The old "There's something wrong with your bike" Comment

[CairnsDuc]

Anyone with a Dry clutch Ducati, I figure has probably heard it a million times, but I had to share this one, as some of you know I work for a Ducati dealership, I have been taking the S4R Monster home as my Daily rider, The clutch in this bike is rather loud (as most dry clutches are) On the way home dropped in at a Servo to throw some fuel in it's belly, filled the tank and walked back out and restarted the bike while I finished putting on Helmut and gloves.

As I'm doing so, a Guys walks over and signal's for me to kill the engine with a rather worried look on his face, so I kill the engine (No one was waiting behind me)
Him: "Mate I would get that checked that sounds really bad"
Me: "Why? Sounds normal to be"
Him: "There must be some bearings shot in that engine, that rattle is Horrid!"
Me: "No, The bike is fine, it has a dry clutch, they all sound like that"
Him: "A What?!?"
Me: "A dry Clutch, they rattle when they Idle, It's normal"
Him: "The dealer saw you coming, there is no such thing, it's make the beast with two backsed, I take it back and demand it get's fixed"
Me: "A lot of Ducati's have dry clutch's"
Him "I've been in the Car Industry for 20 years, there is no such thing as a dry clutch"
Me: "Well, last time I checked Ducati only made bikes, and your listening to one mate, they do exist"
Him: "They saw you coming" as he turns to walk away.
by this stage I really didn't care anymore, so I just told him to spend 5 mins on the web, google Ducati dry clutch and get an education on the subject, or talk to a real mechanic and he'll see that he is wrong.

He went to say something else but I started the bike and moved away to finish putting on my helmut.

having been in retail for 17 or so years, most people don't worry me anymore, but for some reason this Idiot got to me, but I let out my "faulty" clutch and rode home with a smile on my Dial.


I have cleansed the Demon, This Room is Clear! 

[Spider]

I'm at the point where I'll se one at the lights and if his riding the clutch I 'will' the rider to let it idle....come on buddy.....rattle and hum!

[bazz20]

did it have an opened clutch

[dragonworld.]

In the car industry for 30 years hey?? 

No such thing as a dry clutch hey?? 

Well I wonder if that knob realises that car clutches are "DRY" !! 

Only autos could be called "WET" clutches. And they are identical to a bike clutch anyway. 

He didnt happen to tell you were he worked ??  A place to stay away from maybe ??

[Dockstrada]

I just tell them its the first of the new age  "Diesel" engine motorcycles, they believe that  

[loony888]

i always get a chuckle out of people who think they know my bike better than i do. you better get that bike looked at cairnsduc, the dealer saw you coming!!! LMFAO!!! 


paul.

[DUCMONROB]

I just tell them its the first of the new age  "Diesel" engine motorcycles, they believe that  

Nah that would be no good saying that. The dumb arse would start looking for an injector pump through the trellis frame.

Anyway bloody funny.

If I had a dollar from every person that said there was a problem with my bike because of the clutch............I'd be able to buy a new front tyre!

[ducmeister]

Sounds like the sort of person who's just smart enough to be dangerous.

Came across a young guy of similar intellect last year in the crush to get out of the Moto GP car park.  He pulled up next to me on his 2 stroke Aprilia with girlfriend perched precariously on the back looking like if he took off fast she would bang her chin on the back guard on the way down.
He leaned over and yelled through the din "is that your bike making that noise?"  When I nodded he shook his head distainfully and rode away in a huge cloud of blue smoke.

At least most people who don't realise what dry clutches are all about will come and ask and believe you when you tell them!

[Big T]

Up at Procycles, Hornsby (BMW and KTM dealer) a while ago and parked out the back by the workshop.

Came out and started the Monster and with my open clutch the noise reverberated round the bike park.

Couple of young mechanics came out and asked what was wrong with my bike?

When explained it was a Duke with a dry / open clutch they just stood there with a huge grin watching my rotor shake, rattle and roll......

Nothing more was said....... They got it..... 

[DosVerde]

I don't understand how people think they are so right about something they obviously don't know about and aren't prepared to listen. It irks me.

Anyway I have a story too....I dropped in to my local suburban bike shop a while ago. When I was about to leave, the owner  - who know's my bike - called to his then mechanic to check out this Monster. When I fired it up the mechanic came over to check out the loud rattle and said, "oh, are they supposed to sound like that" . Then he tells me he has a M900 out the back he was working on and had the clutch out 3 times trying to work out why it was so noisy.

[Betty]

Although my little girls bike only has a fake dry clutch rattle, I still have a story to tell:

I was sitting at PITS on the Old Road (Jukie was probably doing her womanly duties and fetching my food  ) and overhead part of a conversation between two old-timers. When I say old-timers, think: overall-wearing, BSA/Volocette riding, founding members of the Ulysses Club.

Anyway, a Ducati superbike rolls into the driveway (999 or something) with an extraordinarily load clutch. One old-timer says to the other 'what is that noise, a triumph or something?' ... as his mate swings around looking and says 'nah, its one of those desmos' ... and then came the reply ... 'ah, that's right - no valve springs, that explains it'

Occassionally I think, maybe they were hearing something different to me.

[CairnsDuc]

In the car industry for 30 years hey?? 

No such thing as a dry clutch hey?? 

Well I wonder if that knob realises that car clutches are "DRY" !! 

Only autos could be called "WET" clutches. And they are identical to a bike clutch anyway. 

He didnt happen to tell you were he worked ??  A place to stay away from maybe ??

He had his work shirt on, so I know where he works, and I would never take my car anywhere near that place before I bumped into this guy, Even less so now.

Funny story, when we dropped off our Car to our regular Mechanic to get it's service done, I turned up on the Monster to run the missus to work and then drop the car back to him and then I continue onto work on the bike, as soon as he spotted me coming back to drop off the car and leave on the bike he came out of his workshop, we talked for a few mins, he had always loved the Ducati's, loved the sound, the dry clutch rattle, he asked me to start it to hear the clutch rattle away, he looked like a kid who's Ice cream had just been stolen when I told him it had a wet clutch so no rattle! I think I ruined his day! 

So 2 weeks ago, the car was in for another service, I made sure to turn up on the HyperMotard, Dry Clutch and open cover! He had a grin like someone who had just won the Lotto! 

[sydmonster]

I have an excessively loud dry clutch tottally open, no cover and badly worn out basket!

Any way I was in a car park so the bike was echo loud, you know set alarms off loud even at idle.

A young girl having a cigga at the entrance from the carpak waks over and says...

g: "what happened, did some one knock it over, we see that all time here..."

me: "no, all good"

g: "then why is it making those noises"

me,  :"yeah your right  , better get back!! it might explode!! " shuing her away with my hands, as she makes a little sprint back inside.... sucker.

- Chris

ps, no she wasn't a looker.

[Super T.I.B]

ps, no she wasn't a looker.

Don't be so fussy. 

[vossy]

The old dry clutch noise makes for a good conversation starter if nothing else.

The days I ride to work (at a pivate school) I try to get there fairly early because I've had hundreds a kids come up to me in the yard saying that my bike either sounds sick or there is a major problem with it.
What would they know the little upstarts!

Woops better get to my next class.