STM Slipper Clutch

STM slipper clutches offer two major advantages; to assist the rider and help prevent damage to the engine and gearbox.
The slipper clutch assists the rider by reducing the effect of engine braking. Engine braking causes the rear wheel to ‘lock up’ and ‘patter’ when braking hard for a corner. A rider that is too aggressive in this situation suffers, because the rear wheel loses contact with the ground, making continued braking and direction change much harder to accomplish.
The STM clutch also helps save the engine and gearbox, again by reducing engine braking. Most motorcycle engines have a rev limiter, to stop the engine exceeding a certain speed considered safe by the manufacturer. This works fine when the engine is under power, but if a rider is approaching a corner, close to the r.p.m. ‘red line’, and then down-shifts, the engine can easily be forced to a speed it was never designed to reach, often with catastrophic results. Additional benefits are realised as the gearbox suffers less abuse for the same reasons, and it is less important for the rider to provide perfectly co-ordinated gear changes.