Clutch wear

[earlfor]

I have 21,000 miles on my 79 750E and I need to replace the clutch linings. (not a problem) I'm curious though about this kind of milage. It seems to me that is a very short lifespan. Is everyone else only getting about 20k miles of life from their clutches?

Earl

[hoyterb]

Earl On my GS850 at about 21K my clutch started to slip under power.Read wide open.It got slightly worse.Pulled clutch and measured springs.Several were shorter.Replaced springs and clutch works fine even under HARD launches.Clutch fiber discs were down but within specs.

[earlfor]

Thanks. I have a complete spare clutch assembly (basket, plates, springs, etc) so I'll take a closer lookie see at why.

Earl

Earl On my GS850 at about 21K my clutch started to slip under power.Read wide open.It got slightly worse.Pulled clutch and measured springs.Several were shorter.Replaced springs and clutch works fine even under HARD launches.Clutch fiber discs were down but within specs.

[kz]

Earl, my GSX1100 1981 started to slip at 4200 Swedish miles 26097 US miles and my GS 1150 E 1984 at 4800 Swedish miles 29826 US miles.

I changed the cluth plates and springs at that milage.

Just hate conversion tables.

[robinjo]

I replaced my clutchplates today at 39000 miles but I don't think they were the original ones. If they were replaces one time before that it means about 19500 miles per set.

[earlfor]

I guess that 21,000 miles is probably in the average range for clutch life. It just seems to short compared other bikes I have had.
On another note Karl, doing the numbers backwards, it appears that a swedish mile then is 10,310.16 meters. :-) :-) (probably due to the milages you gave) I assume then that a Swedish mile must be 10,000 meters ?? :-) Seems rather odd. :-)

Earl

Earl, my GSX1100 1981 started to slip at 4200 Swedish miles 26097 US miles and my GS 1150 E 1984 at 4800 Swedish miles 29826 US miles.

I changed the cluth plates and springs at that milage.

Just hate conversion tables.

[Anonymous]

I've got about 22500 miles on my 550, and Im noticing it now. Does this sort of thing come on fast? I had my bike out of commision for awhile, with no oil in the engine as I was fixing an oil leak. Long story short, it worked fine, but when I got it back on the road I notice it slipping now. I've never done clutch work b4, what parts will I need? Springs and friction plates? Also it has had a very narrow friction zone when using the clutch. It would only grab during a small portion of the lever travel, when I almost completely let go of the lever, will a rebuild fix this? Thanks guys

Ports

[earlfor]

I guess that means I got 1500 miles more than I should have on my clutch linings. :-) :-)

Earl

I replaced my clutchplates today at 39000 miles but I don't think they were the original ones. If they were replaces one time before that it means about 19500 miles per set.

[Anonymous]

Earl:

I've got almost 33,000 miles on the original clutch for my '83 750 and, apart from a rattle at idle, it appears to be still healthy (having said that it will now give up the ghost unexpectedly ). I have noticed brief, and very rare, clutch slip under "fierce" overtaking acceleration. Maybe the extended clutch life is because I don't indulge in wheelies and "jack rabbit" starts from traffic lights :roll: . However, the nearby canyons do require frequent gear changes (all with clutch use) for maximum enjoyment.....say, as many as 2 dozen to the mile (or more) on tight canyons. Not much low gear, frequent-change usage in urban traffic, though.

Have you considered getting a sensible, automatic-transmission moped? :x KZ can probably recommend such a vehicle so you can avoid any stress-inducing, two-wheeled excitement! As long as you assiduously avoid the hazards of Scotty's driveway, you would be able to enjoy bland, eventless rides. :roll:

Simon

[earlfor]

Hmmm Simon, truthfully, I'm pretty easy on the clutch. The 750 pulls so well that I normally shortshift at easy rpm's. I only use "fierce" acceleration when I'm racing against Yugo's or Scotty on his PW50. :-) :-)

Now that you mention stress reduction, I have been constructing just such a bike. Its a swivel seat unicycle with wheelie bars and and 1100 engine mated to an automatic transmission.
Earl


[quote="Simon Waters"

Have you considered getting a sensible, automatic-transmission moped? :x KZ can probably recommend such a vehicle so you can avoid any stress-inducing, two-wheeled excitement! As long as you assiduously avoid the hazards of Scotty's driveway, you would be able to enjoy bland, eventless rides. :roll:

Simon[/quote]

[kz]

On another note Karl, doing the numbers backwards, it appears that a swedish mile then is 10,310.16 meters. :-) :-) (probably due to the milages you gave) I assume then that a Swedish mile must be 10,000 meters ?? :-) Seems rather odd. :-)

Earl

Earl,

The Swedish mile is 10,688.4 m that equals 36.000 Swedish foot, if of any interest, then we use it today, we always convert it to 10,000.0 m. 8O

The Swedish mile is for some reason I don't know, still today always used if you speak about mileage on a vehicle (also in adverts), or for distances then you are traveling, but the road since are in km. :roll:

All, just to confuse others and ourselves.

The conversion for my clutch wear is done in a unit converting program I have on the PC.

Ok, I think that if you reach more than 40,000 km 25,000 miles for a clutch is good.

[kz]

Earl:

KZ can probably recommend such a vehicle so you can avoid any stress-inducing, two-wheeled excitement! As long as you assiduously avoid the hazards of Scotty's driveway, you would be able to enjoy bland, eventless rides. :roll:

Simon

Hi Simon and Earl,

It's for sale next season, no clutch, possibilty to adjust the throttle if the 4,5 Hp gives you to much stress, should I put it in the For Sales forum next season? 8O

[Anonymous]

Earl:
KZ can probably recommend such a vehicle so you can avoid any stress-inducing, two-wheeled excitement! As long as you assiduously avoid the hazards of Scotty's driveway, you would be able to enjoy bland, eventless rides. :roll:
Simon

Hi Simon and Earl,
It's for sale next season, no clutch, possibilty to adjust the throttle if the 4,5 Hp gives you to much stress, should I put it in the For Sales forum next season? 8O

Karl:

Why don't you contact Scotty first before selling it to a stranger? The seat may be a little too high for him, though!

Simon