Nichols flywheel failure

[muskrat]

I'll ship it tomorrow

[ducatiz]

Factory is a single...no?

single with a lock bend washer

[atomic410]

the guy who built my race motor recomended just lighting the stock flywheel citing problems with keeping the superlight ones at the correct torque and the ul alm ones having weaker splines and didn't recomend them for racing applications.  I didn't question him and just went his way and lightened my stocker.  I don't understand how it could be more subject to loosing though.?

[junior varsity]

I'm not sure either. For you non carby guys, however, getting the stock flywheel lightened is way cheaper. I'm going to investigate my Nichols flywheel at next oil / belt service.   I don't know of any non aluminum lighter flywheels for the newer 98-99 charging system carbed bikes (M/SS)

[greenmonster]

We have unfortunately had an issue with the Ducati Performance lightweight flywheel that makes me withdraw my recommendation of its use in the post 98 models. These models have the late alternator set up, where the flywheel is splined onto the crank. Although the lightweight flywheels are hard anodized aluminium, the alloy splines that locate on the crank may not be up to the task. One we fitted to a 996 has stripped out the splines, letting the flywheel spin around the crank. In itself, this was not a big issue, as the nut was still tight and the bits of alloy taken off can’t get out and into the engine.

http://www.bikeboy.org/flywheelducati.html

[lowd239]

Yea there weren't any aluminum shavings in the oil when I drained it, but the oil did have a metallic sheen to it.

Definitely should have lightened the stock flywheel instead of going the Nichols route.  The extra weight savings through aluminum is certainly not worth the issues Im going through.

[brad black]

in hindsight the one we had fail may have been due to the nut being tightened to 190nm which was the original 996 flywheel nut spec, not the 270 they were recommending later.  i think it could have been a factor, but i can't remember either way now.  i think we fitted a few others and they always seemed fine.  and nichols wouldn't sell them if they were going to cause them warranty hassles.

have you contacted nichols about it to see what they think?  although it's a bit hard to know without specifically being able to tell them how tight the nut was, etc.

[Drunken Monkey]

I just went with my trusted shop recommendation:

Machined flywheel = cheaper = no known failures = not any noticeable difference.