Jog has a good point there, while the cover is off, flush the clutch out. Get the bike upright, I tend to use a cinder block and chunk of 2x12 under the engine, put a pan under the clutch basket, and hit it with a can of electrical cleaner (which will not eat the discs, unlike carb cleaner and some brake cleaners).

Even if you put in the "wrong" oil, 25 miles isn't enough distance to hurt the clutch to the point of not working. Not really enough distance to induce even minor slipping...

Kizale wrote on 08/25/13 at 09:40:29:


Don't let go, pull up to take the slack out and that's where you compare the marks.

I think your clutch rod is too long

no, pretty sure it's an external problem  

Update:

I installed the 44mm rod from the kit I ordered. When I put the side cover back on it seemed to be working, would lock in gear and release when I pulled the lever. I put it all back together and started it, it had a nasty grinding noise coming from the clutch side area. I mess with the adjustment down at the lower lever coming out of the case. I had to turn it almost all the way up so there was almost no threads on the bottom below the lever and a ton on top. This made the noise stop and held the lever between the index marks so it looked good. I took it around the block and it will move under it's own power. As soon as you give it any gas it will slip completly and freely rev in gear with no more power to the wheel. I have longer rods but by my thinking it will make it worse, what should I do at this point? Thanks

I started with the stock 45 and tried all three at one point. The 46 I can't even close the side case. The 45 puts the lever below the lower mark disconnected with a slight push up. The bike will roll freely in gear. The 44 the one I had just tired with the last post is still below the mark. As stated I could adjust it up with tension on the cable it will move under it's own power but slip as soon as I give it any gas. In short none of the rods seem to fix the problem or put it in the correct position on the index. It seems to be agreed on this forum that you pretty much can wear out the disks and this bike has less the 4,000 miles. So as I was trying to say where to you go when the shortest rod is still below the mark and clutch still does not work. The problem started with the stock 45 and left me stranded on the road without being able to get any power to the wheel. It was out 12mm from the plate at the time

Well I would say these plates are pretty much toast. If no one else has done it I guess I'll be the first. The inner most fiber plate looked ok the rest had no pads and much of the material was all over the basket. Old feller you're welcome to these if you want them. It would explain why the oil was so nasty when I drained it among the rest of the clutch problems.

Any one care to speculate as to what could have happened to such a low mileage clutch. If you read the rest of the post you'll she it was owned by a lady who put most of them on then let it sit. I old guy fixed it up and sold it me, was running fine at the time. I does not appear to be beat on, motor runs good, looks really really nice outside. The cam tensioner is at 14mm I guess that could be high for the mileage. Still has original rear tire so no burnouts. Could she have been riding it for a long time, could it have dried out in storage and then came apart when put back into use. I do not think I did anything to it. Feel free to tell me should I get it running and sell it for another?

Any suggestion on brand of clutch to buy, should I get springs too? just scuff and reuse the steel plates? Anything else to replace or do while I'm in there? I left the basket on at this point, is there a need to take it out or just slide the new plates in, I hear some pins and crap come out if I remove it.

Thanks for the help, here are the pics...

Wow, very interesting pics.

Congratulations, you are the first person to figure out how to turn their clutch fiber plates into (literally) ugly black pasty goo.  

Kinda scary, actually.

Can you tell us what you used to do it?  Be nice to know, so we can tell folks in the future what to avoid.    

Did you spray any "stuff" on it as per WD's advice ???   This might not have been the best thing to do to your fiber plates as when I sprayed brake parts cleaner on my clutch accidentally it slipped some for almost a week before settling in again.

Remember, fiber plates are a pressed together composite of cork and hard fibers, held together with hard setting rubber type thermal compounds.  

You might well be able to dissolve the bonding agent if you start spraying large amounts of "stuff" on your clutch pack.


Death by spray can ....   need to add that to the list of clutch killers.





Change your oil and oil filter -- you have all sorts of fiber stuff and rubberish stuff floating around in your oil and contaminating/blocking up you oil filter paper element.