EVR Progressive Engagement Pressure Plate

[koko64]

Just fitted one to the M900.

The pressure plate has an attached first driven steel plate that is waved in shape like the curved steel driven plate in the stack. You have to remove the first driven plain steel plate at the top of the stack as the pressure plate's attached waved plate takes its place. The idea is that the waved plate on the back of the pressure plate gives good even feel and gradual engagement as you release the clutch.
I thought it would be a good thing for newbies as I'm sharing the bike with one of the kids.

The pamphlet with the kit describes the pressure plate as an anti-clank pressure plate. Maybe the waved plate somehow "preloads" the stack a little reducing clutch noise.

I hope to test it tomorrow and report.

[brad black]

couldn't you just add another curved/cone plate?  we used to find that more of them made them drag.  even the normal steel plates with a bit of warp makes them drag. will be interesting.

[koko64]

Yeah, I'm gonna find out if it's snake oil or fair dinkum. The last (first/outer?)steel plate is removed, so they have just riveted another curved plate on the back of the pressure plate to replace it. It is waved in regular increments around the circumference between rivets rather than dished, say every 5 cm or so, if you can imagine that.

If the sun stays out then I'll test it this arvo.

I also threw in a complete stock, steel, old style OEM clutch, the whole kaboodle. All up 2 kg heavier. I'll put the light stuff in the Hyper.

[koko64]

Got to test the EVR PP this arvo.

The EVR PP gave excellent progressive feel and had a nice progressive engagement zone when you released the clutch.
However, it did drag terribly and made neutral very difficult to find. The adjustment of stack height, even using the minimum stack height and less did not solve the issue. Very disappointing, because the improvement in one area was at the expense of an annoying problem in another. This is pretty much as Brad predicted.

I have a lot of spare clutch plates and was able to manipulate stack height in an attempt to get a compromise. I also played with the clutch master adjustment via the piston adjuster pin and the lever adjustment, but could not get a satisfactory result. Even with maximum lever travel and piston adjustment the dragging was unacceptable and much more than a stock clutch in good condition. All the clutch parts were new or nearly new and I tested repeatedly with the OEM PP and the EVR PP.

I went back to an oem pressure plate and got an overall better result. I like to tune my clutch for my own preference, and in this case was aiming for more feel and a more gradual engagement so a newbie (my daughter) would stall less and accidently wheelie less. Basically make it safer. I could not quite emulate the progressive engagement of the EVR pressure plate, but I got close and without the annoying dragging.

If anyone has fitted one and achieved good results or knows a trick on how to make them work please let me know. My concern is that even with a minimum stack height and maximum clutch throw, it still dragged.
Bugger.

[Howie]

If you have a big bore slave on the bike now putting the stock one back on would increase travel, helping with the drag problem, but increasing effort needed at the lever.  I wonder if EVR has a clutch stack available with the proper height for that pressure plate?

[koko64]

Ok. One last possible solution before I beg MW for a credit on my returning the part (it is used now after all ).

Run a below minimum stack height with Barnett steel driven plates in combination with OEM old model steel plates and TPO heavy duty springs.  The Barnett driven plates are thin. I have done this before with success on my M900 with no clutch slip and a wonderfully light clutch pull. The TPO springs will hopefully stop clutch slip, but don't feel so heavy with a low stack height and my combination of master and slave cylinders which has a light feel and long clutch throw.

So I'm trying do the opposite of the late clutch kits. Less plates, low stack height and heavier springs. Right, what could possibly go wrong? .

[koko64]

If you have a big bore slave on the bike now putting the stock one back on would increase travel, helping with the drag problem, but increasing effort needed at the lever.  I wonder if EVR has a clutch stack available with the proper height for that pressure plate?

Yeah, you read my mind Howie. Spend more $$$. Probably the EVR kit of clutch slave cylinder, clutch plates and springs. Bugger that!
I am running the stock long throw slave cylinder with 999 radial masters. Long and light, even with TPO springs (the heaviest I've come across).
Time to break out my Barnett driven plates.
Imagine doing this with a wet clutch?

[koko64]

I got the stack height low and well under 33mm with lots of sub 1.6mm straight plates driven plates (all bar one) from my Barnett stash. The instructions say not to go under 33.5mm in stack height, so if it still grabs then you're make the beast with two backsed.
And it still grabs, to buggery. Worst of all, it's a bit unpredictable on shifts with a loud bang you don't want to hear.


I'll contact MW. For the money, very disappointing. MW will need the feedback on this product. I cant emphasise the goodwill we have from our sponsors, so it's important they get constructive feedback.

