Clutch Springs

[Dandy Dan]

I've really been cruisin the web lately looking at variators and clutches and I've managed to find stiffer springs for our rear clutch. On Polini's website they show pics of a variator, an exhaust (no pics) and these springs they make for our ruckus:



Here's a link:
it.catalogo.polini.it/en/pagina_724.236.html

These springs would be a replacement for the springs shown as #3 in this link:
ronayers.com/fiche/200_0423/driven_face/driven_face.cfm?man=ho&groupid=16120&parent=16110

However I couldn't find a way to get a price or to order them. I imagine I'd need to contact a Polini dealer. Does anyone know a Polini dealer and can get us a price?

As well I was browsing all the aftermarket variators and I noticed one came with a different, larger spring that fits in the clutch (#10 in the above link). Does anyone know what this spring does? I imagine the aftermarket one is stiffer. I'm not sure but I think it was the Malossi variator that comes with it.

[Dandy Dan]

Yeah here's a link to that Malossi variator that comes with the big fancy spring. If you download the install instructions or look at the above Ronayers.com link you'll see where it goes. Now what it does is another question......
www.malossi.com/Catalogo/Cata_Main.asp?Marca=150&Modello=MO/HOZO50&Famiglia=0&CodArt=5111852

I went to Malossi.com -> Catalog -> Honda -> Zoomer/Ruckus and this variator came up.

[Doctavius]

Yep.... at the top right corner of that site there is a little button that has the letters " EN FR " ......

CLICK EN FOR ENGLISH!!!!

[chanito]

That big spring keep the two halves of the clutch close, making the belt run higher, think of it this way if you are familiar with bicycles your variator will be the gear on the crank and the clutch would be the gears on the rear wheel, so as your engine speed increase the weights inside the variator are shoot out by centrifugal force closing the two halves of the belt riding surface sending the belt to run higher, since the belt doesn't grow the other end (the clutch) has to grow apart allowing the belt to ride inward opening the two halves of the rear, this big spring is what makes this two rear halves stay close, so a stiffer spring will require more force from the variator to open therefore getting the same results as lighter rollers, the kick is that it increase friction a lot, so gas millage drops, and the life of the belt shorthens noticeable, on the plus side slippage is keep to a minimum and that stiffer spring closes the rear half quicker than stock making for a very responsive scooter

[Dandy Dan]

Ok, so that big white spring will launch me harder and gear me lower but it's bad cuz it hurts fuel economy and wears out my belt. What about the little springs? Stiffer springs just make it engage a bit later resulting in a higher RPM, more abrupt launch? This would be harder on the drivetrain, Correct?

Neither spring seems like a 'must get' part. I don't wanna add stress and wear and tear just for some low end snap.

Does the stock clutch already gear things as tall as possible at the back once I'm at cruisin speed? I know the metro II uses a different gear to engage the wheel than the met 1 so that the met I is geared taller. It'd be nice if someone made a few taller gear options for ours.

[sfc]

I just replaced the clutch spring on my Yamaha Vino and noticed it is 9mm longer than the service limit of 86mm that is specified in the ruckus service manual. Considering that I can obviously compress it to fix in the Ruckus Clutch, assuming the same diameter, which I haven't checked, don't know how to without pulling it apart, would using this spring have the same effect of requiring more force to open?

Thanks

[chanito]

Well like everything else there is a trade, if you go for a stronger spring in the clutch, you have a very tight drive belt, and that has its advantages, one of them is as soon as you release the throttle, it presses the variator rollers inward, getting your scooter in lower gear sooner, so when you go back in the throttle, it accelerates faster, another advantage of a tight belt is any input in the throttle is transmited to the wheel now!, making for a dramatic increase of control in traffic, great if you ride in a lot of traffic, and a good trade for a shorter belt life and a couple of miles per gallon, but if you do wide open throttle all the time (like i do) a total waste.
Now those small clutch springs, allow the drive train to build momentum before allowing the scooter to move, a great advantage if you have to stop on an uphill, like in a lot of those European sea side cities with those wierd streets, the down side is a very rough clutch take up, then again a fair trade if you do a lot of stop and go in a hilly city, a total waste if you live in a flat city or you do not have to stop in a hill untill you get to the top, so yes for some people it does make a lot of sense, for others it doesn't hope i did not confuse you.

[habbitualoffender]

I've seen a couple of Jap Zoomer sites show people replacing the stock spring with a Yamaha one I'll look for the part #.

[smacky]

I asked abe about where to get heavier clutch springs, he recommended going to a yamaha dealer and getting 2004 Zuma (i know, perish the thought, but any scooter other than the ruckus is only good for parts) clutch springs.

[jrcanoe]

this site here shows part # 2ja-16626-00
homepage3.nifty.com/srd/zc011.html I really like lots of the custom parts this kid has put on his ruckus but japanese kids must be made out of money. When I did the conversion on the raised foot pegs it turned out to be about 150$ Their nice but not that nice. I could probably afford this spring tho.

[pomeruck]

I wouldn't replace the clutch springs. a smooth launch is important. all that matters is that the clutch eventually bites. i'd rather my clutch do the torque transfer rather than my belt.