J. M. Leadbeater said:
Since when did Triumph twins have a reaL clutch fitted?? A great many years ago one Saturday afternoon I conducted a little clutch survey amoung some Triumph and Norton owners visiting Motor Cycle Shop in London.....remembering that a gearbox mounted motor cycle clutch is suppossed to ..
NOT slip when fully engaged even when hot....
Free off INSTANTLY without drag whenever required even when hot...
Be EASILY operated by the rider...
Possess the LIGHTEST rotating weight reasonably possible...
then the survey results might prove interesting.....
The following motorcycles were represented that afternoon:
Triumph: 5 x T140; 1 x TR7; 2 x 6T; 1 x T120; 2 x T100; 2 x T90.
Norton: 2 x 820 Commando; 2 x 750 Commando; 1 x 650SS; 2 x 99.
BSA owners were very few and far between so I have not bothered to include them.
Triumph Norton
YES NO YES NO
1. Are you happy with your primary drive system? 10 3 6 1
DOES IT SUFFER FROM…………
2. Clutch slip due to oil on the clutch plates which is cured by removing the oil
from the plates? 4 9 5 2
3. Clutch drag which requires the clutch to be ‘freed off’ prior to starting the bike? 8 5 5 2
4. Clutch drag immediately after starting the bike, making gear selection noisy? 7 6 4 3
5. Clutch drag when the clutch is hot, making gear changing and finding neutral
difficult? 9 4 4 3
6. An aching left wrist during or after a journey due to heavy clutch lever operation? 7 6 2 5
IF YOU HAVE ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS ABOVE (2,3,4,5,6), DO YOU
7. Regard them as problems which are annoying? 11 2 6 1
8. Regard them as problems, but which are ‘normal’? 12 1 5 2
9. If you bought a motor car and had ANY of these clutch problems occur would you
consider them to be ‘normal’? 0 13 0 7
Two owners answered YES to only 2 of questions 2 – 6 all others answering YES to more than 2.
4 of the 5 T140 owners and all 4 Commando owners answered YES to question 2.
All 5 T140 owners and both 820 Commando owners answered YES to question 6.
Q. E. D.?????