I worked with them too, still do, and never had a problem with any of them.
Only problem I ever heard HTW had with a dry clutch was on his TZ750, when he used the street bike plates for the first time, the stack was too thin, and he had to add a second friction plate to the stack to get it back to the TZ plate thickness. Once he did that, I don't remember he having any clutch slip problems simply because it was a dry clutch.
200 horsepower proddy bikes should be OK with wet clutches, but for racing, serious stuff, over 200 horsepower, dry clutch all the way.
I think if oxsford wants to build one, he should take a close look at the work, materials, machining, and cost, and go forward, if he so desires, and not listen to those pushing him to do so, nor those going break neck in the opposite direction, NOT to build one. If he wants to do one, and asks me, I'll help with his project, but, that is HIS decision, not mine, nor John's.
And, John, do not ever accuse me of not working on those bikes, nor not working on, and racing those engines with dry clutches, and not only Kawasaki's. I figure I was was doing it long before you ever saw a Kawasaki H series racer dry clutch.
I did dry clutch on H series, all sorts of Yamaha for a bunch of riders, Aprilia and Yamaha on Salaverria's bikes, Honda racers, lots of those for all kinds of FIM, AMA, AFM, WERA, WMSC riders/racers, and never had one go away from it being a dry clutch over a wet one. Both rthe Yamaha's and the Aprilia racers Salaverria had came with just one set of friction plates spare, and, I don't remember ever changing to one, or a set of the spares, they were still new in the spares kits when Al sold the bikes after racing them. Al almost won the AMA 250 title in 1990, same clutch all year, never slipped. When I bought the 4 TZ250's we raced when I had the shop in Merced, AFM team, there were a bunch of used friction plates in the boxes of spares. All I did was pick the best ones, and put 'em, adjusted them right, and educated my 4 riders, and a lot of other riders to not abuse the clutches, never had a problem. That year, Rod Smith, on my 1984 TZ, won the AFM 250 championship, same clutch all year, as did the top 15 in the series, all with my same advice, adjustments and their same clutch parts all year long.
So according to John, I don't have anywhere the experience he does with dry clutches, nor wet ones for that matter. Too bad his ego keeps getting in the way of the truth about others he constantly disagrees with, and what they have experienced, done in both racing, and street bikes. Seems to carry over from cut away pistons, to clutches. No biggie, I got better things to do than sit here and constantly read what an idiot I am.
Later, and, DON'T RIDE THAT CLUTCH, WET OR DRY, THEY DON'T LIKE IT MUCH.
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