Joined Apr 2012
572 Posts | 554+
Irvine, CA
V4R vs V4 ride comparison
- Thread starter roadracerx
- Start date
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- Tags
- comparison ride v4r
Joined Jan 2020
265 Posts | 161+
Ohio
Have you ever thought of posting a separate thread on the pros and cons of dry clutches?Yes I am sureThis is marketing! I have raced a 1098R at a national level using a dry clutch and I can tell you from personal experience that a dry clutch is more of a pain in the ... that a benefit. The life of the plates is shorter, you can't let them slip very much and that happens A LOT on a race start - there are tricks to get around this....
The dry clutch is on the bike for one reason alone; Ducati HAD to homologate it in order to race with it - notice no other WSBK has a dry clutch....
Anyway, there is literally no difference between the slipper clutch in a bike using a wet clutch - there are small differences in design - some use ball bearings on the inner hub (STM, EVR, Suter/Hinson, Yoyodyne) and some just use ramps. Some clutches allow the ramp angle to be tuned, etc, etc.... The basic function is exactly the same but the oil bath keeps the plates cooler.
On my 1098R I could do one, maybe two race starts on 1 set of new clutch plates
On my current race bike, a 2017 ZX-10RR with a Suter clutch, I can get 8-10 race launches.
Also, I change my oil every 1000 hard canyon miles or every 3 race weekends....never seen anything in the oil clutch wear related - the plates are designed to wear and not cause an issue with the motor.
Joined Jul 2013
958 Posts | 477+
Scottsdale
Joined Dec 2019
3K Posts | 1K+
Mar A Lago
Joined Apr 2012
572 Posts | 554+
Irvine, CA
@JHTmcrider did you install V4R gearing on a different V4 model? Did you account for wheelbase, swingarm angle, ride height and spring rate?
Joined Jul 2013
958 Posts | 477+
Scottsdale
^ Yes, I took measurements and adjusted my pre-load and sag after installing the 520 kit on my 2018 V4S before she was totaled last month. I didn't change out the rear spring nor did make any adjustments to the wheelbase length as Sprocket Center sends you a pre-cut length of chain which mirrors the V4R set up. Obviously, the adjustments of the V4R are different than the V4/ V4S in many regards.
My observations are limited to just the amount of weight removed from the the drive line, and the way the bike dynamics (Acceleration, Deceleration Rear end feel and throttle feedback) seemed to be improved by the reduction in at least 1.5Lbs from the driveline. I recall I got 110 links and a 15/ 42. Much improved.
The main change is the reduction in the front sprocket does in fact make the bike take off easier. That's all really.
My observations are limited to just the amount of weight removed from the the drive line, and the way the bike dynamics (Acceleration, Deceleration Rear end feel and throttle feedback) seemed to be improved by the reduction in at least 1.5Lbs from the driveline. I recall I got 110 links and a 15/ 42. Much improved.
The main change is the reduction in the front sprocket does in fact make the bike take off easier. That's all really.
Joined Apr 2012
572 Posts | 554+
Irvine, CA
@JHTmcrider IF prior to the gearing change you had bike/rider sag set correctly then you would only need to change preload again IF the length of the swingarm changed because the lever, represented by the swingarm length may be shorter or longer than stock. Most importantly you would adjust the length of the shock to account for the geometry change caused by the gearing change. All single-sided swingarms present an issue when changing gearing.....the axle is a small circle inside of a larger circle called the eccentric which is used to set chain tension, I like to visualize this as a clock. Depending on chain length the axle can be anywhere from about 2-3 on the clock, which results in the lowest ride height and as high as 6 on the clock. To account for this change one would adjust the shock length. To get accurate measurements you need a ride height measuring tool. The last one I purchased from Ducati Corse was over $1000 but they do work. Typically most sport bike shocks have a 2:1 ratio between shock travel and ride height OR 65 mm of shock travel to 130 mm of swingarm travel so roughly speaking....if you pick a spot on the tail section and mark it with a piece of tape with an "X" on it and you measure with a level on the seat or gas tank before and after the gearing change and your "X" raised by 5 mm then you would want to shorten the shock by 2.5 mm. Most shocks have a 1 mm pitch on the shaft so you would need to loosen the bottom nut and turn in 2.5 turns. Hope this helps. If you are in SoCal I have very precise tools to measure these things, hit me up.
Joined Sep 2020
14 Posts | 1+
NW Indiana/Chicagoland
Yeah... I was wondering this with mine because, I grabbed the gas and I push bike to the limits even on the street and it was faster, but the clutch seemed to not want me to grab so much gas or the computer was hesitant or something. I will have to run fast again when I get a warm enough day and turn off the traction and go. It was a little wobbly pent over with my suspension dialed in. Maybe it was tires and the temperature of the tires, etc. I still had confidence. We'll see. In order for me to really feel blessed Michelin's will have to be under me.
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