Periodic Extreme Clutch Stiffness.

[blue906]

I am having problems with my clutch. The weird thing is it only happens from time to time. It will work fine, but then it will start to give me problems with me having to use a lot of pressure to engage the clutch. eventually it will get to the point where I have to pull the clutch lever with way to much strain, to get the bike to switch gears. when I bought the bike the clutch was replaced, and I checked the fluid...any thoughts?

[jcslocum]

You'll need to pull the clutch cover off and check the actuation in there. The bearing may be going bad, the basket may have huge grooves in it that can cause binding or the push rod may be screwed up.

[Laddie907]

...our learned collegue jcslocum is most likely correct with the clutch basket (methinks)...

the clutch plate outer tabs wear indentations (and if severe, grooves) into the basket - this is called "galling". the main cause for this is:
heavy acceleration / deceleration with engine braking in low gears
or
accumulated abrasive dust from plates assisting localized wear.
Touring bikes are susceptible to galling beacuse the clutch pack is not operated very often and the plates see a lot of contact with the basket but don't experience much friction tab wear - so they are always contacting in the same place.

usually this wear will result in clutch free-play (lash) and will be associated with a very noisy clutch at idle

depending on the TYPE of basket...some seem to be galling resistant; my 900SS had badly mashed clutch plates (at least 3mm off the tabs) but not much wear on the basket...but I have seen the baskets galled so badly the clutch plate tabs can key into the slots...this may explain extremely hard pressure to use the clutch

a quick test for lash is to put the bike up on a stand (rear wheel up) and put it in 1st gear....now rotate the wheel forward / reverse just enough to check free-play...
listen at the clutch cover for clang-clang noises. This much freeplay usually means the wear is either on the plates or the basket; not necessarily unserviceable

it might be possible to bend the push rod if the plates are locked - check both.

it's only 10 minutes to whizz off the cover..then you'll see the condition easily. If the basket is galled there's not much you can do but replace it.

I fitted a barnett clutch to the 900SS and have been happy with it but have only done a few 1000 kms...

best of luck

[Tamburinifan]

it might be possible to bend the push rod if the plates are locked - check both.

Could you please clarify that? Don`t quite follow you.

[blue906]

Hey Thanks a lot fellow Paso Guys! I have only had this bike about 6 months, and although it has sat for several years, and I have had a few issues with it, overall I really like the bike. I will pull the clutch cover off this week and check it out. I rode it around town yesterday, and had no problems, but I cannot risk it locking on me in traffic. I just wanted to get some opinions because I have relatively little experience with non-centrifugal clutches. Thanks again!

[Laddie907]

for Gert...

if the basket has galled badly several lots of plates could lock at one time,
the plates can lock quite solid in the grooves.

the slave cylinder would be pushing on a push rod that's going nowhere.

the push rod (in compression) will bend if excessive force is applied.

[Tamburinifan]

OK, get it now, Laddie.

[jcslocum]

This is what it might look like with the notches worn into the edge. Bad very very BAD. No, it's not a duc clutch but it was the best I could find.



This is what it should look like. Nice and smooth.

[Laddie907]

that is one well-hammered clutch basket...lol

must be Mr. Wheelie's...lots of heavy acceleration...not much engine braking...