It is sort of unfortunate that the 696 doesn't have a dry clutch. Especially since my other twin-cylinder machine has one:
1946 John Deer "A" clutch
1946 John Deer "A"
Seriously, though...is it possible to have a dry slipper clutch? I would suspect that this would be Ducati's reason for making the switch?
As a company that sticks to it's odd- and old-tech ways (air cooled desmo twin), I was sort of sad to read that the 696 and 848 were going to have a wet clutch, but it didn't keep me from getting a 696. The Deere is neat in a lot of the same ways that Ducatis are. They were tractors for the discerning farmer, even though they were lower-tech and an odd configuration compared to the competition. Both were/are machines for people who see past the nuts and bolts and numbers and understand that there's something more.
Like a visible dry clutch.
