One of the fundamental differences between motorcycles and other types of vehicles is the special bond that develops between man and machine, just as Native American warriors did with their horses.
It literally hugs the engine, forming a single unit between it and our body, and both move in unison to achieve control of the whole.
From this special bond arises the need to understand our machine, since it is somehow part of us. In fact, most motorcyclists have a better understanding of mechanics related to their mounts than car drivers.
This need for knowledge leads to an attraction to knowing what happens inside the engine: we would like to be able to see it.
The invention
Many of you will remember photos of an old Harley with methacrylate engine and primary covers in some American magazine from the 1980s, or an acquaintance who had replaced some inspection covers on his Ducati with ballistic glass so he could see the inside of the combustion chamber in person.
With this spirit and using current technology, Roland Sands offers us a very ingenious product, its line of Clarity covers , which allow us to see the internal workings of the engine while it is running.
These are a series of engine covers manufactured by computerized milling (CNC) from a block of billet aluminum that directly replace the original engine covers. These new covers have been fitted with transparent polycarbonate windows through which the interior of the engine can be viewed.
For maximum reliability, the windows are sealed internally and their surfaces have been chemically treated to prevent oil and grease from adhering, allowing us to enjoy views of the heart of our machine. As if this weren't enough, they also incorporate a UV- and abrasion-resistant film, which prevents the polycarbonate from yellowing or becoming damaged.
Tapas (installing the tapas)
RSD currently manufactures a wide variety of this type of Clarity caps, for example:
- Rocker box covers
- Clutch covers
- Air filter covers
- Transmission case covers
- Clutch actuator covers
- Camshaft and timing covers
All these covers are manufactured in chrome, black (Black Ops) and a combination of both (Contrast Cut) finishes.
In our case, we are going to replace the clutch and camshaft covers of a Softail model with a pair of Clarity Black Ops covers.
Installation is really simple. We'll start with the timing cover. As always, safety comes first, so we'll disconnect the negative battery terminal before starting. After placing a tray to collect any oil that might fall (not much), we loosen the bolts on the "boring" original cover.
We drop the oil and clean the surface well,
After this, we installed our Clarity cover with a new gasket. We tightened the bolts to 16 Nm.
and we already have the right side of our customized engine.
We will repeat the operation with the clutch cover,
We will install the Clarity cover by tightening the screws this time to 11 Nm.
Tip: We will use an aftermarket gasket or cut out the center of the original gasket so it can be seen through the window.
With transparency
It's time to reconnect the battery, start the engine, and check for leaks. Once it's warm, we check the oil level in the compartments we've worked on (engine, primary, or transmission) and then we can take a stroll, or rather, sit down, and watch the inner workings of our car's heart at idle, with an almost hypnotic, relaxing rhythm that will clear our minds...
Frank Burguera
3 comments
Hola me gustaría saber si se podría aplicar al motor de un coche, en plan la tapa de balancines.
Muchas gracias y un saludo
Hola, me gustaría saber si se pudiera poner la tapa de aceite de mi mt 01 transparente. Gracias y un saludo
Sabrían decirme, si está todo empresa que hace las tapas de embrague con ventana, las fábrica para otros modelos de moto, por ejemplo una Suzuki B-king GSX1300.
Gracias muy buen artículo.