|
Problem fixed; the S4R now has a nice smooth clutch engagement just like my ST4!
I changed the friction plates for an old set bought from Dr Desmo in the US many years ago. Perhaps more significant, there wasn't a belleville or dished plate in the stack when I got the bike so I made my own. Ducati belleville plates are a very shallow cone shape, but Barnett ones have a wave profile which I could quite easily replicate just by whacking a thin steel clutch plate in four positions equally around the circumference. The bent bits need to be little more than 10 thou off flat to give it a bit of springiness relative to the other flat plates and ease engagement. Hopefully the sweet action will last, while the clutch is nicely silenced and the tabs protected from further wear by the two friction plates dropped into the basket before the rest go in.
So far as I can see, the actual stack height is not critical so long as plates can't come loose when the clutch is disengaged, and the pressure plate contacts the loose plates before it bottoms on the splines when engaged. I simply mix and match to get the pack to that situation.
I had a great ride after doing this, made a deal more comfortable by reducing preload and compression damping at both ends. The ergonomics of the S4R suit me well, particularly when there is sufficient wind pressure to unload my wrists: a slow pottering bike the S4R isn't!. The speedo under-reads compared with roadside radar which seems unusual. Just as well the tyres are nearly new and not low on diameter else I'd be getting into trouble without realising it come new rubber time!
Nick
|