A slipper clutch is a device used on high-performance motorcycles to prevent rear tire hop or chatter in the event of a failed engine or sudden deceleration. It can be adjusted to slip at a predetermined force and has been standard equipment on most high-powered four-stroke racing bikes sold since 1980. Retrofit clutch kits are available for cycles not originally equipped with the slipper type clutch from the factory.
A slipper clutch is a device used on high performance motorcycles. The clutch is manufactured to allow the clutch to slip if the rear tire tries to push the motor out of the cycle faster than it is running. This design eliminates the dangerous rear tire hop, or chatter, that cyclos are famous for in the event of a failed engine or simply slowing down quickly. Used in four-stroke street motorcycle engines, the slipper clutch made slowing the motorcycle by engine braking or downshifting much more manageable than a version equipped with a slipper clutch.
The slipper clutch was first used in the 1970s by motorcycle racing teams who understood the safety benefits of the system. The first slipper clutch units were created by combining earth moving components with an automobile transmission. The results were a clutch that would apply tremendous amounts of power when driven in the right direction. The slipper clutch would also allow the rear tire to slip on the clutch when the engine slows down prematurely. The slipper clutch, while refined, has been standard equipment on most high-powered four-stroke racing bikes sold since 1980 around the world.
Many of the high performance street used motorcycles are now equipped with a slipper clutch. There are retrofit clutch kits available for cycles not originally equipped with the slipper type clutch from the factory. Motorcycles aren’t the only vehicles that use a slipper-type clutch. Many experimental aircraft have used this clutch behind the prop to prevent damage from a prop hitting an object. The use of the clutch in automobiles has been limited to experimental type vehicles using a motorcycle type drive train.
The difference between a slipper unit and a one-way sprag clutch is in the ability of the slipper unit to adjust. The slipper clutch can be set to slip at a predetermined force to slip the clutch. This force can be calculated by taking into account the weight of the rider, the cycle, and the speed at which the cycle is expected to operate. The track surface that the cycle runs on is also factored into the equation when adjusting the clutch.
In a one-way sprag clutch, the sprag is connected to only one half of the friction plates in the clutch, and a spring allows the clutch to slip past the half of the plates in an engine braking situation. This system, while somewhat better than no slip, still offers some control issues for the pilot; The cycle’s rear tire is still prone to jumping with sudden deceleration.
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