Funny, in all my years with bikes I never heard of a "compensator" until I started learning about my 3W. I mostly have had Brit bikes and its called a "cush Drive" and is only lubed by oil in the primary chain case) Oh and Dan the cush drive does wear out you hear a big BANG when it overrides the ramps in a really roached bike. I have noticed in previous posts that suggest a hole (hole saw) be made in the bell housing and a hole drilled in the compensator and a zerk installed so you can give the compensator an occasional shot of grease. Some guys have said that there may be a zerk already there. I know my dealer has done at least two installations so far and that the factory may have suggested it for noisy compensators. Mine is still quiet but when it starts to make noise I will probably try that rather than pulling the engine for the centa. However, if for any other reason the engine has to be pulled I would certainly upgrade to the Centa.
Yes I uphold my objection to the term
compensator which was the essence of my OP.
Whilst interpretation is subject to semantics, to me the term in this context suggests some negating force to correct an undesirable power delivery.
As yourself I prefer the term cush drive as that's what it is. Whether employing ramps and springs or rubber inserts, it simply reduces the amplitude of the short term torque peaks, which I understand can exceed the average by a factor of ten or more, by spreading them over a greater rotational angle, hence time.
A balance shaft to correct an inherantly unbalanced engine would better suit the term compensator if its to be used at all.
