Police clutches

[Mark]

Anyone know how long clutches last on BMW and HD when used by LEOs?

I met a Chandler LEO Kaw rider today at lunch and he said he had just heard an ST1300 blew a clutch down at the Tucson police 'games'.
Then he said the Glendale PD is only getting 6k out of their ST1300 police bike clutches.

Anyone know anything about this?
Anyone know the comparison numbers?

Mark

[BigTom]

All I know for sure is that when Yuma PD tested the ST1300 they managed to torch a clutch during the testing...But know that they had every motor that wanted to ride it, it got a pretty nasty work out, I'd guess.

[dond]

One of our fineST told me they they get about 20K out of a BMW clutch and about 20K out of an HD engine.

That's what he said :|

They're moSTly ST mounted now :)

[sherob]

I think we would have heard from IC about short lived clutches as many miles as he put on his, but then maybe not :confused:

[Herleman]

Are there advangages or disadvantages to the "dry" clutch as used in the BMWs over the wet clutch as used in the ST?

[STill Fiddlin]

Hmm. I thought there was a thread started by someone who actually worked on police STs, complaining about clutch failures. Don't think they ever provided details, and I can't find it, so it must have disappeared in the great crash.

[Byron]

Clutches are clutches are clutches. The more or harder you use one the quicker they will wear out. Police are hard on their clutches because they generally will be working residential/city streets in stop and go conditions day in and day out. Jackrabit starts are the order of the day and slipping the clutch through tight slow speed turns is the norm.

There are companies out there like Barnett Clutches (http://www.barnettclutches.com/) that have been making premium clutches for motorcycles for years. Problem is most departments will have their bikes serviced by factory shops who will put in factory parts. Factory parts are better suited for normal street/dirt riding not the abuse put to them by law enforcement use.

I guess I'm just trying to say that Honda should probably be using a clutch material better suited to the demands of the intended use and not using every day parts.

When the clutch in my bike dies it will get a Barnett like all my other bikes in the past.

[Tim4255]

The Police ST1300 uses a different clutch than ours. After spending time at NAMOA in Boise, ID last May I got to see how hard they are on clutches.

[nm6r]

Are there advangages or disadvantages to the "dry" clutch as used in the BMWs over the wet clutch as used in the ST?

An advantage of a bike with a dry clutch is the ability to use any kind of oil in the engine. It can contain moly additives, friction modifiers, etc. with no ill effects on the clutch.

Ray
http://www.frontiernet.net/~st1300rider/smile04Bikerwheelie.gif

[Mark]

There are companies out there like Barnett Clutches (http://www.barnettclutches.com/)
--snip--
When the clutch in my bike dies it will get a Barnett like all my other bikes in the past.

And you'll let us know what you use?

Thanks Byron.
Mark

[Herleman]

I wonder how many of us have actually had to replace a clutch. I don't remember it coming up very often. The only bike I ever had thqt got enough miles to think about a clutch was my little CB350. It went way over 100K miles and still had the original clutch in it when I gave it away.