[2bikebill]

Just had a call from Watsonian Squire, who tell me my mended bike will be back next week. Here's hoping they don't give the job to Laurel & Hardy again, or I probably wont see it until Autumn.....

Apparently the engine's been stripped down and no damage was found other than the sprag clutch was found to be loose & rattling, and was replaced with the new improved model - which is what I thought was done the first time the sprag was replaced!!   This presumably was the source of the bits of mangled metal, which must've made their way straight down to the drain plug magnet and caused no harm!  

A cap-head screw was missing from the kickstart gear cover, which sounds external so can't be the cause of anything drastic.

The bike was taken for a 50 mile ride and reported to be running as sweet as a nut!  That rackety noise it was making must then have been coming from the failing sprag after all!  Hmmmmm......

An anti-climax, but also quite reassuring, except for those with the earlier sprag clutch perhaps. Not a foregone conclusion of course, but two of us here at least have had the sprag fail twice. Apparently the new version is more robust.

I'll report back as soon as the beloved G5 is home and has been ridden.  I'm greatly looking forward to it. Having now become acclimatised to the hooligan W650, it will be ...... interesting.......

[r80rt]

That's good news, glad to know it wasn't anything horrible.

[mugwomp]

Great news WillW. Enjoy!

[singhg5]

What a relief after such a prolonged trouble of sprag. Finally, you will have bike in a good and running condition.

Now you can ride W650 and RE side by side  !

[GreenMachine]

and you has us thinking you busted a rod or something similiar in nature...those dam srag clutches again...glad to c its coming back to ya soon...

[Ducati Scotty]

Good to hear.  And don't be surprised to find a new-new and imporved clutch.  They're constantly making small changes to these bikes so you may have had the first gen imporved and are now getting the second gen.

Scott

[clubman]

Delighted to hear this, Will. I was getting quite impatient to know the outcome of this! Were you given the W650 as a loan bike or did you buy one? I know you were thinking about that. How do you find it compares?

[2bikebill]

I bought the W650. I LOVE the W650. I had been thinking about a bigger bike for longer trips as you know, and this one came along at just the right moment and I was smitten. Still am. Can't stay off the thing!
But I am looking forward to getting back on the G5 just to see how it now feels......

[clubman]

I really wonder if you're gonna keep the G5 now. I say that because it seems to me like the W650 is very similar as far as the mood music goes, just that bit more powerful and, dare I say, reliable? The other week I was seriously considering getting a Cagiva 125 full power (33hp, 115mph) as a total opposite so I'd have the G5 for sensible relaxing long distance riding and the 125 as a sunny Sunday only screamer that indulged the inner hooligan. I justified it on the grounds that this is the last opportunity to buy a new two stroke as they're switching to a four stroke next year. And I love two strokes. Anyway, I've decided not to go ahead! I sent you a PM btw.

[Andy]

Huzzah and great news.

But I haven't been keeping score:  Of the people here who have suffered sprag issues, what's the breakdown between C5 and G5?  I'm worrying about whether I should worry.

[2bikebill]

NEVER worry is my advice. About anything. It does no good at all.

Regarding the sprag - it seems most folk have no problems with it. Clubman & I are both high mileage thrashers and we both had the sprag go twice - but there are others here who ride similarly I suspect who've had no problems. So far.
The newer bikes have the better sprag I think.
My advice is to get as many miles on the thing as you can before the warranty expires, and bring potential problems to light....   

[clubman]

Huzzah and great news.

But I haven't been keeping score:  Of the people here who have suffered sprag issues, what's the breakdown between C5 and G5?  I'm worrying about whether I should worry.

Going purely by this forum, (I have no other stats), it seems to be very much the G5 that has the failures. I don't really understand why but since the C5 hasn't a kicker, (well before 2011), it's just as well. You will know it's on the way out before it packs up completely. There'll be an increasing ratio of decomp clacks to successful starts. Since I had the upgrade fitted there have been no problems at all.

[Ducati Scotty]

How many failures on UCEs have actually been noted here on the forum?

Scott

[2bikebill]

I don't recall any "failures" Scott, just the usual bits coming loose and a few sprag failures.I hope this issue with my bike hasn't sent a wave of anxiety through the community. It ought to be more of a wave of reassurance - that noise from my bike was suggestive of worse than a sprag clutch failing.......
That said, although I averaged 1000 miles a month on my G5 from new, and I do push it a bit, I doubt I've had it at max rpm in any gear, so it's not had the arse thrashed off it by any means. 80mph a couple of times for a moment or two, and 70mph for perhaps ten minutes at a time. I mostly ride at 60-65 when on the open road. This seems reasonable to me, although there are those who tell me these bikes are only really meant to do 50mph for sustained runs. I think that's nonsense.
I still have the impression of a tough little bike - although now I have a Jap bike too I realise the build quality and finish of the RE is absolute shite by comparison. But as long as we're willing to do a bit of regular checking & tightening, apply Loctite, and take extra care with paint & chrome (particularly those of us in damp climates), it's a good bike for the money with a lot of charm.

And you know by now my opinion of the G5 DL particularly - a vision of style and beauty.......

[Ducati Scotty]

I was only wondering about sprag clutch failures.

Scott