Did I ruin my clutch?

[Wayne's Striple]

Overheating the clutch plates can result in plate glazing/warping but replacing a clutch set is no big deal other than the expense. Usually too many dragstrip style starts is the culprit or not enough play at the cable end. Interestingly a QuickShifter is easier on the clutch basket/plates cos it is not getting hammered on each shift using the clutch lever. - Wayne

[joelyvette]

Originally Posted by Orangeman

Dealers charge waaaaaay too much for this "service" because for some reason even experienced riders are reluctant to do it themselves..... it is really easy.

If you have a low range torque wrench (inch lbs) and can change your spark plugs you can change the clutch plates and springs (for about 1/4 that cost) You don't even have to drain the oil. The hardest part of the whole thing is cleaning the old gasket off of the engine case the first time it's done. Just make sure to tape your frame around the clutch cover so you don't scratch anything and stuff a bunch of rags down in the hole for the oil pump drive chain as soon as you remove the cover so you don't get any junk, gasket material, tools, small children, falling down there. After the first time and now that I use a coated gasket the plates can be changed out in about 30 minutes. The only tricky part is getting the clutch pull rod re-engaged when you put the cover back on but that just takes making sure it is pulled all the way forward before tryng to re-fit the cover, a little patience, and not forcing it.




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I dont know about anyone else....but do I see a "how to" coming down the line? I know I would certainly love to see one!

But great info up until this point!

[Orangeman]

Wouldn't help much for me to do it, my clutch is not stock and might confuse some because it looks so much different and I am surely not going to re-install my stock unit ...... I looooove my EVR TCS clutch....nothing like being able to enter a turn hot, dump three gears, and not have to spend any extra thought or worry at all about locking up and sliding the rear

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[zyhano]

so finally a follow up.
clutch plates were gone indeed.

overheated and the burn marks and some glazing are clearly visible

paid a good deal of money for it, mostly parts cost (total about 480 euro). labour was not so expensive. Even though I read up a lot on the process, I was not able to do it myself since I have to ride daily on her. I might try it next time though.

All in all an expensive afternoon
I guess a couple of track days, all the engine braking and that specific sunday is not a bad deal on the clutch plates, they do wear a lot faster than on a car (about 4 times is what I've heard)

burn marks


width of the friction plates over the friction material was about 2.85 mm to 2.9 mm (differed on some plates). The specs in the hanes manual specify that new is 3 mm and mininum width is 2.8 mm.
1 mm over about 8 friction plates (forgot the number) is about 8mm of extra space in the clutch, so you can imagine that this is hard on the springs and makes slippage of the friction plates and other plates more noticeable


more marks

[Wayne's Striple]

Excessive and repeated clutch slippage at high revs is what ruins a motorcycle clutch (too much friction heat). Even the bike magazines often say that the clutch plates needed to be replaced after a series of drag-strip runs when testing motorcycles. If high rpm clutch slippage is avoided the clutch will last a very long time, but replacing the plates is not really a tough job with proper tools. My last motorcycle had a weak clutch (the plates were good) so I used an old trick of inserting a sized washer behind each spring to compress them slightly which worked great. - Wayne

[zyhano]

Originally Posted by Wayne's Striple

Excessive and repeated clutch slippage at high revs is what ruins a motorcycle clutch (too much friction heat). Even the bike magazines often say that the clutch plates needed to be replaced after a series of drag-strip runs when testing motorcycles. If high rpm clutch slippage is avoided the clutch will last a very long time, but replacing the plates is not really a tough job with proper tools. My last motorcycle had a weak clutch (the plates were good) so I used an old trick of inserting a sized washer behind each spring to compress them slightly which worked great. - Wayne

Thanks Wayne, as always some good info to be found in your posts


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[Deanoh]

I don't get where the 8mm comes from.... Do you mean .8 (8/10) mm?

[zyhano]

ah, ok. the number of plates times the reduced width. say about 8 plates times 1 to 1.5 mm is about 8 to 12 mm


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[Deanoh]

Originally Posted by zyhano

ah, ok. the number of plates times the reduced width. say about 8 plates times 1 to 1.5 mm is about 8 to 12 mm


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You said the spec was 3mm new and you measured 2.85 to 2.9. The pic of your calipers is on 2.9. Thats only .1 to .15mm wear each plate.

[zyhano]

you are totally right... my bad


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