Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Performance Mods Clutch Life Span

For those of you out there who put miles on your TBA's/Speedys, what kind of mileage have you been getting before clutch replacement. I am starting to slip now at 27000 miles. I don't know if it is clutch plates or pressure plates...What is your experience with this??

Thanks,

GM

Unofficial opinion: that seems mighty early.

I'd want to believe 80 or 90,000 would be more like it

Dumb question - is the clutch free play where it's supposed to be?

sounds like your out of adjustment. i know guys that have racked up 70k+ mi without ever haveing clutch issues, and this is the first i recall anybody bringing this up. check your adjustment. the old ones (50's-70's) usually ended up with clutch spring issues but i have heard nothing like this about the new ones, unless you went with the big bore kit??

Do you have friends in common with dinqua?

sounds like early failure if it is adjusted correctly. Possibly from slipping it too much starting out, another possibility is glazed from same thing. If thats the case open it up and lightly scuff them with a surface prep pad or sand paper. Be sure to clean them very well if you use either especially the sandpaper. Possibly had a disc or 2 delaminate too.

I really never had an issue with the old bikes except notches in the clutch basket or tabs worn on the discs that engage with the basket. Most other failures I have seen were from guys that shouldn't be wrenching on them. REMEMBER: You have to be smarter than your tools!

46 000+ miles and no problem

hmmm. That is interesting. I went to the dealer the other day to ask the same question and price parts for the clutch assembly. They said that they have been replacing components of the clutch around 25000. The mechanic at the shop said similarly that I might have just smoked the pressure plates. He said more than likely that is what it is. I do a lot of rush hour riding so I am slipping the clutch alot in traffic. Out here in po dunk ville there are a lot of stop signs with long ques so I am on and off the clutch alot. But even so, I am not excessive with my slipping into gear. In cases like those I usually clunk it into gear so as not to heat up the clutch. My clutch lever is set right with the appropriate amount of slack and the clutch usually starts to grab right about 1/3 of the release of the lever. I thought that was the appropriate setting for the clutch. Are there any other ways to adjust it??

thats kind of a loaded question...it is dependant upon so many variables...

For example I had a 70 Chevy Nova with three-on-the-tree

when I bought it the clutch was "iffy" I got nine more months out of it before I had to replace it...

within 48 HOURS my wife (then girlfriend) had destroyed the brand new one, while learning to drive a std shift...

so clutch life is much like brake pad life...

given your situation (rush hour slipping and such) I would say 25K is good!

If MY clutch went in 25 I would be concerned...(no rush hour slipping...little use at all after 1st gear on the way up...min use on the way down)

It is possible that the springs are getting weak. There are a few of us that replaced the stock springs with Barnett heavy duty springs and that solved the slipping.

There have been rare instances of the lining on a disk delaminating. That usually shows up early on though.

I agree with the spring weakening theory.
The reason for wet clutches is to reduce heating up and wear. They're designed for slipping while maneuvering at low speeds so it shouldn't wear that quickly.
Mine is still fine at 26,000, but if it starts having any problems, I'll bet on the springs.

Oh, and I never use the clutch while upshifting.

I see that you are from Phoenix. Did you by chance go to a 19 tooth front sprocket? On my America I noticed that when I went from a 17 tooth to a 18 tooth my start outs here in Pennsylvania involves a little more clutch slippage. aka. "wear".

Jerry

22,000 here, still like new....