Ice:
Yes, I have the green TCI; installed it just after the Chicago trip I describe above. I had never had a problem like this before, and the new TCI took the motor's performance back to where it had been before it all started, so I knew it had to be something that had changed elsewhere (i.e., it was something that I could track down given enough time.)
In a different post in the FAQ section I described how the problem began minor, got worse, and then got like Boggy describes.
Boggy:
I have learned something that blows my mind. This machine apparently _needs_ ATF in the primary drive, not oil. For 16,000 miles I had been congratulating myself that I was doing the right thing by using Rotella-T in the primary drive. For proof I used the fact that the primary drive chain showed no measurable stretch ( ! ) from 300 to 16,000 miles. Then at about 16,500 it started "catching" somewhere in the drive. At first I thought it was the chain snapping against the inside top of the case. This noise could be quite loud (but not the same thing as the CRACK we are writing about in this thread).
I went down to Domi Racer, and the parts guy there described what he thought was happening. He said that most likely one or a couple of the dogs in the sprag clutch would catch, snatch their parthers with them against the spring, and then release, and they would all snap back. Because the clutch is so heavy (you have to heft it to believe it ! ) it could really be a loud snap.
The dealer told me to use ATF, the tech guy at Classic told me to use ATF, and, I have to admit, the first time I changed fluids the primary drive fluid came out thin and red. I thought it had been contaminated somehow. Long story short - I changed to ATF, and it was like magic - this little problem almost disappeared. I flushed and changed it again 200 miles later, and the problem went away completely. I took the works apart and inspected everything, and the dingy color inside the inner circumference of the outer sprag clutch bell was gone. So I guess it will be ATF from now on. Will have to wait to see how well it protects the drive chain.
Final observation: one thing we all should do once or twice in our bike's life is adjust the carburetor-and-slow-idle the way it is described in the carb section of the owner's manual. I don't mean just the speed adjustment screw; I mean the pilot screw and speed adjustment screw adjustment procedure described in section 08. You might be surprised at the performance improvement. Now I can set the idle so slow that I can count the beats.
Just an editorial comment: I have never had so many gremlins in an internal combustion engine before. Even my superbikes were more forgiving than this, and this motor is mechanically quite simple. The dealer, whom I really respect, keeps talking about the problems caused by modern formulations of gasoline. I have come to think he is right.
Good luck.
Paul
Topic: Whrr-whrr-whrr-CRACK! (Read 3855 times)