[wintermute]

Being new to Ducatis and their dry clutches, I find myself wondering about the practicalities of installing an open clutch cover and a custom pressure plate:

- Any tricks for keeping the pressure plate clean and shiny?

- Do you have to use special care when washing the bike?

- Any significant risk of getting pants cuff caught in the rotating clutch plate? (The whole apparatus looks sort of like a pepper mill)

I know these are probably stupid questions, but I was once taught there are no stupid questions, so there they are. Any answers?
Thanks in advance.

 

[vampire]

it is mainly cosmetic and for the unique sound..
u can just wipe the things and it will be shiny,, no greasy things there
and since it's open,, no worry about water getting inside as u can just lean the bike to the right side and water can be drained.
the clutch sound is loud,, so the exhaust MUST be louder for better harmony ehheeheehee

 

[DUCATIHIBBZ]

I would be more concerned about stray shoe laces than pants. Riding boots sound like a good investment...

 

[wintermute]

I would be more concerned about stray shoe laces than pants. Riding boots sound like a good investment...

I've never ridden without them as an adult. Good point, though.

 

[Jez]

I'd invest in some stainless bolts and springs. Some of the guys here (like Shift-Tech) can ship them to you.

 

[blawrence]

actually if you are stopped the clutch face doesn't spin, In neutral it spins and when you are holding the clutch and rolling the bike it will spin...
so many times when your feet are not on the pegs the springs and face will not actually be spinning, unless you put the bike in neutral when you stop

most clutch covers cover the rear of the clutch fairly well so while you are riding I think there is little chance for pant legs to get caught in it (aside from it being well protected there is not too much for the pants to catch because the parts are all round and simply spin.
I've never worn shoes with laces while riding... so I can't say I would know what would happen with laces.

I will support the stainless springs and bolts suggestion,, the steel springs will rust.

other than that, it's a pretty low maintenance mod.

 

[wintermute]

Thanks to all you guys for the comments. It's amazing how simple stuff like this you only know from experience. You've educated me.

One more question, though. Do the stainless springs from Shift-Tech change the feel of the clutch pull, or make the clutch more likely to slip? Another way of saying this is, are the Shift-Tech stainless springs matched in force/length properties to the stock springs?

 

[blawrence]

I don't know about Shift-Tech, but I know the TPO spring kit is 20% more forceful than the OEM springs.... just thought I would throw that out there

 

[GOTJ]

If you wear your pants inside your boot, there should be no issues of anything getting caught by the spinning clutch. I wear mine outside and have a pair of Roadcrafters that get inside a couple of the cover openings and rub on the clutch. I had to rig some covers for the openings in the rear.

Another option just for the increased clutch rattle is to remove the gasket and put some spacers in place of it. I used some plastic ones from Ace Hardware.

 

[LaRossa]

Dry clutch heats up more than wet clutch so when you open up the cover, you'll allow the clutch to cool faster, you also get rid of the dust the dry clutch plates create, if you have a closed one and the dust builds up, you might end up with a slipping (not a slipper) clutch.
if you add stainless steel springs, a must if you open the cover, the pull would be greater due to the stiffness of the St.St. vs steel, one of the options is to get a aftermarket clutch slave, I found the one I think is the best as a 29mm Oberon thru Moto Wheels, it loweres the clutch pull to a 1 finger operation. Also, you have much better chance getting the bottom of your pantleg caught on the clutch slave bleeder nipple than on the open pressure plate. $.02!

 

[wintermute]

Great advice, LaRossa. I was wondering about how the replacement clutch slave cylinders fit into this discussion. That helps clarify it.
Sounds like I'm moving toward adding a 29mm clutch slave and stainless steel springs/bolts to my new clutch system.
Thanks again.