Wierd clutch noise

[Yard Dogg]

I'm not baiting, I just really like synthetic. I use it whenever possible. The best I've found is Kawasaki full synthetic for wet clutches, just an opinion.

The only reason I mentioned oil is because I had a similar clutch squeal on my Midnight when I first got it on the road. It had been sitting for who knows how long, on my first ride I popped it in gear and it tried to go right away even with the clutch pulled in. The plates were stuck together from the long time of inactivity. Then it squealed like a banshee for the first few pulls and started working again after getting some oil between them. It's the only reason I thought of oil.

[skids]

Could be the bearings. What type of oil are you using? In a bike I always use synthetic.

Before you fully take-in Yard Dogg's recommendation for full synthetic, do so research into it withing this forum! Yard Dogg has been lucky. I think he might be baiting us into an oil thread!!!

[Yard Dogg]

Could be the bearings. What type of oil are you using? In a bike I always use synthetic.

[trbig]

I had a bearing go bad on the main clutch shaft. It let the whole clutch basket wiggle. There's a small bearing in your star plate that gets no oil. Your throwout bearing assembly rides on this bearing. This wiggling clutch shaft wiped out two of those small bearings that were in the star plate before I realized what was going on. I could hear this bearing squeek as I let out the clutch. Not every time at first, but it finally got that way

So, even if your clutch basket isn't wigggling from a bad bearing there, (Case splitter to get to it) the little bearing in your star plate could be, due to 30+ years with no new grease. That'd require removing your clutch cover and star plate to check, so might as well throw in some Barnett springs if you do go that far to check it, and never have to worry about clutch slippage again.

If you remove your star plate, you can hold it between two fingers on the center race and spin it and see if it spins nice and smooth, or like it's rolling down a gravel road like mine were.

Not saying this is what you're hearing, but just throwing out things I've learned and had go wrong.

[BA80]

The clutch in this engine I have in my bike now does that too. I think maybe at some time or another the friction plates have been replaced with after market plates. A different type of friction material possibly. It's been working fine for about 3 years now.

I wouldn't worry about it.

[CatatonicBug]

Sure it isn't the brakes dragging a little as you start?

+1. Good idea! Otherwise, when was the last time you changed the oil? Have you switched to your winter viscocity yet? 20W50 is too thick for 45° mornings. It may also have water in it from condensation that doesn't get evaporated on short runs.

[natemoen]

Sure it isn't the brakes dragging a little as you start?

[kflyboy]

Hi guys, I have noticed that my 80xs11 has started making a wierd skeetch sound when I disengage the clutch and start moving. It only does this twice. Once when leaving to ride to work and once at the stop sign down the street.This only happens when the temp is below 45 deg. It stops as the motor warms up and the bike runs fine. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.