Dave Dodge

[Gloveberg]

Has anyone ever gotten Dave to answer an e-mail or do you have to just call him?  I'm wanting to order a clutch kit from him but he has not answered any e-mails regarding shipping costs since I will be sending him a money order rather than charging it on a credit card.

[Greg Cothern]

Jimmy I have always called.  Wait did send an email once and dont think I ever got a reply come to think of it.  He has sent me one does that count hehehe.

[Gloveberg]

I posted too soon.  Dave e-mailed me back late last night.  Doh!!!!!

[MagnaMan]

I've exchanged a few emails with Dave. He is swamped and sometimes it takes a few days maybe even a week for him to get back. It's definitely the slow way to communicate with him.

I also read on the bbs board that he has taken on a consulting job 2 days a week and is only in the shop 3 days a week. Soon he will have on-line ordering available on his web site though. And he's also going to start working on late model v-twins. He's having to change with the times.

[Gloveberg]

I had intially planned on buying the EBC Kevlar kit (friction discs and HD springs) from Dennis Kirk and save about $80 but after some discusison with a few guys on the Delphi board they convinced me that the full DRP kit with friction discs, clutch plates and springs is the way to go.  Probably will be the last clutch I have to buy.

Dave has to do what makes him money and well, Honda doesn't make a V4 anymore so when all the work on older V4's dries up he needs something right?

[Lurkin]

It sounds like you've made contact, but I also ran into some problems with emailing DRP.  It appeared that some of his responses to me were getting caught in a SPAM filter, or just getting lost.  I ended up calling anyway as I needed to pass along my credit card info.

As for the clutch, I installed mine 2 weeks ago, and it's great.  Initially I was leary that the Kevlar plates might make it too "grippy" and affect cruising ability, but that's not a problem.  It works great.  Also I didn't know if the HD springs might make the clutch too heavy, again mostly for cruising comfort, but I haven't noticed any heavier feel to the lever.

Overall, great upgrade, and no more slipping on full throttle runs.  Easy install too, just watch out for the starter reduction gear pin when you pop the right side engine cover.

[antman]

Honda does still make a V4, it is called the ST1300.  Not quite the same styling but still a V4 on the road.

[MagnaMan]

Well the Honda Interceptor is also a V4 and a much more direct match to the Magna engine. And of course Honda's latest MotoGP bike is a V4.

It baffles me that they'll use that engine in a GP bike but on very few of their own bikes. But it also baffles me that most cruiser riders want overbloated V-twins with as much displacement as a car engine.

I think Dave has specialized more on the cruiser type bikes and that is why he's moving into the V twins.