Back to the stock pressure plate again with my own careful set up to get a result that will give a good take up and light clutch with no grabbing or slipping. It's usually just a matter of taking the time to tune components, and I tried to buy a shortcut .

[Yogi]

Hey Koko I am running the EVR pressure plate on my M1100 I had all the problems you have had. However I have now got it spot on. I need to check my notes as I experimented with all sorts of stack heights to try to get it to work. At the moment I have it set up with the quiet clutch mod adding an additional Friction Plate to stop the rattle. Neutral is difficult to find but engagement is perfect and no dragging.

I have the Oberon slave. And different Levers (PP Tuning) they have a different curve to the lever. A lot of how the clutch functions is in the lever position, set the lever position to get it to bite where you want, rather then where your hand wants it to be.

[koko64]

I had the CRG lever all the way out. I had the adjustment pin giving max clutch throw. Was it the EVR plate or EVR progressive Engagement plate?

If it was the fancy version, did you remove the first plate? Howie sggested running 4 springs. I might try it but then slipping could be an issue with a lower stack height. I have a Vee Two 4 poster I can try.
How many plates you need to remove?

[Yogi]

It is the Anti Rattle Plate, with the riveted wave steel plate. I removed the first steel as directed, but if I remember I had to do some messing around with the stack height as the original stack would not work.

OK found my notes albeit from when I first tried it without the quiet mod.
EVR PP
Friction P
2mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
2mm Steel
Friction P
2mm Steel

(removed two 1.5mm Steels)
This was very quiet and that is all my notes said. I can pull my clutch down if your not getting anywhere and give you my exact set up including the quiet mod?

The M1100 came standard with a 40.5mm stack, using a 2mm steel as the first and last inner most two plates together with no friction plate in between. There is no way the EVR plate will work with this. I tried it by leaving the 2mm plates and removing one of the 1.5mm plates to compensate for the EVR PP. It bit straight off the bars and dragged badly.

That looed like this.
EVR PP
Friction P
2mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
1.5mm Steel
Friction P
2mm Steel
2mm Steel

This had one 1.5mm Steel Removed.

I run all six springs in my set up.

[koko64]

Thanks Yogi

It seems you need to also remove one of the two inner driven plates to ease off the stack. While the instructions dont say this I will try this as a last attempt. This did cross my mind, but I was concerned about one inner steel plate supporting the stack. Ill remove one plate and put a 2mm plate in at the base of the stack. Ill also run a 4 post drun (Vee Two) with some heavy duty springs that came with (thanks He Man).
If that dont work with either slipping or grabbing, then Ill seek a return on the goods. Ill let MW know the outcome. You shouldnt have to go outside EVRs spexs to make their part work, but it apoears you do.
I already strayed oast the spec in the installation guide.

Cheers Yogi

[Yogi]

Your welcome, don't give up yet though. It took me ages to get a clutch that would work as it should with that plate. Like you say the instructions are not very good and I think they assume all the plates are 1.5mm. So telling you to drop the first plate in my instance meant loosing a 2mm plate. Offer is still there if you want me to tear down my clutch , wont take  10 mins.

[koko64]

Thanks but it wont be necessary Yogi. Dropping the one plate as in the instructions isnt enough. Cheers mate.

I will run two less steel plates, one off each end and all will be 1.5s except for the base plate. Wow that will be a low stack height. Ill run my heavy springs (4) to try and a soft lever effort with no slip. I guess if you want to drop two plates, theres only two places you can do it, each end. If the feel isnt vastly improved once it doesnt grab or slip, then Ill send it back.
Stay tuned.

[Yogi]

Done it. My stack Height is 39.6mm this includes the innermost modified Friction Plate (Silent Mod) Here is what I am running now.

EVR PP
Friction P  (2.94mm)
1.5mm Steel  (1.50mm)
Friction P  (2.95mm)
1.5mm Steel  (1.48mm)
Friction P  (2.97mm)
1.5mm Steel  (1.52mm)
Friction P  (2.94mm)
1.5mm Steel  (1.50mm)
Friction P  (2.93mm)
1.5mm Steel  (1.52mm)
Friction P  (2.88mm)
1.5mm Steel  (1.52mm)
Friction P  (2.91mm)
1.5mm Steel  (1.50mm)
Friction P  (2.92mm)
2mm Steel  2.05mm)
Friction Plate Modified  (2.77mm)

Absolute ball ache to get this right lots of trial and error, but now I have nice engagement and I can hear my engine not my clutch. Had this set up for just over a year, bike is ridden hard and the clutch has performed flawlessly. Hope this helps anyone else looking at using this kind of PP.