Hard acceleration, clutch seems to slip?

[gabriel_gs]

Hi folks,

Was riding him last night and stuck behind a truck on a dual carriageway.

Dropped a gear and gave it the beans to overtake, but it's as though the clutch lever was slightly pressed as it seem to disengage and the engine over-revved.

I eased off the throttle a bit and it seems to 'catch' again, powered through and all was fine.

I tried to replicate it this morning on my way to work and managed it once when I suddenly gave it full throttle, but then I couldn't make it do it again.

Thoughts?

 

[gabriel_gs]

just done a bit of searching and sounds like what people describe as clutch slip - does that sound right?

Could it just be an adjustment of the clutch cable thing? Has been fine for over 14 months

 

[motobiker]

I had this happen to me twice in the Alps back in June. It's not happened again. So.. I'm not going to start worrying about the clutch just yet.

 

[Shep]

Check your hand guards arn't fouling the lever, it's quite common

 

[hops]

depends

just done a bit of searching and sounds like what people describe as clutch slip - does that sound right?

Could it just be an adjustment of the clutch cable thing? Has been fine for over 14 months

On what model you've got, does sound like the clutch is slipping. Try changing up to third or fourth gear at low speed so it's labouring a bit then try to accelerate briskly. Putting load on the clutch should invoke 'slip' if its on its way out. Don't overdo this or you'll overheat the clutch and speed up any possible failure. If the clutch does prove to be slipping do not try to save money by changing just the friction plate, it's false economy generally and you'll soon be doing it all again.

 

[robc]

Wheelspin per chance?

Much cheaper and easier to fix than a clutch.

Regards

Rob C

 

[Womble]

Check the fluid level, it gets higher as the clutch wears until there's no air above the fluid and the clutch can't quite disengage.

 

[gabriel_gs]

Check your hand guards arn't fouling the lever, it's quite common

Will check but I don't think so

 

[gabriel_gs]

On what model you've got, does sound like the clutch is slipping. Try changing up to third or fourth gear at low speed so it's labouring a bit then try to accelerate briskly. Putting load on the clutch should invoke 'slip' if its on its way out. Don't overdo this or you'll overheat the clutch and speed up any possible failure. If the clutch does prove to be slipping do not try to save money by changing just the friction plate, it's false economy generally and you'll soon be doing it all again.

Will give it a go on the way home... a new clutch sounds expensive, but not going to freak out just yet - will check other things first

It's only done 23k... grrrrr

 

[steve case]

How about the adjuster at the back of the gearbox

I have had to take up the slack with the adjuster at the back of the gearbox before as the biting point was right at the back of the lever.

the cable adjuster works up to a point but it takes slack from the cable rather than changing where the clutch bites, and to get this right the gearbox adjuster needs to be adjusted.

Its a bar-steward to get to unless you take off the back wheel and loosten the rear shock so it can be pulled out of the way, then it easy.

Its also a good time to oil the clutch cable to make sure its not sticky.

None of its difficult just don't rush, and plenty of tea for lubrication!

 

[twizzle]

Hi folks,

Was riding him last night and stuck behind a truck on a dual carriageway.

 

[gabriel_gs]

mental note, spell-check all posts...

"I was riding HOME last night..."

 

[gabriel_gs]

I have had to take up the slack with the adjuster at the back of the gearbox before as the biting point was right at the back of the lever.

the cable adjuster works up to a point but it takes slack from the cable rather than changing where the clutch bites, and to get this right the gearbox adjuster needs to be adjusted.

Its a bar-steward to get to unless you take off the back wheel and loosten the rear shock so it can be pulled out of the way, then it easy.

Its also a good time to oil the clutch cable to make sure its not sticky.

None of its difficult just don't rush, and plenty of tea for lubrication!

You lost me at 'gearbox'...

Way beyond my knowledge.

Is at 23k so may take it in for an early 24k service with Mr. Steptoe - two birds, one stone.

 

[twizzle]

My 1150 clutch died at 24k!!......

 

[MattW]

You lost me at 'gearbox'...

Way beyond my knowledge.

Is at 23k so may take it in for an early 24k service with Mr. Steptoe - two birds, one stone.

If you've got an 1150, you don't have a cable to concern yourself with.

 

[Wrigsby1]

There a few well known things to check which you have already been pointed to but single plate clutches can be wrecked pretty quickly by the stupid or wheely prone. One saw a K12RS clutch shot in a few runs up a short drag strip All in the user...

 

[Womble]

Check the fluid level, it gets higher as the clutch wears until there's no air above the fluid and the clutch can't quite disengage.

Make that "doesn't fully engage"!

 

[gabriel_gs]

Thanks all - I'll take a look at all your advice thus far and do what checks I am comfortable doing when I have time over the weekend.

but in the meantime, more detail...

So both riding home last night...

- Riding along in 5th, at about 3000 revs
- Give it sudden full throttle and the clutch slips
- Slow back to 300 revs and try the same thing, again the clutch slips
- Try again in 4th at 3000 revs, bike behaves fine
- Try again in 5th and again, now, bike behaves fine

This morning...
- tried to accelerate hard from 6th at 3000 revs, again the clutch seems to slip
- Tried a few lower gears, could not replicate the problem
- Tried to accelerate hard a few more times along my journey but couldn't replicate the problem


So, it seems that it's mostly an issue in 5th or 6th gear, full throttle from 300 or so revs wiht full acceleration - but not all the time - sometimes you can do it several times in a row, other times it seems to correct itself - not sure whether this is due to having changed gear and re-tried or if it simply rectifies itself.

It's not really a huge issue at the moment as it really only presents itself if I force it to, but clearly not all is right.

 

[Welshman]

My 1150 clutch died at 24k!!......

Around 115,000 original clutch, but no I do not do London

 

[gabriel_gs]

Yeah am thinking London stop-start clutch punishing traffic may be a cause!