effing tempremental clutch

[illvibetip]

Here I go agin…

Last earlier this week I posted that I was losing power on my clutch and etc. etc. Ill just recap and state the problem at the same time to keep it simple.

Last weekend, it was very cold and I got an oil change on my way home from a 120km ride. After about 20 mins, I noticed the clutch was slipping at around 8000 rpm (usually the rpm that I use when I’m over taking/cruising speed on the motorway).

I posted for advice.

I changed the oil and the bike seemed to be working fine again (I put quite expensive oil in too!). In retrospect, maybe it wasnt.

Today, I was out riding again (it was really cold last night, so cold I couldn’t get the key in the ignition!), and I noticed the problem, again.

I did a few tests, 1st, 2nd are fine. 3rd, 4th, 5th – around 7500 the clutch starts to slip and keeps going until I stop accelerating, then it catches again slowly.

Buuuuuuut, it doesn’t always happen. I managed to get up to 100mph without any problems on the way home(???!?).

At first, I thought it may have just been the cold, so I haven’t touched anything (like I say, it stopped happening on the way home).

But I got home tonight and Im reading though another posters thread further down ‘pitstop’ who seems to have had a similar problem. Someone answered and said that if this keeps happening (clutch slip), its time to have your clutch plates changed.

Could it just be the cold or should I start fiddling around (with the cable for example) or should I just get the clutch changed of its been slipping?

Did I forget anything? Probably…

Thanks again.

[Ingah]

Look at the cable etc first (is it snagging, stretched, poorly adjusted?). It's cheap/free and not much hassle to put that right.

If not then it really is clutch time.

[CamChain]

This may help you, or give you even more questions, but, here goes.

Because of the extremely cold weather metal contracts, so the metal parts of anything that fit tightly on a moving engine will become wider in gap. Can you adjust for cold weather, and come summer put it back to the way it was. I would be inclined to just tighten it up slighly to allow for the cold times, but remember as the engine heats the metal will expand back so you do not want an over tight clutch. You probably have many more miles left on the clutch, but these extreme conditions we are getting will test anything that moves. The synthetic oils lubricate better adding to the slip untill warm.

Hope it helps.

[fredc]

The obvious question no-one has asked yet

did you use bike oil or car oil

car oil has additives to reduce friction = clutch slip

[illvibetip]

thanks folks.

No, I definately used bike oil.

Ok, ill fiddle around and see if I can tighten it up this morning. ill do what you said and wait until it warms up so Im sure before buying a new clutch.

I have to ride to my new flat to get the keys this morning and its 120 km each way, that will give me time to play with it. Its a bit warmer today (minus 3) so it may be ok.

cheers

[Nogin]

Try cleaning the cable, Mine would not return once I pulled the lever, it could be when it gets warm the crap inside the cable sleve drys out , I cleaned mine with WD40 and its a lot better, however I have a few broken wires so it will be replaced once it goes through its MOT.