Primary clutch failure

[stevewithOCD]

Not saying that this clutch couldn't have been built stronger but I still have these thoughts... Now that I have a Sidewinder myself I have been on these forums, other forums and the FB threads. I swear 9 of every 10 Sidewinders out there has a flash. That being said if they are flashed the clutches have been apart at some point. So many of these clutch explosions seem to have a common trait, the roller pin fell out, the nut came off, etc. That seems to be the common situation I am seeing. Yes premature clutch wear is also an issue and that is going to happen when you add 50-80 HP to it, not to mention the engine harmonics.

So could this clutch be built better??..... darn right! Could the annoying rattle be remedied, yes. Not saying it is perfect by any means but just trying to be realistic.

Very good points.
It is SOOO easy to bump up with SAFE horsepower that we almost have no choice. We all have a little Tim Allen in us.
I mean if your wife says "hey honey i'm getting bigger boobs for free", are you going to say no?
That said, we are also used to such longevity with our Apexes, we just assumed it would carry over to the 'Winder.
Although, even without the tunes, the primary rollers have to be changed & most didn't realize these bolts/nuts were one-&-done. We know now!

Will the new DOO clutches hold up when their tunes start rolling out?
We'll see, but they had the luxury of watching for a few years also.

 

[XP123]

Very good points.
It is SOOO easy to bump up with SAFE horsepower that we almost have no choice. We all have a little Tim Allen in us.
I mean if your wife says "hey honey i'm getting bigger boobs for free", are you going to say no?
That said, we are also used to such longevity with our Apexes, we just assumed it would carry over to the 'Winder.
Although, even without the tunes, the primary rollers have to be changed & most didn't realize these bolts/nuts were one-&-done. We know now!

Will the new DOO clutches hold up when their tunes start rolling out?
We'll see, but they had the luxury of watching for a few years also.

Look at all the Apex's with turbo's pumping out big HP with no clutch or belt problems Steve. Yamaha dropped the ball with the clutch on the Winder. Even Cat has a much better clutch on their version of the 998 turbo.

 

[NOS-PRO]

Look at all the Apex's with turbo's pumping out big HP with no clutch or belt problems Steve. Yamaha dropped the ball with the clutch on the Winder. Even Cat has a much better clutch on their version of the 998 turbo.

Yes, RX1's, Apex's with big power and no issues unless the operator/owner did something wrong or the clutch was cracked from heat. Never have I seen a clutch so poor in design and lack of material.

Not a fan of the TEAM clutch...seen way too many of those where the center breaks out

 

[DC5]

Look at all the Apex's with turbo's pumping out big HP with no clutch or belt problems Steve. Yamaha dropped the ball with the clutch on the Winder. Even Cat has a much better clutch on their version of the 998 turbo.

The Apex's didn't have the harmonics issue that the 3 cylinders have. That's the only reason the Sidewinder clutches are having issues. As you turn the power up the harmonics get worse. On my Viper race sled after making a pass at 500hp I could unthread the clutch bolt by hand, and that was torqued to 120 foot pounds prior to the run. I could also destroy an STM quick change spider in a couple passes. Installed Hurricanes new race stub shaft and the problems appear to be fixed.

 

[4kops]

Am I wrong if you look at the pic that VX1R posted the bolts go in from the opposite side seems confusing.

 

[KnappAttack]

Am I wrong if you look at the pic that VX1R posted the bolts go in from the opposite side seems confusing.

Yamaha puts them in opposite.

Honestly, it will make no difference whatsoever which way they are put in, if the nut comes off or the bolt breaks its going to come apart.

One thing that could be done is to take the clutch apart and install the old style set screws in the spider to hold the axle, then you'd have a fighting chance of keeping the roller intact anyways an may see the bolt missing if it does fall out.

 

[4kops]

Ok thanks yep talking with Ulmer about putting in set screws and I have a spare clutch so am in the process of doing that in both of my winders.