Very strange clutch behavior

[polebridge]

I have about 9k on my V11 Cafe Sport and am starting to have some strange problems with the clutch. I have noticed that when I pull away from a stop in first gear the clutch starts to engage smoothly at first and then it seems to disengage as I let it out further. The first couple of times this happened I thought that it had popped out of gear. I pulled the clutch in and kicked the lever down and the same thing happened again. Then I noticed that if I continue to release the clutch (past the 'flat' spot) it completely engages near the end of the lever throw (sometimes quite abruptly).

 

The strange thing is that it doesn't happen all the time.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks.

[BrianG]

This sounds EXACTLY like what my 2000 V-11 Sport started doing last fall.

 

I found that someone, at some point, had assembled the clutch incorrectly. The friction plates are not symetrical. They MUST be assembled with the hub protruding aft, NOT forward.

 

In my situation the assembler had placed the forward friction disc with the hub facing forward (wrong) and the rear one facing aft (correct). The result was that, after some wear of the front friction disc the hub becomes the item of first contact with the flywheel, instead of the friction material.

 

This creates the most bizzare clutch engagement feel that I have ever experienced. I think it is because, on the initial contact of the clutch surfaces, with light throttle application, hub material actually succeeds in engaging with the flywheel. Then, as you add power, the metal-to-metal engagement slips, then as you complete the engagement, the rear disc engages sufficiently to lock it all up. So, you get this weird mid-engagement slippage that feels so bizzare.

 

Examination of the forward friction disc's hub and the corresponding location on the flywheel did reveal evidence of contact, in the polishing of the contact surfaces. Proper reassembly resolved the issue and I have not experienced that symptom through this riding season.

 

Hope this helps.

[polebridge]

This sounds EXACTLY like what my 2000 V-11 Sport started doing last fall.

 

I found that someone, at some point, had assembled the clutch incorrectly. The friction plates are not symetrical. They MUST be assembled with the hub protruding aft, NOT forward.

 

In my situation the assembler had placed the forward friction disc with the hub facing forward (wrong) and the rear one facing aft (correct). The result was that, after some wear of the front friction disc the hub becomes the item of first contact with the flywheel, instead of the friction material.

 

This creates the most bizzare clutch engagement feel that I have ever experienced. I think it is because, on the initial contact of the clutch surfaces, with light throttle application, hub material actually succeeds in engaging with the flywheel. Then, as you add power, the metal-to-metal engagement slips, then as you complete the engagement, the rear disc engages sufficiently to lock it all up. So, you get this weird mid-engagement slippage that feels so bizzare.

 

Examination of the forward friction disc's hub and the corresponding location on the flywheel did reveal evidence of contact, in the polishing of the contact surfaces. Proper reassembly resolved the issue and I have not experienced that symptom through this riding season.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Assuming that it is the same problem I can tell you that mine must have been wrong from th factory since I have not had any service performed on the trans.

 

Anyone got any tips/advice on dropping the engine and transmission in order to servie the clutch?

 

Thanks again.

[emry]

Ohh.. Assembly error from the factory.... Whodathunk??? Do a search for crabing the engine/trans. If you have even meger mechanical skills you can tackle this project, just be paitient and take yor time, ask for help before you need it. Maybe the clutch tech had to much grappa at lunch. Shame. Would be worth looking in to though.

[BrianG]

Thanks for the reply.

 

Assuming that it is the same problem I can tell you that mine must have been wrong from th factory since I have not had any service performed on the trans.

 

Anyone got any tips/advice on dropping the engine and transmission in order to servie the clutch?

 

Thanks again.

There would be no reason to disassemble the clutch to do the transmission recall, either, but I think we did establish that the friction plates were aftermarket units.

 

You have two choices in this and neither of them are pretty. You can drop the engine forward and work on the clutch away from the bike, or you can drop the swingarm and transmission and work on the clutch in the frame. They are both about the same amount of work.

 

I dropped the back end because it gave me the opportunity to disassemble and reseal the leaky tranny cases at the same time. The task is quite doable with basic hand tools........ just be certain to have top quality allen keys/wrenches.

[motoguzznix]

Polebridge

 

If your clutch plates are assembled vice versa like Brian stated, it should slip soon. With increasing wear of the clutch plates, the springs don't compress the plates any more and begin to slip. You can see the contact marks on plate and flywheel.

 

If there is no slipping, it is more likely that the rivets connecting hub and outer part of the clutch plate are loose at least on one plate.

 

However, tearing apart engine and gearbox to get access to the clutch is a must. Let as know what happend...