The clutch is so easy to get to I wouldn't bother to guess at the problem. Remove the clutch assembly and measure the friction plates to make sure they are within spec. Also, inspect the steel plates for signs of warpage and over-temp. If you (carefully) lay the bike on it's left side, you don't even have to worry about the new oil you just put in the bike.

I've never had a clutch slipping issue with T4 or T5 in the Savage, or any other motorcycle for that matter. I've used those oils in everything from a 30hp savage to a 120hp GSX1100. It's not the oil.

30,000 miles is a lot of miles for a clutch.

SoC wrote on 05/25/21 at 10:34:12:


ZDDP does not help with the clutch function - and you have to be careful what ZDDP additives you use.  A lot of them have other friction modifiers included and they are not recommended for a wet clutch.

The senior members of this forum no longer recommend the used of a ZDDP additive - it is far better to buy an oil that already had enough ZDDP included.  The Rotella oils have more than 1,000 ppm of ZDDP and keeps the cam and rockers happy.

There was a brief period of time that the formulation of Rotella T6 that came in a white bottle had an increased about of Moly....and it caused a few members to experience clutch issues.

If the clutch has been contaminated with a friction modifier - you pretty much have to take the clutch apart and scrub and scuff up the fiber plates to get rid of it.

If the lever on the side of the engine case is within the marks and you can feel some free play in the lever - the clutch plates are most likely not worn out.

Dave, centerline of the arm is just below the top mark on the case.  It will drop a tad lower if I push it down to take up the remaining slack.  (Pretty much just like DBM's lever in his DR clutch upgrade thread.)  So there is a good bit of slop in the pushrod/actuator assembly.  

It acts like when a basket gets grooved and the plates hang, but only when it's cold.

ohiomoto wrote on 05/25/21 at 14:28:06:


where is the clutch lever on the case in respect to the marks when you take up the slack?

Up towards the top? might mean you need a longer rod.
when you are at the top marks, you don't get the maximum disengagement travel that you get with the lower marks.

Sounds to me like a wear & tear issue.  It's gettin old and things aren't as fresh as they used to be.  You want to fix this before it gets out of hand and damages the pressure disc, hub, and steel plates.

Your oil gets thinner as it heats up.  The clutch has to squeeze the oil out in order to grab.  Those shallow slots in the friction plates are there to provide a path for oil and debris to exit the clutch pack.  As the friction plates wear, the slots get shallower and there's less room for oil to exit.  There may not be a sufficient flow path for the cold oil to exit, but when the oil heats up the slots can handle.

Springs get weaker with age.  They might be strong enough to squeeze the pack together when the oil is hot, but lack sufficient force to squeeze the oil out when it's cold.

I agree with Gary.  It's just too darned easy to dig into the clutch.  Open it up and inspect it.  Fiber plates should be about .115" thick.  Spring free length should be about 1.365". If possible, check the spring force at 26mm.  It should be 55 to 60 lbs.  IMO, the force measurement is way more important than free length.  If in doubt, replace the springs. They're cheap ($4.52 a copy).

If you are desperate, you can increase the spring preload .06" by installing an extra steel plate between the innermost fiber plate and the pressure disk.  Not my cup-o-tea but it will probably work.  The extra plate must go here.  

I finally dove into this since I had the pipe and left peg off while replacing the broken swingarm on my bike.  

The plates checked out between .116" and .117" and the springs measured out to ~1.36".  Everything in there looked great except that the nut holding the assembly in place was barely finger tight!  The washer was the only thing keeping it from spinning off.  

The lever feels a little better now, but it's raining here so I only went up the street.  Fingers crossed.