what is the difference in a clutch symptoms?

[MR.S7]

So here my question, sometimes i see motorcycles with the clutch so bad that putting gear wont work.. is slipering.. so i know clutch plates must be changed;

but now i have my motorcycle that kicks quite Hard everytime i put on gear!, the mechanic said clutch plates must be replaced...

why is the same solution for diferent symptoms?

or my mechanic is wrong (not unusuall

[MFolks]

Here in the U.S. the oil manufacturers are reformulating engine oils with friction modifiers that do not work well in motorcycle engines with wet plate clutches like Kawasaki,Honda,Yamaha, and Suzuki have.

I'd recommend draining the oil and replace it with a good motorcycle rated oil or some Shell Rotella oil rated for Diesel truck engines.

[northernman]

Originally Posted by MFolks

Here in the U.S. the oil manufacturers are reformulating engine oils with friction modifiers that do not work well in motorcycle engines with wet plate clutches like Kawasaki,Honda,Yamaha, and Suzuki have.

I'd recommend draining the oil and replace it with a good motorcycle rated oil or some Shell Rotella oil rated for Diesel truck engines.

What he said.

And let me add this.

Once your bike has idled and warmed up a bit, and your ready to put it in gear, pull in the clutch lever all the way, and blip the throttle a couple times.
Sometimes that helps free the plates up before you put it in gear.
The condition you have is very common in motorcycles.

[MR.S7]

ok thanks for the tips guys, but the bottom quesiton is,

whaht if the clutch paltes are bad, sometimes one symptom is you put the gear TOO soft and the bike wont run..

mine is completeley different, i put the gear and the bike Kicks very hard i almost feel sorry for her everytime i do that...

whu is the difference for the same problem?

[northernman]

Originally Posted by MR.S7

ok thanks for the tips guys, but the bottom quesiton is,

whaht if the clutch paltes are bad, sometimes one symptom is you put the gear TOO soft and the bike wont run..

mine is completeley different, i put the gear and the bike Kicks very hard i almost feel sorry for her everytime i do that...

whu is the difference for the same problem?

Clutch is not releasing right.

It could be clutch adjustement, or wrong oil possibly.

[MR.S7]

Originally Posted by northernman

Clutch is not releasing right.

It could be clutch adjustement, or wrong oil possibly.

o Jeez so is Not that i had to buy new clutch discs?


darn i threw my money..

could it be the springs?

[RichLockyer]

I've found Yamalube to be very bad when it comes to the clutch sticking.
I cannot "walk" my WR250F backwards while holding the clutch if it's in gear. Switching to Mobil-1 10w40 helped, but it's the nature of that particular clutch design... but it doesn't slip!


Now on the sticking problem, other than the fact that some bikes like my Yamaha just do it and some don't, it is normally one of three things, or a combination:

1 - The clutch cable is not adjusted properly. With proper adjustment, you should have just enough free play in the lever to slip a coin between the lever and the perch. Some people (with small hands) often adjust the lever to have too much freeplay to bring the lever closer to the grip.

2 - The fingers on the clutch basket are worn and grooved. These grooves hold the clutch plates and prevent them from sliding along the fingers and releasing. Hard launches, fast clutch releases under power and downshifting are one cause... simple age is another cause.

3 - The clutch plates and/or the steel plates have been overheated and are warped.

Disassemble the clutch and inspect the basket. If the fingers are not smooth, the basket should be replaced. If budget is an issue, you can carefully file the fingers so they are smooth, but I would recommend replacing the basket.
Place the friction plates and the steel plates on a perfectly flat surface. A machinists surfacing table is ideal, but a piece of 12"x12"x1/4" or 1/2" (300x300mm x 5-10mm thick) tempered glass also works well.
Without pressing down on the plates or steels, use a feeler gauge to make sure that they are within spec for flatness.

[MR.S7]

thanks Rick, i think is number 2... but im not sure what you call BASKET..

check this pictures.. see that marks?







why this happens?



the cable is well adjusted.. and the steel plates look ok and straight, but somehow seems after a while is harder to put gear withouth harming my bike.. .

i still dont understand if clutch discs could be the problem or what.. i bought new set of discs but i wish to know if i must change something else before i put bakc all togheter.

[RichLockyer]

I was thinking of an open basket like on my dirtbike and my Vulcan 1600, but it does look like that might be the problem.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you can file those down... there's not a lot of material on the "teeth".

What causes it? Age and abuse. Dumping the clutch slams the plates together and applies full power to the plates, and the edges wear into the "fingers" or "teeth"... and the contact point is always at the same place.

But even without abuse, normal wear will do that given enough time.

The steel plates can cause the same wear pattern on the hub's teeth.

[wdhewson]

I've got a few bikes with clutches that don't free very well when first snicked into gear after the bike has cooled. Sometime the plates are just full of varnished oil and deposits, i.e. dirt. Clean all surfaces with a stiff brush, hot water, and dishwashing detergent. But lazy me has a slightly inclined driveway, so I coast to a walking speed then snick into gear and the cltuch is free for the next shift.

[RichLockyer]

Originally Posted by wdhewson

I've got a few bikes with clutches that don't free very well when first snicked into gear after the bike has cooled. Sometime the plates are just full of varnished oil and deposits, i.e. dirt. Clean all surfaces with a stiff brush, hot water, and dishwashing detergent. But lazy me has a slightly inclined driveway, so I coast to a walking speed then snick into gear and the cltuch is free for the next shift.

When the bike is cold, that's pretty normal, but once they break free, they should remain "broken" until the bike is parked and allowed to cool.

My 1600 does that. I just start it in neutral, let it idle while I gear up, then pull the clutch in and out 3 or 4 times, then while holding it in, I goose the throttle once or twice.
It drops right into 1st without jumping.

[zoro]

If you have recently replaced the plates, did you re-adjust the clutch itself? This same problem showed up on another thread. You have to "backoff" the clutch ajustment to accept new plates.