• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Clutch sipping?

Forums New posts
snapp600

snapp600

0
Joined
Aug 15, 2012
Messages
753
Reaction score
18
Location
Arlington
First Name
Erik
Last Name
Snapp
Hello folks, i had a happening today on the way home from work. Made a turn and started going through the gears and around 3 i believe, the bike kind a felt like it slipped out if gear under a decent acceleration. Downed a gear and back up and all was well.
Sound like clutch slipping?
I recently changed my oil to rotella and Its been a weeks worth of riding since, no issues.
Any input from the experienced?
Thanks in advance!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Go over any tar snakes?
How many miles on the bike and is there any free play at the lever?

Regular rotella is good oil.
 
Last edited:
Not that i know of.

3500 miles, and about a 1/4" play in lever at this point

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1438211330.891858.jpg

Ive heard nothing but good about the oil for sure. Def smoothed things out on the bike after swapping.
Is there no procedure in adjusting clutch on these doods? Maybe just cable play?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
And the title should say s(L)ipping. :p


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Change the oil to a motorcycle specific oil and see if it stops. If not, then maybe stronger clutch plate springs are in order.
 
Think that could happen so early on? I guess the po COULD have wailed on it offroad for the 1600 miles before i bought it.
I will give changing the oil a try. Thanks.
I would still like to know of a clutch adjustment procedure. I need to just buy the dang book already.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Man... I hope not.. :/
Well see what happens. Hopefully i can get to it Friday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You know, thinking about it. I have noticed before even switching over to rotella that it has been a little clumsy in finding neutral. Have to release clutch a bit and roll to let it in. Usually aid that in the sportster by adjusting the spring plate adjuster.
Could it be anything like that?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
There should be a couple places to adjust your clutch (cable)... on the hand control and another near the clutch lever on the engine. Both are just nuts that take up or release slack in the cable. Too much slack is way better than not enough. 3500 miles seems awfully low mileage for clutch issues unless somebody's been using it as part of the throttle. Don't fret it too much if it is a bad plate. Doing a clutch on a klr is easy. Be careful about the "heavy duty" springs, though. The ones that were in the kit I used were heavier wire but didn't allow any compression. That is, the dang thing couldn't release. FWIW... the slipping thing in second or third is what caused me to replace the clutch. Yep, fixed the problem and feels way smoother now.
 
My KLR is coming up on 20k miles of Rotella and the clutch is still working as good as new. KLR's have some very overbuilt clutch components and I seriously doubt it is slipping this soon into it's life.

And if it does slip it will always start to slip in the tallest gear first. So if you can do full throttle accelerations in 5th and it doesn't slip, then you know it isn't the clutch.
 
Well, if it boils down to it i guess it is what it is.
I put an energy1 kit in the sportster. Seems it might be similar in how its replaced. Wonder if the special tools for it work on the klr too?! :p
Im going to keep an eye on it and see about adjusting the cable at least before Fridays oil change.
Thanks for the advice so far guys. Will take more and keep you all updated.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Well, have not had the slip feeing anymore. Even rode the trails with MarkGrant69 at crooked creek with mx boots. Must have been a miss on my part.
Ive had it wound up pretty good in the lower gears over the weekend. Even popped some wheelies. :p

Thanks for all the replies and ideas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have two KLRs that have Rotella in them and never a problem and a 2007 ninja 250 that has had Rotella since the first oil change and its got 13000 on it now, no problems. Never heard of any clutch problems from using it.
 
Certain clutch discs may be different but sometimes due to the additives and such changing from one oil to another can make the pads on the disc swell or shrink causing problems. Also if you slip the clutch alot like when riding off road terrain on dirt bikes oils without wet clutch additives can boil where the oil is in direct contact with the pads and plates instantaniously causing loss of lubricity and causing clutch plates to heat and or warp. However if you just cruise around and dont slip the clutch like mad i dont think the oil will make a difference as long as you dont make drastic changes with you oil. I work with hydrostatic transmissions and wet brakes and this is the case with those areas as well. Wet brakes are just like wet clutches. Certain oils can flash boil in high friction high temp applications. Just in case i allways use oil with wet clutch additives but then again i slip it like crazy offroad.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top