed and whole and having an accident, or beating up your bike's transmission.

 

Well said.

 

When I took the MSF course this was one of the hardest ideas to get used too. I kept flashing back to when I was learning to drive myFather's car and waiting for the smack in the back of the head when I rode the clutch. As others have said: Bikes & Cars= apples& oranges.

 

Always called it 'feathering' the clutch and I don't see how you can do any slow speed maneuvering without doing it. No issues with clutch wear.