TOPIC: E-Start sprag blow ups research.

A number of years back I was prepping my commando for an extended trip up to Maine around Mount Desert Island. I didn’t like the position of the clutch engagement so I was adjusting the clutch. I had the bike fully loaded and I took a ride down to the gas station to tank up. Everything was working normal. At the time I had a four brush starter in the bike that had been working for a few years. My 1975 had the original sprag from the factory, as far as I know. The bike had 5000 miles on it when I got it. I adjusted the clutch one more time hit the starter button and I could tell something drastic happened inside the primary, I kind of figured out what it was. I was lucky it happened in my shop and not on the road, needless to say I took another motorcycle on that trip. The sprag
was working normal until it didn’t, there was no sign that anything was wrong before it disintegrated.

Anybody out there?
Who uses OEM stock bronze clutch plates and who uses solid fiber clutch or barnetts?
I can tell you a story....

Fiber

Barnett fiber

PMellin wrote: Barnett fiber

Didn't realize you had a MKIII E-start? The whole point of my research is to find out the reasons and failure modes for the sprag mechanism.Non original clutch material being considered as contamination.

My original sprag clutch lasted just over 46K miles. Recently when I started the bike from cold, the starter, occasionally, would spin with no sprag engagement. I removed the outer primary cover and I had very black/dirty oil. I change it on a regular basis but haven't opened the case for a while. Cleaned it out, fresh oil, and it seems to be working normally now. Sprag "bones" gummed up getting hung up so that they could not grip? I didn't take the spray and inspect it this time but if it does it again I will. I will be keeping a close watch on it, checking the primary oil from time to time . Ride to the rally coming up next month, should be over 2000 miles for the entire trip.