Clutch Kit testing

[dirkdiggler]

There is only one true way to test these kits.


1. Get one sled.
2. Get a good set of timers.
3. Get a plowed strip of ice.
4. Get one good test rider.
5. put a speed track with chisels in the sled
6. put the sled on the dyno to determine where that sled makes it's peak power.
7. dial every kit to pull the identical full shift RPM based on your dyno results.
8. Make 5 passes per kit and record the times
9. take the chisel track out and install a trail track
10. go out and put exactly 50 miles of identical riding on each kit and record notes of throttle response, back shift, from a roll feel. and finally the gas mileage.
11. take all the info and right an article about how each kit performs.

Trying to compare Clutch kits in one sled by simply bolting them on isn't going to work. There are far to many variables. number one each kit on the market currently uses different components. Each kit may be pulling different full shift rpm. People tend to biased to friends who build kits or guys they have had an affiliation with and you'll never get 100% true information from people when loyalty gets in the way!!!!.

 

[welterracer]

I agree with most of the bottom of your paragraph..

BUT..

Why wouldyou need to dyno the kit and time it on ice covered lake..

These kits are designed for TRAIL RIDING... and drag racing on hard pack snow.. ( i havent seen one for ice racing only)

Tuning the kit should be required, if the dealer of the kit adjusts it for your weight and track and studded or not..

 

[dirkdiggler]

I agree with most of the bottom of your paragraph..

BUT..

Why wouldyou need to dyno the kit and time it on ice covered lake..

These kits are designed for TRAIL RIDING... and drag racing on hard pack snow.. ( i havent seen one for ice racing only)

Tuning the kit should be required, if the dealer of the kit adjusts it for your weight and track and studded or not..

Running each kit on times on a lake will show the actual improvements. It's no different then what they do at the amsnow shootout. Times don't lie. Taking X sled and slapping a kit in it and running against another isn't the way to do it.

There are a lot of people posting they put X kit in there sled and then they put Y kit in and it's better. The only way to really know the truth is to use a controlled environment.

What I failed to mention is the first setup you run is stock. Then you run the others and see if you acctually get improvements.

 

[welterracer]

agreed..

But the only thing you could measure on ice is top speed... Most sleds will spin horribly out of the hole with stock track and studs.. (unless you swapped in a ice chissel track) but that wouldnt prove the purpose of the kits.

 

[dirkdiggler]

agreed..

But the only thing you could measure on ice is top speed... Most sleds will spin horribly out of the hole with stock track and studs.. (unless you swapped in a ice chissel track) but that wouldnt prove the purpose of the kits.

You Would most certainly use a Chissel track. The point of the test is to prove which kit actually improves ET. Unless a kit is restricting the shift out of the clutches you will never see a loss or gain in MPH. Every sled makes X hp and MPH is based on HP and RPM. Now if one kit adds 5 or 10 more HP to the track you might see a gain in MPH but it would have to be that dramatic. 1 or 2 HP more or less at the track will not so a MPH gain.

 

[welterracer]

If you have two sleds.. that are raced against each other (stock for stock) and find they are equal... you should be able to bolt one clutch kit on one and another kit on the other and rerace..

Having a radar at 1000 feet and a timer would be great too but i think you are complicating things with all the variables you want to add..

Like said before these kits are designe for drag racing on hardpack snow... (not ice racing) with stock tracks and studs!

 

[jimmie d]

Will you guys spend the damn $300 and get it over with it ain't rocket science. If you can't afford to risk $300 you should not be riding a $10,000 sled.

Jim

 

[snowbeast]

Ok guys i am going to add a little bit to this too,as i agree with dirk as far as the ice track leads the best bang for the buck as far as hook up being even,if you ran on a snow course like trails are,it would be whoever had the best line,and we all know when we race someone down the lake bed we all look for the fastest lane,if its all ice just find the smoothest line to race so hook up is even..

 

[yamaha-423]

Taking two stock sleds or timers on good hardpacked conditions is the only way to test clutching. Hardpack snow with a stock studded track will not compare at all with a chisel speed track on ice. Holeshot RPM numbers, shifting are totally different. using a chisel track for testing will only give you the best setup for a chisel track. You need to test with what you run the most.

 

[dirkdiggler]

Taking two stock sleds or timers on good hardpacked conditions is the only way to test clutching. Hardpack snow with a stock studded track will not compare at all with a chisel speed track on ice. Holeshot RPM numbers, shifting are totally different. using a chisel track for testing will only give you the best setup for a chisel track. You need to test with what you run the most.

