Forces the issue
On page 15 of the November issue, Rodney Wildsmith’s wonderful picture of Mike
Hailwood airborne at Ballaugh Bridge is of particular interest to me.
It is the first time I have seen evidence of a rider declutching as the rear wheel is about to land. The shock loads on the transmission, and drive-chain in particular, are massive. The chain is constantly stressed with the transfer of power, but the stretching forces applied by the rear wheel’s up and down movement is an additional issue, and is at its worst when landing after a jump. I have looked at many similar photos, and this is the only one I’ve seen where the rider has the clutch lever held in.
Although Mike is riding an MV in the picture, I would imagine this was his normal practice so he would have done the same when riding the Honda four when he won the 1967 Senior TT, following his great battle with Agostini. I can’t help wondering if this small detail was significant, as Ago’s chain snapped!
Obviously the stretching forces on the chain will be unchanged as the rear wheel touches down and the suspension compresses, whether the clutch is disengaged or not. But the fact that the chain is ‘freewheeling’, as opposed to being still connected to the engine will, I think, greatly reduce the sudden shock as the tyre makes contact. I’d be interested to hear what others think. Neil Shenton, via email.