A few weeks beforehand, the clutch on Lilia, my 2018 Iron 883, started making very unpleasant noises when I shifted into gear. Turns out the spring plate had grenaded in the gearbox.
Being honest, it's a known failure point inside this motorcycle. That being said, I knew I couldn't run the bike while that problem persisted. So I made a plan: take apart the primary cover and inspect the damage inside the bike.
What I found behind the primary cover
Upon removal of the stock clutch, there were a number of brass rivets, and the spring plate had come completely apart.
Why I didn't go back to stock
I knew that replacing it with stock would mean I'd run into this again. So I opted for an extra plate kit that holds power better than the original, since I knew I was planning to upgrade at some point anyway.
That's when I found the EnergyOne kit with the 15% compression plate included. I also knew that if I ever needed a stronger spring, I'd be able to swap out the 15% for something larger. The prep for that kit is here: EnergyOne Clutch Install Prep on an Iron 883
The install: a learning curve
Changing it was a bit of a learning curve, especially since the torque spec on the stator assembly was about 100 pounds more than my weight.
Five minutes, then smoke
Once I got that replaced, I put it all back together, and everything seemed OK for about the first five minutes. Then smoke started pouring out of the primary cover.
I tore it open again and found out my stator had melted and needed replaced.
Replacing the stator
Harley doesn't make that part anymore, by the way. So I went with a sealed one from Amazon.
If you're going into the primary yourself, here's how I've handled the fluid side of things: How to Change Primary Fluid on a 2018 Iron 883.
