By Dean0612 on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 06:41 am:

When I bought my Falco I thought it came with a slipper clutch and I've seen it referred to as such a couple of times. However, a bike mechanic I know told me that it couldn't be a slipper as it's a wet clutch and all slippers are dry. I checked the owner's manual and it confirms the clutch is wet but also refers to "PPC" (which stands for "I can't remember and the manual's at home"). This PPC is supposed to stop the rear tyre hopping and skipping, apparently.

My question is, what is this PPC thingy and how does it work? Does the Falco effectively have a slipper clutch or if not, what is it?

Cheers,
Dean  

By Crmc33 on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 07:17 am:

The RSV/Falco has a clutch with hydraulic control,
assisted by the esclusive PPC patent (Pneumatic
Power Clutch) to check bouncing of the rear wheel.
When decelerating suddenly, the weight of the
motorcycle is transferred instantly to the front,
lightening the rear axle. In high-powered two-cylinder
engines this phenomenon is accentuated by
the high �engine braking" effect; this can cause the
so-called bouncing, or the tendency of the rear
wheel to block and lift off the ground, endangering
the stability of the bike and, consequently, the
vehicle's performance and safety.
Aprilia has found the ideal solution to this problem
exploiting the variations in pressure which occur in
the intake ducts when the throttle is opened and
closed, to lighten the load on the clutch springs. By
connecting the intake ducts to a "lung" situated at the
side of the clutch group, the vacuum created when
the throttle is closed decreases the load exerted on
the disks by the springs, while when the throttle is
opened again the clutch resumes operation under
normal weight conditions, thus transferring all the
power to the rear wheel.
This system also allows reduction of the force
applied on the lever on the handlebar, when the bike
is running at low rev speeds.
 

By Befbever on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 07:30 am:

And there was I thinking that the slipper clutch meant the clutch starts slipping much sooner than on any other bike.

Bike mechanics? What do they know?
 

By Crmc33 on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 07:38 am:

grease munkees the lot ov em!

who uses the clutch anyway?! 

By Scotteq on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 07:51 am:

To explain Crmc33's post in *English* Aprilia use the back pressure generated under deceleration to loosen the clutch plates and allow slippage.

So, *YES* it is a slipper clutch, and your mechanic friend is wrong.

Scott  

By Crmc33 on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 08:03 am:

are ewe sayin that eye have goat por enlglish.

Right thats it!

Im going!

home! 

By Racerxlilbro on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 08:21 am:

FWIW,

I wouldn't count on it...

I had a few harrowing moments in my first trackday...sloppy downshifts and all... 

By Kbomonfalco on Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 08:17 pm:

Any of you with the Airkit notice the "slipper" works better now? By that, I mean it actually does better by not locking up as much during heavy deceleration.
Perhaps I'm just imagining things???
Kevin 

By Crmc33 on Friday, November 08, 2002 - 01:33 am:

Hey Kb,

You havent made the same mistake as me and made a gasket for the airkit base without the hole for the slipper PPC bypass?

I did this and my slipper clutched very well, even when accelerating. Since sorting this Ive noticed no difference in the action of the slipper. In fact Ive never felt it cut in, even on the track.

Anyway, just a thort 

By Kbomonfalco on Friday, November 08, 2002 - 07:55 pm:

seeareemseethirtythree,
I did make sure I put the hole in my gasket. I think it was the Befster that pointed out it's purpose. I was only asking because it seems to "slip" more now. That is until recently. Now that the roads are getting colder, I think it has become more of a traction problem. I was racing around the other day and had a "squirlly" moment on the rear (no, not gas).
Kevin