Why do Ducatis have dry clutches?
The clutch is an essentially important part in maximizing engine power. For motorcycling applications, “oil bath multiple disc” clutches are generally used. The (driven and driving) discs work immersed in the engine oil, to ensure a smooth, progressive action (i.e. the transmission of movement by friction), highly efficient heat dissipation and noise reduction. This system is, in practice, a guarantee of reliable operation. This is the reason why it is so common in standard models of sport bikes or other bikes. As far as racing engines are concerned, the opposite considerations apply: power is so high that it is necessary to discharge it to the ground; additionally, simple, although extremely high-tech, design is of the essence here. Oil, carried and “sloshed about” by the disc pack, entails a loss of power (because it restrains movement by increasing inertia); additionally, its “smoothing” effect is absolutely unnecessary in the brutal riding of race bikes. All this explains why “dry”
