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Looks like you guys have already hit the nail on the head. But when has that ever stopped me from giving my 2 cents?

I've actually grown quite fond of my dry clutch. It engages quite smoothly, and quickly (which is a good thing). It doesn't contaminate my oil, or slip because I used "so and so" oil. I had a problem with my VFR where it only liked certain brands of oil. None of them had energy saving stuff, but some of them still would make the clutch slip... not sure why.

As for the operation of the dry clutch.. I don't find it that heavy, even for city driving. I gladly accept the firm pull in exchange for the level of feel I get out of the clutch. Compared to my old bike, it seems more precise and clean (less slipping while taking off).

The downside is that the clutch gets kind of grabby when it gets really hot (in long city rides for the most part). A lot of people vent their clutch cover for this reason, but it seldom happens so I'm not going to bother with it yet. Also, I really like the dry clutch sound, but I feel like an open cover would be just a little too much.

also...to whoever asked who still uses them...not that anyone will care...

but when useing and open primary...you need to also run a dry clutch...

we have a lot of new bikes on the floor with dry clutches.

Sevulturus wrote:If I fit comfortably on a duc I would not care if it was a wet or dry clutch, just as I do not care that my bike is a chain drive (high maintenance) because I enjoy riding it.

Like I said, if you like the bike* it will not matter what kind of clutch it has. You will SIMPLY adapt. You are capable of adapting are you not?

There's a lot of bikes I like, and that I'm sure I would enjoy riding. But many of them I wouldn't buy because of various features I wouldn't want ot live with.

When shopping, I (as do many others that I know) compare the various features of bikes. I personally try to look for low maintenance and durability, and a good overall bike. Yes, it's important to like the bike you own, but I also want to know what I'm up against, and I want to minimize the negative issues as much as I can.

You like the bike regardless. However, not everyone is like that.

As far as the statement "Like I said, if you like the bike* it will not matter what kind of clutch it has. You will SIMPLY adapt. You are capable of adapting are you not?", that's not always possible.

Some people don't want a clutch with a heavy pull, because some may have tendonitus/carpal tunnel syndrome. I sprained my wrist in an off road accident on my KLR250 a few years ago. I still have wrist problems as a result. Could I adapt to a hard clutch pull? Maybe. But why would I want a repetitve injury as a result, when I could have a bike with an easier/shorter pull?

And what about a clutch lever with a long travel? Some riders with small hands (women riders especially) could have problems with this.

So your statement "Like I said, if you like the bike* it will not matter what kind of clutch it has." obviously doesn't always apply.

That's like saying, "sportbikes are bad because it makes my legs hurt." He said that ALL dry clutches are a bad idea on bikes, this is not true.

LionLady, Just an FYI: Dry clutches (like Ducati's) also can consist of a number of pressure plates and friction plates just like a wet clutch. They just don't sit in an oil bath. Ducati clutches chatter more than other (BMW, Guzzi, etc) dry clutches because of this setup - It's al those plates rattling around.

I also just wanted to add:


LOUD CLUTCHES SAVE LIVES!

Learned that my current BMW has a dry clutch My thumper had a wet clutch.

P