In case you've spent any kind of time building a quick two-stroke, you know that a banshee lock up clutch is usually the missing piece associated with the puzzle as soon as you start producing real power. You can throw the greatest pipes, the biggest carbs, as well as the nearly all aggressive porting work at a Banshee, but if that will power isn't really reaching the back wheels, you're basically just making a wide range of expensive noise. The particular stock clutch set up on these bicycles was fine for the factory 35 or even 40 horsepower, but once you begin creeping into the particular 60, 70, or even 100+ horsepower range, those standard suspension systems and plates just can't keep up.
The first time a person experience clutch wear a Banshee, it's frustrating. You're pinned in third equipment, the engine is screaming, but the particular bike isn't pulling. Seems like the particular transmission is constructed of silicone. Most people try to fix this simply by throwing in the particular stiffest clutch springs they could find. Sure, that helps the china stay together, but it also turns your clutch handle into a finger-breaking workout. That's exactly where a lock up setup arrives into play to save your still left hand and your panel times.
Exactly why a Standard Clutch Just Doesn't Cut It
The essential physics of a motorcycle clutch are usually pretty simple. You have a stack of friction plates plus steel plates kept together by coil springs. When you draw the lever, you compress those suspension springs, which lets the particular plates spin freely. Once you let the lever go, the springs smash the particular plates together, and the friction bears the engine's power to the transmission.
The problem is usually that when you increase torque, the "clamping force" needed to maintain those plates through sliding against every other goes way up. If a person rely only on springs, you possess to use extremely heavy ones. If you've ever ridden a bike with heavy-duty "man-killer" suspension systems in traffic or even through a tight trail, you understand it sucks. Your forearm pumps up in ten a few minutes, and you shed all your gewandtheit.
A banshee lock up clutch solves this particular by utilizing centrifugal force. Instead of relying purely on static spring pressure, it utilizes weighted "fingers" or arms. Since the motor RPM increases, these weights are flung outward by centrifugal force, which does apply more and more pressure directly on to the pressure dish. It's a genius workaround: you get a light handle pull at low RPMs (great to take off or maneuvering) and an enormous, slip-free grip at high RPMs whenever the power will be actually hitting.
The Different Varieties of Lockups You'll See
If you start looking around, you'll notice several different styles. The most common a single you'll see within the Banshee world is the "Direct Drive" design. This usually requires a modified pressure plate with a number of weighted arms mounted on it. These setups almost always require a special "lockout cover" since the hands stick out further than the stock pressure plate. These covers often have the cool Lexan window so you may actually see the particular clutch spinning, which, let's be honest, is half the particular reason people buy them anyway.
Then there are "Slingshot" style lockups. These types of are a little more small and sometimes fit under a slightly modified or spaced-out stock cover, although they work upon similar principles. Irrespective of the brand name, the goal could be the same: the quicker that engine moves, the harder those plates are compressed together.
For the guys running serious drag bikes—think DM or Mattoon cylinders—the lockup isn't just an upgrade; it's a requirement. With out it, you'd become burning through a group of friction plates each and every weekend.
Tuning Your Weights for your Perfect Launch
One of the particular coolest things about the banshee lock up clutch is that you can actually tune it. Most of these types of kits come along with small bolts plus nuts that work as weights within the arms. By incorporating or removing pounds, you can change exactly how aggressively the clutch locks up.
If you're a drag racer, a person might want lots of weight so that as soon as you get in to the powerband, the clutch locks solid. If you're riding in the sand hills and love to "slip" the clutch a bit to remain in the power, you might run lighter in weight weights. It's a bit of a balancing act. In case you add too very much weight too shortly, the bike might bog down or even the clutch may grab so really hard it snaps the chain or an axle. If it's too light, you're to square a single with a slipping clutch.
I've discovered that for a typical 4-mil stroker build, a middle-of-the-road weight setup works best. It gives you that sharp feel without becoming so violent that will the bike gets hard to manage.
Installation Isn't as Scary as It Looks
I get it—cracking open the medial side situation can be overwhelming if you haven't done it before. But installing the banshee lock up clutch is definitely actually one of the more simple mods that can be done. You'll need to strain the oil (obviously) and pull the coolant lines to get the clutch cover away from.
The biggest thing to view out for is definitely the "pancake" showing and the adjusting of the stress plate. When a person swap to a lockup pressure plate, a person have to create sure the center adjusting screw is called in perfectly therefore that the throw of the clutch lever is correct. You also need to ensure your own clutch cable will be in good form. A crusty, outdated cable will make even the fanciest lockup feel such as junk.
An additional pro-tip: check your own clutch basket while you're inside. If the "fingers" of the aluminum basket possess deep grooves put on into them from your plates, a lockup isn't going to fix your issues. Actually, the additional force of a lockup might just associated with plates hang up in those grooves even worse. In case the basket is definitely notched, file this down or, better yet, upgrade to some billet basket.
Is a Lockup Right for Your Operating Style?
Right now, does every Banshee need a lockup? Most likely not. If you're riding a mostly stock bike with just some plumbing and a filtration system, you can usually get away with simply running some slightly stiffer aftermarket suspension systems (like the ones from Tusk or EBC). You won't gain much from the lockup on a 40-hp bike other than a cool-looking part cover.
However, if you've relocated into the field of porting, big-bore kits, or stroker cranks, you're basically leaving efficiency on the table without one. It's the huge benefit for those who do a lot of "drag racing" against their own buddies at the dunes. Nothing is more embarrassing compared to having a quicker motor but shedding the race your own clutch is done by the best of fourth equipment.
Also, consider the "save the particular hands" factor. In the event that you spend all day long riding, the lighter in weight lever pull of the lockup setup is worth its weight within gold. You may run lighter suspension springs inside the clutch mainly because the weighted hands do the heavy lifting once you're moving. This indicates you can pull the clutch in along with one finger whilst you're idling with the staging tree or waiting for your friends to catch up.
Last Thoughts around the Investment decision
A banshee lock up clutch as well as the necessary cover aren't precisely cheap. Between lockout assembly, the newest cover up, and the mechanical seals, you're looking at a decent chunk of change. But whenever you compare it to the price of constantly changing burnt-out friction plates—or the frustration associated with a bike that won't hook up—it's actually a pretty solid value.
It's one of those "set this and forget it" mods. Once a person have the weights dialed in plus the cable modified, you rarely need to mess with it again. It gives the bike a much more "connected" feel. When a person crack the throttle and the engine hits the tube, the bike lunges forward immediately. There's no delay, no "slushy" feeling, simply raw two-stroke energy hitting the floor.
If you're tired of smelling burnt clutch oil every single time you push your bike hard, just bite the particular bullet and obtain a lockup. Your Banshee—and your left forearm—will definitely thank you for it. Plus, seeing individuals weights spinning via the clear windows is a pretty great conversation beginner in the camp place. It's one associated with the few mods that looks simply as good since it performs.