75,000 miles clutch slipping after half plate done

[rwrenn1]

At about 50,000 miles I did the half plate replacement and put the full plate in the clutch. Now at 75,000 miles I am finding the clutch is starting to slip if I get on the throttle in 4th and 5th gear. Should I be replacing the clutch at this point or do I have another problem going on that I am missing? I was looking at getting the Barnett Clutch kit and the new HD Spring. Another thing is that I am planning on getting rid of the bike in 2 years to upgrade to either the new Venture or an Indian Roadmaster. Still very torn in the two bikes.

 

My current bike bike is a 2008 Royal Star Venture-S

[Condor]

Two things to check before going for the juggler... An overfilled reserve and a plugged expansion hole in the base of the reserve. The level should be kept about half way up the sight glass, and the way to check if the hole is plugged is with the reserve lid off gently pull on the clutch lever and if the surface of the dot three deforms it's OK, but if you're not getting any type of surface movement the hole could be plugged and causing the slippage when the dot three expands with no place to go.

[Flyinfool]

In addition to what Condor said, You said that you replaced the half plate but you did not mention the spring. The spring getting weak is what causes the slippage. Either the Barnett with HD springs or the PCW Racing HD spring which can be bought from @skydoc_17 on this site, will stop the slippage.

While you are in there measure the clutch plates thickness, new is 3mm (0.1181 inch) thick and the wear limit is 2.8mm (0.1102 Inch), that is the only way to know if they need replacing.

[Rafterd]

Did you just change your oil and use a synthetic not recommended for wet clutches?

[skydoc_17]

Hey Rob,

Everything mentioned here are good suggestions to check. 75K on a stock Second Gen. Clutch System is extremely good service on these wear parts. This tells me that you are not excessively slipping the clutch with the engine revved to high, and that your fingers are not too short to control the clutch lever properly. With that being said, let's take a look at the stock Clutch Diaphragm Spring in your current clutch system, and the difference between the Heavy Duty Clutch Diaphragm Spring and the Barnett Clutch System.

The Clutch Diaphragm Spring which I include in all of my kits is from PCW, it is .010 thicker and the higher heat treat makes this clutch spring much stronger. The Barnett Clutch Upgrade actually uses 6 compression springs which do make for a very dependable clutch system, but the issue I have with this system is that it adds over 1 pound of unsprung weight to the end of the crankshaft, robbing power from the engine. The Barnett system is actually a copy of the "old style" compression spring system that Yamaha used on their bikes in the mid to late 70's before the single Clutch Diaphragm Spring system was developed.

The stock clutch diaphragm spring was known to be a weak point in both the First and Second Gens. The fact that you got 75K out of your stock clutch is a testament to your excellent riding habits. At this point, in my opinion, you need to change out the clutch spring, or springs as the case may be. As always Rob, the choice is yours! The $95.00 kit I offer will get you the Heavy Duty Clutch Diaphragm Spring, a brand new, Genuine Yamaha Clutch Cover Gasket, and one full friction disc, which I suggest you place at the beginning of the Clutch Pac, next to the pressure plate. Or option B would be to convert to the Barnett System. Since you said you will be selling the bike in the near future, and strictly from a money viewpoint, the kit I offer would give you a dependable clutch for the remaining time you would own your bike for less money. If you were going to keep your bike until "the wheels fell off" I would suggest replacement of ALL of the clutch friction discs, and the install of the Heavy Duty Clutch Diaphragm Spring, or the Barnett Upgrade. Either would give you a dependable clutch for many, many miles to come, but varying in price. Once you have made a decision about which way you are going to go as far as a clutch system goes, it would be my pleasure to help you with any parts you need.

Earl

[Du-Rron]

 

My current bike bike is a 2008 Royal Star Venture-S

 

I have the skydoc_17 kit. I like it.

[rwrenn1]

Congratuations! You payment has been submitted on FIRST GEN, MKII VR HEAVY DUTY CLUTCH SPRING UPGRADE KIT!

 

so apparently I got this but the order was corrected to a second gen kit. Now what?

[rwrenn1]

Did you just change your oil and use a synthetic not recommended for wet clutches?

 

 

I have always used conventional Yamaha oil

[skydoc_17]

Hey Rob,

As of 8:14PM EST my PayPal account has not received a payment for either kit from you. It may be because it's the weekend. In either case, that kit is the same, and costs the same for the MKII VR and the Second Gen. RSV except for the clutch cover gasket. I will make SURE that your kit comes with the Second Gen. clutch cover gasket if the payment shows up Monday morning, no matter which kit you purchased. If it doesn't show up, I will contact you, arrange for payment, and get your parts right out to you. Please be patient a little while longer, and we will get this Clutch issue taken care of.

Earl

Edited September 11, 2017 by skydoc_17
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