Local dealer tells me this is not common, they offer no explanation, they just charge me $1.60ea for new isolators. If they had a suitable answer, I would not have posted this thread
Nothing is applying pressure to the guage cluster that should be causing them to rip. Before it is asked, the Clip-ons do not touch when moved lock to lock.
You can tell when they break because the cluster flops around while riding. You can reach in with your hand and move it around side to side or on the axis of the speedo cable. The only point of contact with the bike becomes the speedo cable and the electrical connections.
I think the 2002 bikes have an updated instrument cluster that is not the same design as the initial style used on the terblanche SSie's. 2000 uses the same style found on the 916/996, with the same rubber isolators.