Call it overkill if you like but I\’ve recently fitted one of these Readspeed Red Devil clutches to my fairly standard 200cc Series One Framebreather. A six plate billet clutch may well belong in a tuned motor but I figured if I ever decide to upgrade this engine from the current stage 4 200 then at least I know the clutch is powerful enough to handle things so I won\’t need to buy another.
I\’ve never really been happy with the standard clutch on this engine, it always struggled to pull away smoothly, especially when loaded and was hard to set up. The scooter was running perfectly well though and swapping the clutch was just something I wanted, rather than needed to do – or so I thought.
A few miles left in it
What I wasn\’t expecting when Rob Miller down at Simply Retro stripped it was this. Yes the clutch bell had actually dropped to bits and was just being held together by luck, a wing and a prayer. It was in two parts and one of the rivets was floating around the bottom of the crankcase just waiting to get mangled and total the bottom end. I\’d had a lucky escape really and the expense of a new clutch suddenly seemed like money well spent.
Enter the Red Devil
I opted for the six plate, 47 tooth (46 and five plate also available) Red Devil to suit my gearing. The clutch itself looks and feels like a quality bit of kit, as you expect from a product made for Readspeed. I was a little concerned at how strong the springs were though, you needed to be Hercules to compress them by hand so I expected the clutch would be hard to operate. Thankfully I needn\’t have worried.
With the clutch fitted and set up the feel at the lever isn\’t bad at all to be honest, it\’s certainly not as hard as the AF Cassette clutch in my Quattrini. I would have gone for one of the Chiselspeed super-light clutch actuators for that scooter if my Spanish engine was GP but sadly they don\’t do those for Li casings. They\’re certainly getting good reviews from people who use them though.
Verdict
The lever is a bit harder to pull than the standard set up but that\’s hardly surprising. For a mighty six-plate clutch the Readspeed one isn\’t bad at all to use and I can certainly live with it. On the road it works perfectly well, the clutch is just how it should be. No more slipping it to get moving and it has a precise biting point, with no dragging when it\’s pulled in. So far, so good. Andy Gillard at ScooterNova has been using one of these in his TS1 225 and is impressed with it so far as well.
It\’ll be getting some miles on the clock but I\’m impressed enough to recommend it and sell it through the SLUK Shop.
Words and photos: Iggy
Technical specification
The Red Devil clutch comes in a five and six plate version with the option of 46 or 47 tooth sprocket. It features a hardened billet spider and Readspeed Red Race Friction clutch plates and a lightened, hardened crown wheel.
- Six plate clutch kit (five plate also available)
- Choice of 46 or 47 tooth sprocket
- Complete kit – ready to fit
- Designed for GP type crankcase with phosphor-bronze thrust bush (Li/SX requires different pressure plate)
- No crankcase packing plate or exhaust modifications required
Price: £299.99 (five plate £274.99)
Availability: The clutches are in stock at Readspeed and are available directly through the SLUK Shop by clicking this link.
Readspeed clutches available here…
Call it overkill if you like but I’ve recently fitted one of these Readspeed Red Devil clutches to my fairly standard 200cc Series One Framebreather. A six plate billet clutch may well belong in a tuned motor but I figured if I ever decide to upgrade this engine from the current stage 4 200 then at least I know the clutch is powerful enough to handle things so I won’t need to buy another.
I’ve never really been happy with the standard clutch on this engine, it always struggled to pull away smoothly, especially when loaded and was hard to set up. The scooter was running perfectly well though and swapping the clutch was just something I wanted, rather than needed to do – or so I thought.
My old clutch was just about ready…
A few miles left in it
What I wasn’t expecting when Rob Miller down at Simply Retro stripped it was this. Yes the clutch bell had actually dropped to bits and was just being held together by luck, a wing and a prayer. It was in two parts and one of the rivets was floating around the bottom of the crankcase just waiting to get mangled and total the bottom end. I’d had a lucky escape really and the expense of a new clutch suddenly seemed like money well spent.
Enter the Red Devil
I opted for the six plate, 47 tooth (46 and five plate also available) Red Devil to suit my gearing. The clutch itself looks and feels like a quality bit of kit, as you expect from a product made for Readspeed. I was a little concerned at how strong the springs were though, you needed to be Hercules to compress them by hand so I expected the clutch would be hard to operate. Thankfully I needn’t have worried.
With the clutch fitted and set up the feel at the lever isn’t bad at all to be honest, it’s certainly not as hard as the AF Cassette clutch in my Quattrini. I would have gone for one of the Chiselspeed super-light clutch actuators for that scooter if my Spanish engine was GP but sadly they don’t do those for Li casings. They’re certainly getting good reviews from people who use them though.
Verdict
The lever is a bit harder to pull than the standard set up but that’s hardly surprising. For a mighty six-plate clutch the Readspeed one isn’t bad at all to use and I can certainly live with it. On the road it works perfectly well, the clutch is just how it should be. No more slipping it to get moving and it has a precise biting point, with no dragging when it’s pulled in. So far, so good. Andy Gillard at ScooterNova has been using one of these in his TS1 225 and is impressed with it so far as well.
It’ll be getting some miles on the clock but I’m impressed enough to recommend it and sell it through the SLUK Shop.
Words and photos: Iggy
Technical specification
The Red Devil clutch comes in a five and six plate version with the option of 46 or 47 tooth sprocket. It features a hardened billet spider and Readspeed Red Race Friction clutch plates and a lightened, hardened crown wheel.
- Six plate clutch kit (five plate also available)
- Choice of 46 or 47 tooth sprocket
- Complete kit – ready to fit
- Designed for GP type crankcase with phosphor-bronze thrust bush (Li/SX requires different pressure plate)
- No crankcase packing plate or exhaust modifications required
Price: £299.99 (five plate £274.99)
Availability: The clutches are in stock at Readspeed and are available directly through the SLUK Shop by clicking this link.
Readspeed clutches available here…
Please excuse my lack of knowledge for all things mechanical, but would this clutch work with the Chiselspeed conversion?
Yes, no problem.