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[North Georgia Hawg]

Hi Ken, I missed you in MV  .  Hopefully you can make it to Ribfest.  . Reading about your new addition to your clutch, I was curious if this new system you are going to replace your VPC with has an easy pull also.  I am really enjoying my VPC 70 but I do notice a few issues.  First, it can be difficult finding neutral at times and on occasion when I have the clutch lever pulled in my MC will try to roll forward in 1st gear.  Not all the time, but my concern is that this will become the norm someday.  Also, I have felt like the last 500 miles I've put on it, it feels like it has gotten stiffer and I am no longer getting the 40% relief in pull from stock.  Could you share with me what changes you noticed in yours that has caused you to switch to this new setup. 
~Judy

I have been told that the VPCs will eventually stop reducing the pull as much as the fulcrum points wear, and the ring can even deform over time and reduce the effectiveness. I haven't experienced this yet though. My clutch is still very easy to pull - but it has been slipping when shifting on hard acceleration. I need a stronger spring, and I wanted to go to the +1 clutch to get more grabbing power as well.

The ClutchWiz was designed by a very good friend of mine, and I have been doing some testing of it for him. I have a version of it with some design tweaks in it, that I am going to put on the Honey Badger probably today, when the 480 lb spring arrives. I know that will fix the slipping issue, because he has a customer with a 120R that is making upwards of 130/130, and he has a 480 lb spring and the Energy One +1 clutch that does not slip for him. This customer also has some nerve damage in his clutch hand, and he can pull the 480 lb spring with two fingers with the ClutchWiz. So I know it will work for me.

One thing I have never liked about the VPC is that it just seems noisy to me. This may be my imagination, but I hear a clattering in the primary. The ClutchWiz does not have the fly-out weights on it that the VPC does... it's just a ring of 7075 aluminum with fulcrum points milled into that change the point at which pressure is applied to the fingers of the spring. Thus, it cannot make any noise at all.

I am also expecting the Hayden M6 BT07 to help a lot with keeping the primary chain tensioned correctly, which will hopefully make the primary run more quietly. I have never liked the H-D ratcheting tensioner because it can overtighten the chain - and that is very bad for the compensator. 

[North Georgia Hawg]

Well, now I have proof the the VPC will eventually wear on the fulcrum points at the point of contact with each clutch spring finger, and produce less and less reduction in clutch lever pull effort.

Here is the VP-70T I removed from my bike yesterday... the wear on the fulcrum points on either side of each finger (where the unit contacts the 12 fingers of the clutch spring) is quite evident. The silver areas are the worn areas. It doesn't take all that much wear at these points to significantly reduce the effectiveness of the VPC, due to the fulcrum clearance changing. This unit was in the Honey Badger for only about 8,000 miles.

[North Georgia Hawg]

I now have the 480 clutch spring installed, along with the ClutchWiz. I can still make the clutch slip when really aggressively speed-shifting - but i suspect that it would still slip without the ClutchWiz in there at all - because the stock clutch just can't handle the torque output of the engine.

We measured the clutch pull with the 480 lb spring and the ClutchWiz at only 9.8 lbs... it's very easy to pull the clutch lever with only two fingers! This is actually more of reduction in lever pull effort than the VPC ever produced. AND NO MORE RATTLING IN THE PRIMARY! My primary is now quiet once again!

I have the +1 clutch plates coming shortly, and I am hopeful that with these installed, my clutch will not slip anymore on aggressive pulls.

[LovemyCVOgirl]

Well, now I have proof the the VPC will eventually wear on the fulcrum points at the point of contact with each clutch spring finger, and produce less and less reduction in clutch lever pull effort.

Here is the VP-70T I removed from my bike yesterday... the wear on the fulcrum points on either side of each finger (where the unit contacts the 12 fingers of the clutch spring) is quite evident. The silver areas are the worn areas. It doesn't take all that much wear at these points to significantly reduce the effectiveness of the VPC, due to the fulcrum clearance changing. This unit was in the Honey Badger for only about 8,000 miles.












[img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8183/8077836669_16478a2acb_h.jpg[/

Ken, These pictures are proof of what is wrong with the VP-70.  I would like to switch mine out to the same system you have put in yours as long as pulling in the clutch lever is "two fingers."  Can you please tell me what I need with the part numbers and where I order them from.  Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Ken,
Judy

[North Georgia Hawg]

Ken, These pictures are proof of what is wrong with the VP-70.  I would like to switch mine out to the same system you have put in yours as long as pulling in the clutch lever is "two fingers."  Can you please tell me what I need with the part numbers and where I order them from.  Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Ken,
Judy

Hi Judy! Wiz gave you the info you needed today while I was at his place, I believe. You just need the ClutchWiz, and the AIM 480 lb clutch spring... it's P/N AM-007-480 on their website here:  http://www.aim-tamachi.com/product.php?productid=74&cat=28&page=1 - $45 plus shipping.

