01-19-2018, 03:00 AM
It's going to be significant.
[url=https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/mc-garage-video-how-motorcycle-slipper-clutches-work-and-why-theyre-awesome]Ari Henning 'splains.
Here's my experience with them.
I have several bikes with slip/assist clutches and it's extraordinary how light the clutch pull is on these bikes. Nearly effortless, one finger if desired.
There was thread by someone who had test ridden a bike with this type of clutch, and initially the expectations of how it works are misunderstood. The "slip" function only kicks in if the rider really botches a downshift and the engine cannot spin up the the RPM that matches the downshift. Without that slip, the rear wheel, of course, will skid; maybe a little, maybe a lot.
Usually it takes only a tiny intervention of the slipper to correct things and let the engine RPM catch up (or down in this case). This intervention is usually just a few milliseconds, not a long interval that seems like very light engine braking. That slippage is noted at the clutch lever as a light "bounce" or pulsation and isn't much different than sensing when the ABS kicks in at the front brake lever.
The slipper never engages for long periods of time and has nothing at all to do with engine braking.
I have a pretty good comparison between my 2015 ZX-10R, which has a slipper clutch but without assist, and my 2017 Z900, which does have the slip-n-grip clutch.
The ZX-10R has a pretty stiff clutch pull, where the Z900 has the lightest clutch pull of any bike I've ridden. Just effortless. On the other hand, my Wolf Classic 150 has the toughest clutch pull of any bike I own, and is right up there with my old Harleys (mid-2000s). It's a workout. That bike is about 15 HP, where the Kawasakis are in the 115-175 HP range.
The slip feature is for safety only; it's a misunderstanding to think this feature is routinely engaged by racers downshifting for a turn. It really never activates, and if it does, it can be a huge problem, because it's the same thing as pulling in the clutch. That means the racer has blown the corner entry. I would say in all the track days I did on my GSX-R 750, I may have felt it engage two or three times, very briefly.
For those riders who are good at shifting, and aren't having any problems in that regard, the slip feature will very likely never engage. If it does engage, the little pulsation sends a message letting him/her know they've botched the downshift, and the learning process happens pretty quickly.
It's a lot better than learn the hard way by high-siding.
So this feature is an excellent upgrade in all respects; it takes the load of the forearm and helps preserve the wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome by reducing lever effort, and also serves as a safety feature that, for some riders, could be just as valuable as ABS.
If I still had my CB1100, I'd do this upgrade for sure.
[url=https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/mc-garage-video-how-motorcycle-slipper-clutches-work-and-why-theyre-awesome]Ari Henning 'splains.
Here's my experience with them.
I have several bikes with slip/assist clutches and it's extraordinary how light the clutch pull is on these bikes. Nearly effortless, one finger if desired.
There was thread by someone who had test ridden a bike with this type of clutch, and initially the expectations of how it works are misunderstood. The "slip" function only kicks in if the rider really botches a downshift and the engine cannot spin up the the RPM that matches the downshift. Without that slip, the rear wheel, of course, will skid; maybe a little, maybe a lot.
Usually it takes only a tiny intervention of the slipper to correct things and let the engine RPM catch up (or down in this case). This intervention is usually just a few milliseconds, not a long interval that seems like very light engine braking. That slippage is noted at the clutch lever as a light "bounce" or pulsation and isn't much different than sensing when the ABS kicks in at the front brake lever.
The slipper never engages for long periods of time and has nothing at all to do with engine braking.
I have a pretty good comparison between my 2015 ZX-10R, which has a slipper clutch but without assist, and my 2017 Z900, which does have the slip-n-grip clutch.
The ZX-10R has a pretty stiff clutch pull, where the Z900 has the lightest clutch pull of any bike I've ridden. Just effortless. On the other hand, my Wolf Classic 150 has the toughest clutch pull of any bike I own, and is right up there with my old Harleys (mid-2000s). It's a workout. That bike is about 15 HP, where the Kawasakis are in the 115-175 HP range.
The slip feature is for safety only; it's a misunderstanding to think this feature is routinely engaged by racers downshifting for a turn. It really never activates, and if it does, it can be a huge problem, because it's the same thing as pulling in the clutch. That means the racer has blown the corner entry. I would say in all the track days I did on my GSX-R 750, I may have felt it engage two or three times, very briefly.
For those riders who are good at shifting, and aren't having any problems in that regard, the slip feature will very likely never engage. If it does engage, the little pulsation sends a message letting him/her know they've botched the downshift, and the learning process happens pretty quickly.
It's a lot better than learn the hard way by high-siding.
So this feature is an excellent upgrade in all respects; it takes the load of the forearm and helps preserve the wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome by reducing lever effort, and also serves as a safety feature that, for some riders, could be just as valuable as ABS.
If I still had my CB1100, I'd do this upgrade for sure.
(01-19-2018, 02:29 AM)johnf514_imp Wrote: Very interested in this. Clutch pull has always been heavier than preferred, and I like to bang down gears while riding enthusiastically and have had the rear step out a few times.Do it! You'll be happy you did.