 Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 50
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OP
Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 50 |
Hey guys, I have 17K miles on my 03 America. The clutch is slipping when I shift into higher gears and roll on the throttle. I don't think I've been hard on the clutch. I bought a new Mitsi pickup in 1987 and sold it with the original clutch still working fine after 200K miles. My mechanic (independent)says it's not a problem with the adjustment. How long on average, if you're not abusive, should one of our OEM clutches last? 
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 592
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 592 |
29000 and no clutch problems. Sorry, not much help.
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,195 Likes: 56
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,195 Likes: 56 |
15,000 and no signs of trouble yet here, what oil are you using? Friction modifiers maybe?
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 513
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 513 |
06 TBA. Should roll over 20K this next week. 19T front sprocket. No clutch problems here. 
Its more fun to be ridin'! I'm still ridin 
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753 |
stiffer springs and you should be all set
Frank
(Former)05 BA tbike pipes, ai removed, Freak, mikuni hsr 42's, 904, ported/polished head, 1mm oversized valves
NOW-2010 silver and black tbird
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,457 |
Mine was doing the same thing at about the same mileage. Like Frank said, stiffer springs fixed it. Didn't notice much if any difference in lever pull. If you wait too long you will need the plates, too.
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 50
Member
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OP
Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 50 |
Thanks guys. So tightening any cable play won't help? I don't do my own work (though I can adjust a cable) so I'll be paying for the labor anyway. If he's already going in to replace springs he might as well replace the plates. Right?
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753 |
nope you will be all set with just the springs.
Frank
(Former)05 BA tbike pipes, ai removed, Freak, mikuni hsr 42's, 904, ported/polished head, 1mm oversized valves
NOW-2010 silver and black tbird
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
First, try a different brand of oil. The oil change kit Brent (newspeedmaster.com) sells is a good bet. If it still slips, Barnett springs will do the job.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 50
Member
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OP
Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 50 |
But Frank, he's already going in there and the current plates do have over 17K miles on them? It'd be different if the plates were two or three hundred dollars. I think this mechanic has been straight will me in the past so I'll ask him what he thinks about "springs only". Thanks again guys for the input.
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753 |
my clutch had 21000 HARD miles on it with the last 500 with a lot of slipping from all the motor work. when i took it apart the plates and discs looked just fine but changed them only because i have the new stuff. trust me you will be fine with new springs
Frank
(Former)05 BA tbike pipes, ai removed, Freak, mikuni hsr 42's, 904, ported/polished head, 1mm oversized valves
NOW-2010 silver and black tbird
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753 |
unless you want to do them but there really is no special need to. the barnett stuff does have a better feel to it imho
Frank
(Former)05 BA tbike pipes, ai removed, Freak, mikuni hsr 42's, 904, ported/polished head, 1mm oversized valves
NOW-2010 silver and black tbird
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,172
Saddle Sore
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Saddle Sore
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,172 |
If he's good he should be able to tell you if the clutch is worn out or not.... And advise you accordingly.
More flags
More fun!
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,195 Likes: 56
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,195 Likes: 56 |
should be a simple matter of measuring thickness and visual inspection.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 21
Complete Newb
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Complete Newb
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 21 |
I had to replace my original clutch after 9K miles, the dealer put in a new OEM clutch for a nice chunk of change. I have noticed the second clutch is starting to slip too much, I'm a little over 21K miles now. I decided that I'm not going to get another OEM clutch, my Barnett kit from newspeedmaster.com arrived yesterday. With any luck I'll get that in this weekend. (Got myself an AI removal kit too :-)
I was rather upset with the seemingly short life of my first clutch, at this point I've chalked it up to:
1) I'm a big guy 300+ lbs
2) I live in San Francisco, so stop and go on steep hills
3) Lane splitting at red lights necessitates hard starts to get in front of traffic
4) Only 4 clutch springs
Hopefully the Barnett setup will be beefier and more resilient.
'06 Speedmaster - Black - Tsukayu Hardbags
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 319
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 319 |
Quote:
If he's good he should be able to tell you if the clutch is worn out or not.... And advise you accordingly.
My thoughts exactly!
'07 America
www.patriotguard.org
"If you're not living on the edge...........You're taking up too much space!
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,195 Likes: 56
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,195 Likes: 56 |
Quote:
I had to replace my original clutch after 9K miles, the dealer put in a new OEM clutch for a nice chunk of change. I have noticed the second clutch is starting to slip too much, I'm a little over 21K miles now. I decided that I'm not going to get another OEM clutch, my Barnett kit from newspeedmaster.com arrived yesterday. With any luck I'll get that in this weekend. (Got myself an AI removal kit too :-)
I was rather upset with the seemingly short life of my first clutch, at this point I've chalked it up to:
1) I'm a big guy 300+ lbs
2) I live in San Francisco, so stop and go on steep hills
3) Lane splitting at red lights necessitates hard starts to get in front of traffic
4) Only 4 clutch springs
Hopefully the Barnett setup will be beefier and more resilient.
Probably your weight and the stop and go on those steep hills combined. I have 20,000 on my clutch now and really hasn't even needed much of an adjustment, just to compensate for cable stretch , that's it. I have no slippage at all. I have had many many bikes with 4 clutch springs and that isn't an issue but the tension those springs provide given your weight would be a possible issue. I weigh about 215 lbs so there is enough difference in weight to matter.I do live in a hilly area but nothing compared to you.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,753 |
just get heavier springs and you will be all set
Frank
(Former)05 BA tbike pipes, ai removed, Freak, mikuni hsr 42's, 904, ported/polished head, 1mm oversized valves
NOW-2010 silver and black tbird
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Re: Clutch Life
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
an oem clutch can have a very short life. ask a yankee about it sometime or search for bat'trees and beer, oops, wrong thread, try ahole and harley dude. or fat and -that three letter word for rearend-. Me? I got a set of plates on my shelf that have 10 grand on em. Waiting for Vera Lynn to start slipping up but it seems the old beech is tight still. She's been ridin hard once or twice too many times it seems and she knows that I got me a nuther girl to ride. She also knows that the minute that newer plate set gets installed, the sooner she gets it agin. Mr Parker had some miles on his speedy foe he had a replate. now a chop saw is no stranger to sceptres and such and euri....
ole beech & some miles are/were both > 70000.
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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