Is my clutch done?

Question for the experts...

The issue:

Initially (from cold) the clutch is progressive, after a good warm up it looses all "progressiveness" and engages/disengages very early in the lever pull and over a short portion of the lever pull.

A few points:

1. I've checked/adjusted the clutch cable freeplay/tension per the intstructions in the many posts already
2. When the engine is off, in 1st gear, clutch lever pulled there's a fair amount of resistance to the point I cannot move the bike (whereas if bike running there isn't the same resistance)

The question:

1. Note sure if this is all related. Where to start troubleshooting? Do I just have worn out clutch?

 

Did you recently change your oil? Did you use motorcycle specific oil(for wet clutches)?

 

Sounds to me more like it's dragging.

Start by lubricating and properly adjusting the cable. It may also need to be replaced, if it's popped a strand or two inside it will stretch slightly and not provide the full pull necessary.

From a wider perspective however, plan on a clutch rebuild at some point unless somebody beat you to it. Your clutch consists of a collection of tiny brake pads (glued on the friction plates) that "live" in oil. When the bike is off, the clutch is only about 1/3 "dipped" in oil. When your bike sat (and they all sat for some period of time or they'd have over 100,000 miles on them) the part of the clutch that wasn't dipped in oil sat there and dried out; the friction pads becoming little squares of linoleum. (Linoleum is literally dried oil.) The third of the plates that was submerged became throughly saturated with whatever oil was in the bike while it sat.

Then somebody came along and "woke" the bike up. Now we have a 30-year old, half petrified clutch that is suddenly expected to work and perform like it did before all the sitting and the drying out.

Guess what? It ain't gonna.

So-- short term: lube your cable, and adjust. Long term: new friction plates, springs and a gasket plus some work with a Scotchbrite pad should set you straight. It's an easy procedure.

Your answer is "almost certainly yes but you can probably adjust it for now."

 

Got around to pulling the clutch open.

Never seen a new friction plate, can someone confirm mine are done? I figure they are...not much left to them.

Also, I seem to have 2 kinds of plain plates. The first five (as they come off) are of the smooth variety and look quite new. The last few are of the dimpled and have the pattern of the friction plates on them (I think the bike sat for awhile). I think I can clean them up fine, any issue running these 2 types?

Fresh oil and new clutch cable going on once things are buttoned up.

 

We already discussed the need to replace 30-year old friction plates despite degree of wear; but in your case they look pretty darn paper-thin anyway...

How you ended up with five shiny plain plates and two that actually look like one would expect them all to is beyond me. They're interchangeable; the petrified remains of the friction plates should come right off with a bit of elbow grease. I suspect a PO replaced some but not all of them, who knows why. As long as the plain plates clean up nicely and aren't warped or burnt blue, you can re-use them.

Replace the pressure plate bolts too, to be safe.

 

Thanks, just wanted to confirm they were indeed toast as I don't know what the PO did and didn't do and when.

It will be nice to have a clutch that isn't binary.

 

Be sure to soak the new friction plates in oil for a couple hours prior to reassembly, and dredge all the other parts in clean oil as well.

 

Thanks for the tips. I used the walk-through and new clutch is in and working great.

Did an oil change at the same time...what a PITA! It takes me 20 mins on my cars, 1.5 hours later on the bike.

 

Do you have an aftermarket exhaust and had to drop it in order to get to the filter? Mine is closer to 20 minute mark.