So yeah... I rode over to Wiz' garage today, put the HB up on the lift, and installed the Energy One extra clutch plate kit. This kit comes with its own clutch spring that is about what an SE spring is - but I used the big fat 480 lb AIM spring I already had in the clutch for maximum holding power. And topped it all off with the ClutchWiz... needless to say! The spring that came with the kit went right into Wiz' increasingly-well-stocked Community Chest parts drawer, for someone else who might need it down the road.

I'm very happy to report NO CLUTCH SLIPPAGE AT ALL with the extra plate in the clutch! And I mean, NONE! Used to be, even with the 480 lb spring, I would get significant clutch spinning when I really got on it - especially in 1st gear right off the line... but now the clutch GRABS TIGHT and GOES - even in full-throttle speed-shifting! No creeping in gear when stationary, either.

I also slipped in the Hayden BT07 primary chain tensioner - and since I already had the outer primary cover off anyway, that took all of 10-15 minutes extra. It makes a big difference - the primary is smoother now, easy to find neutral, and I don't have to be concerned with the ratcheting H-D chain tensioner over-tightening the chain anymore. The Hayden is spring-loaded, and constantly moves to keep the chain at the optimum tension at all times. It's a WAY better design than the ratcheting H-D tensioner. I had a Hayden on my old '95 Evo FLHTP and I loved it... and I figured the Honey Badger deserves one too!

SO... I'm a very happy camper now!       Time for a , I think...

[Deep Blue Dives]

OK - now I HAVE ridden at night with the TruckLite Phase 7 LEDS... and Holy CRAP! It's like riding in the daytime! The light just spreads out evenly everywhere with no bright or dark spots anywhere. I LOVE THESE THINGS!

Did you have to do any adjustments to the beam height after install.. Just put the main Light on Cali, and the low beam looks a bit high.

[North Georgia Hawg]

I didn't need to make any adjustments... but it's easy to adjust the beam up or down.

[Wayne G]

You just need the ClutchWiz, and the AIM 480 lb clutch spring... it's P/N AM-007-480 on their website here:  http://www.aim-tamachi.com/product.php?productid=74&cat=28&page=1 - $45 plus shipping.


North Georgia Hawg, 
I know this thread is old but I have a question about the ClutchWiz and AIM 480 spring.  Can the spring be changed through the derby cover or do you have to remove the primary cover?  In all the pictures it looks like the spring wont come out of the derby cover hole.
I want to change it before leaving for Sturgis

Thanks
Wayne

[Mr. Wizard]

Wayne... I'm Wiz, developer of the product but I don't sell it. Shouldn't be a violation of the rules I hope..


The clutch spring will not fit through the derby cover opening but there is no need to remove the primary cover. Simply drain and remove all the bolts except the long bolt that won't come out due to the floor board being in the way, Crack the primary cover open and let the old spring slide out. Insert the new spring and put the bolts back in the primary cover.

Takes about a half hour.

Sorry I can't talk about the product.. It's against the advertising rules.

[North Georgia Hawg]

Thanks for jumping in, Wiz! I honestly couldn't remember if the primary cover had to come off or not... I'm blaming old age.

The ClutchWIZ rules, Wayne! You will love it!

[North Georgia Hawg]

My latest "mod"...

[LovemyCVOgirl]

My latest "mod"...

Talk about perfect now!  The plate looks awesome 

[CowboyBagger]

My latest "mod"...

Ken,

When I first read that, I thought it said "Last Mod"!!  I thought "No Way"

I'm glad I read it twice!  I feel better now!

Cowboy

[Aussie]

Very nice Ken.

[North Georgia Hawg]

Ken,

When I first read that, I thought it said "Last Mod"!!  I thought "No Way"

I'm glad I read it twice!  I feel better now!

Cowboy

Thanks, folks!

And Cowboy... Hopefully it won't be the LAST mod, but I AM running out of things to do... unless I decide to really tear into the engine and beef up the bottom end, have head work done, and maybe put in hi-comp pistons.

But those new HAT saddlebag speakers in Rich's thread look pretty darned interesting!

Subwoofer in the Tour Pak, maybe???

 

Ken