High end clutch slip.....

[b.walker5]

Just sharing my experiences, and pointing out that you have an opportunity to gain a clutch made of modern materials and can therefore take advantage of modern oil technologies.

Hey, just a question but, is this correct? Are new clutch plates lined with different material, which gives us more choices of modern oils?? If it is, then this has to be a winning idea. If the only reason for using non-friction modified oil is the clutch (which I know it is), then surely clutch plates designed to work in a modified oil environment would make it easier to select from some really good oils.

Personally, I've only ever used Castrol GTX II 15w40, and have never had any clutch troubles, but then i live in a cool climate, without the extremes of heat some of you guys do.

[WMarshy]

Who manufactures friction plates that are compatible with modern oils with friction modifiers? Does anyone have first hand experience with them?

[motoman]

More modern materials possibly being used can be a good thing, but being an air cooled engine with clearances being larger, IMO a waste using high dollar syn. oil. 20-50w dino of your choice seems to do lubrication job........least has since '81 on my scoot. Back to the clutch, I have determined that there are two types: 0-4000ft. elev. clutch and 4000-11,500ft.elev. I apparently have the 4000-11,500ft. variety. Since I bought and rode it ten years at 6500ft. elev. and above, fairly hard I might add at age 29 and no fear, never had a clutch issue, heck, never even took it back in for a carb sync, just rode it all that time. Now where I live is 4700ft. elev. and all these years later will turn loose in third at upper rpm's occassionally. At the CalyRally in June at sea level it would turn loose in third, fourth, and fifth at the upper rpm levels. So hence the sea-level clutch and the high-altitude clutch option. Hey........my story, can tell it any way that fits. In all reality, if your messin with the cable adjustment all the time IMO and from personel experience the throw-out assembly is not adjusted correctly, as that is more critical than most would think, specially by design of that assembly. By the way, re-adjusted at the throw-out and eliminated any slip it previously had in third. Doesn't say anything as how it would do at sea level, but hey, the bike was issued at high altitude with the matching clutch....lol.

[3Phase]

I love it! Brant, I think I've got some good sea level clutch plates and steels you can have; might be able to modify 'em for altitude if your clutch starts slipping again!

[saddle up]

Funny you mentioned the altitude and the hot or cold thing

It seems to me that the scooter's all of them, run better and have no slippage issues when warmed up and have been down the road for 20+ miles. I am guilty of jumping on the throttle before the bike is properly warmed up. I think that 20/50 is a bit heavy unless it's summer time or you are in stop and go. Highway, 40 weight is fine..

Saying that I have been using Castrol 20/50 for decades. I probably change my oil to much/to often. If you ride everyday, I don't thing there is a problem.....I never had a motorcycle that did not like to be ran everyday..
Just my .02 worth...

[ManagerMike]

Hey, just a question but, is this correct? Are new clutch plates lined with different material, which gives us more choices of modern oils?? If it is, then this has to be a winning idea. If the only reason for using non-friction modified oil is the clutch (which I know it is), then surely clutch plates designed to work in a modified oil environment would make it easier to select from some really good oils.

Personally, I've only ever used Castrol GTX II 15w40, and have never had any clutch troubles, but then i live in a cool climate, without the extremes of heat some of you guys do.

Got my frictions from ebc, running napa branded valvoline full synthetic 15w50 oil, and have about 1500 miles on the clutch and oil this season with (as far as I know) original clutch springs. Just added one half quart to top off the crankcase, that includes the slight oil weepage from the cct and a slightly bigger weep fron the filter housing bolt (will get a new one for next oil change). The clutch performs flawlessly and oil consumption seems well within acceptable parameters.
I know from a quarter of a century of professional auto repair experience that as material technologies improve, and are subsequently standardized, manufacturers adopt them across all product lines, as it is too expensive to mix technologies to support an ever decreasing market for parts for older vehicles.

[motoman]

Thanks Scott!..........for now if it slips a bit I'll just go higher up to compensate.......works for me here, unless your plannin' on a XS PonyExpress east in the near future, which would bring out the s'mores, a bed, etc........you know the drill.....

[3Phase]

Thanks, Brant, I'm going to head out to Colorado again after Canada and Utah. It didn't work last year so I'm going to try it again one more time.

I guess you already know that clutch plates expand as you gain elevation -- get too far in the mountains without the clutch set up right and the clutch will probably break out of the basket and bust open the side cover.

I'll bring the spare clutch if you want it but if you're not going to ride the bike at sea level make sure you sand the disks to make them thin enough for the altitude where you'll be doing most of your riding!

[BigRed]

Starter Clutch....

Just wanted to point out that there's also a starter clutch that needs friction to work. It slipped on mine when I used synthetic, so I switched back to 20w50, and it hasn't been a problem. Could also be that I got the bike starting much better now, so I don't have to crank it for as long, but that's another story.

I fixed my clutch slip with new heavy duty EBC springs.

[motoman]

Good advice there Scott........just wish the lungs could expand that much at 11,900ft. If ya could use the extra room for more important ballast me thinks a set of Barrnett or EBC springs would correct its occassional bad behavior(or mine), but don't let that stop hold ya' back. That would bout make my year if you were to show here! Making double sure there was no load on the throw-out pivot arm, re-adjusted the free travel as I hadn't re-checked that after doing the tranny fix a year and a half ago. Looks like that adjusment is worth re- checking after some time if its all been apart previously. Least made a difference on this scoot. Who knows, may still slip at 0-4000ft., but hey, the scoot was a high- altitude issue when new and the occassional under 4000ft. rides don't take near the throttle to get it to scoot.

[snowdog51]

cable

try running the cable right over the tank you'll be amazed at the difference
hey millons of harley riders can't all be wrong