Rubber clutch is a great idea if you plan on never going out of business... Just thin about being a garelli owner back in 77... You wear out a clutch, no biggie it's just a disposable ring of neoprene rubber, back when they were readily available, they were simple and affordable.
If you could set up some kind of engagement plate more like the one on the VIP, a springloaded plate that grabs the side of the clutch...