I speculate the grenade spring does two things:
1) From a stop slightly slips the clutch for smoother engagement.
2) At speed, absorbs the shock/ clunk between gear shifting

Yes I wish a HD engineer would explain for sure.
Yes it seems it is the brass rivets that fail, and if built with better metals/ components
maybe the grenade plate is a good idea.

Interesting topic, who what where why when was this idea implemented.

 

The spring plate gives you a larger friction zone

 

I dont care about the reasons behind harley putting that stupid plate in! I dont l I've in that bubble and it exploded on me at about 25,000 miles and I haven't been able to ride her for over a week now! It's a stupid design and sad that they make them just strong enough to make it past the warranty. Seriously thinking about the new Indian Scouts.

 

Having almost 75 k miles on my 2012 XL 1200 factory clutch and primary chain, riding and clutching as smooth as silk...

Maybe the wrong riding habbits?

 

If I were you I would be checking it.

 

Well perhaps it was my riding style, this is my first bike and I did buy it used with about 12,000 miles, it's a 2006 883low, but still.

 

The 2004-6 rubbermounts (maybe later) seem more likely to have this problem. If you go over to xlforum.net they have a long running poll about this measured by mileage. 80% of the reported clutch spring plate failures are on rubbermounts.

John

 

Once you've got your kevlar plates in and are riding again, I'm sure such thoughts will quickly fade! You've had a tough time sorting out your bike, but there is life afterwards.....

 

Agreed, and many brands have a bit of "why the hell did they do it this way" engineering, from small trail bikes to jumbo jets. Sometimes just a small tweak or mod makes them the bike you want. I was lucky and caught my 1200's rivets before any let go, and just accept that someone at Harley had a difference of opinion on using brass rivets in a high stress area. My sportster is still enjoyable and now I have more peace of mind not having to worry about that issue.

 

Yes, my experiences working on several friends' Chevy's comes to mind on that one.

John