I think your missing the point of the chisel track. If you add a track setup like that you eliminate the spin factor. Some of these kits hit harder out of the hole then others. You level the playing across the board with a speed track. Each sled will come out equally. Does that represent how your trail track will work in those conditions "no". But it eliminates the argument that this kit is better then that kit.

 

[SledFreak]

As long as the tests are still conducted on snow and not ice.

 

[Red2003]

So then why buy an aftermarket clutch kit? If you're gonna test each sled on a "sled by sled" basis for your certain sled, with your certain track, and your certain riding conditions, why not tune the stock clutches and save a couple hundred bucks?? If you can't buy a bolt on kit and be assured it WILL make your sled faster, then its a waste of money in my book.

 

[Viper34]

I think your missing the point of the chisel track. If you add a track setup like that you eliminate the spin factor. Some of these kits hit harder out of the hole then others. You level the playing across the board with a speed track. Each sled will come out equally. Does that represent how your trail track will work in those conditions "no". But it eliminates the argument that this kit is better then that kit

Running a chisel track that completely eliminates track spin has absolutely no meaning to 99% of customers buying a clutch kit. Would that kit even be close to what they will get when they buy from Ulmer or whoever? What meaning will those results have to anyone? Maybe you need to compare stock to trail clutch kits and stock to "race" kits.

Taking two stock sleds or timers on good hardpacked conditions is the only way to test clutching. Hardpack snow with a stock studded track will not compare at all with a chisel speed track on ice. Holeshot RPM numbers, shifting are totally different. using a chisel track for testing will only give you the best setup for a chisel track. You need to test with what you run the most.

This is the best way, it represents the largest group of people buying clutch kits.

Trying to compare Clutch kits in one sled by simply bolting them on isn't going to work. There are far to many variables. number one each kit on the market currently uses different components. Each kit may be pulling different full shift rpm

Don't most customers buy a clutch kit and simply bolt it on? What % of customers actually tune the kits? And what % just bolt them in? Do you think you need to know that before deciding this test? Again, then you know who your representing and why.



Why not take a stock sled, studded, have whoever sells clutch kits, send one as they would send the average customer (no special tuning), run each kit as is on hard pack snow, continually comfirming your baseline (stock setting) before and after each kit. You gotta record e/g rpm, jackshaft and actual speed. From those 3 items you can calculate anything you want.
Make a note that each kit was run as is, then if you want to "special" tune each kit, you could then show each kits "potential" with some tuning.

Anyways sounds like it could be a good time! And, of course cause some controversy!

 

[dirkdiggler]

I think your missing the point of the chisel track. If you add a track setup like that you eliminate the spin factor. Some of these kits hit harder out of the hole then others. You level the playing across the board with a speed track. Each sled will come out equally. Does that represent how your trail track will work in those conditions "no". But it eliminates the argument that this kit is better then that kit

Running a chisel track that completely eliminates track spin has absolutely no meaning to 99% of customers buying a clutch kit. Would that kit even be close to what they will get when they buy from Ulmer or whoever? What meaning will those results have to anyone? Maybe you need to compare stock to trail clutch kits and stock to "race" kits.

Taking two stock sleds or timers on good hardpacked conditions is the only way to test clutching. Hardpack snow with a stock studded track will not compare at all with a chisel speed track on ice. Holeshot RPM numbers, shifting are totally different. using a chisel track for testing will only give you the best setup for a chisel track. You need to test with what you run the most.

This is the best way, it represents the largest group of people buying clutch kits.

Trying to compare Clutch kits in one sled by simply bolting them on isn't going to work. There are far to many variables. number one each kit on the market currently uses different components. Each kit may be pulling different full shift rpm

Don't most customers buy a clutch kit and simply bolt it on? What % of customers actually tune the kits? And what % just bolt them in? Do you think you need to know that before deciding this test? Again, then you know who your representing and why.



Why not take a stock sled, studded, have whoever sells clutch kits, send one as they would send the average customer (no special tuning), run each kit as is on hard pack snow, continually comfirming your baseline (stock setting) before and after each kit. You gotta record e/g rpm, jackshaft and actual speed. From those 3 items you can calculate anything you want.
Make a note that each kit was run as is, then if you want to "special" tune each kit, you could then show each kits "potential" with some tuning.

Anyways sounds like it could be a good time! And, of course cause some controversy!

Everyone is talking this is faster and that is faster. Unless you run in a controlled envirment with a level playing field the results being posted are usless.

 

[NOS-PRO]

That's why I try and do things for people (members), on the asphalt. Showed people huge gains by little things like carb springs. I will be doing the same this year, but with the Attak.