The infamous Clutch Issue

My 81 XJ650, just did a fresh oil change (20/50 Valvoline Motorcycle)...I have had the red light creep in the past but have done the cable adjustments as RickCoMatic suggested with the throwout arm. Crusing today I noticed the slip at 6500-7200 rpm's. I understand the clutch is probably due for the change..Now the weird part.

Noticing a hard upshift from 1st to second. Almost like it wants to bite neutral. Would that also just be a clutch issue being out of adjustment? I am really worried reading that the baskets and everything else might be shot. I got the bike with 30,000 miles on it, finished converting the hardtail portion and bobber strip down. Ran like a champ with no slip. Just started doing this after the oil change...Any thoughts??

If people have pictures of a clutch tear down that would be great.

 

Clutch: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=29541.html

Although this was done on a 550, the basics are the same. The shafties don't have tabbed plain plates nor a "clutch boss spring" inside a special friction plate for you to worry about. So your reassembly will be much simpler.

Thirty year old clutches need to be rebuilt just like old brakes; don't assume your basket and/or hub are worn out until you look. If they are, because these clutches were common across many bikes, finding low-mileage "pre-owned" parts is not difficult and not expensive.

 

So with the hub ad basket, is it feasable to clean/polish some of the marks without removal? I am planning on an oil change afterwards, and does anyone have a recommendation for type of clutch to put in it? I have heard the arguments that Barnett's are junk, but what about EBC and others?

Big, I appreciate the photo link. Nice knowing I do not have to mess witht the boss setup.

 

Sure, as long as they aren't too deep. Just stuff a bunch of paper shop towels in under the clutch to catch as much as you can; and "flush" with brake cleaner with the rags still in place to catch the runoff.

The Barnett is NOT junk; it is however expensive overkill unless you're going racing. But if you use all Barnett components, it's a sweet clutch.

After much testing of all sorts of combinations, MY preferred clutch is:

-"Aftermarket" (K&L) friction plates (from XJ4Ever.) IMHO, they outperform the OE friction plates.
-OEM springs (the "slightly stiffer" aftermarket springs are unnecessarily stiff.)
-OEM plain plates, or original plain plates refurbished with Scotchbrite.
-A new cable; again I prefer the OEM for "feel."

That, or all Barnett (friction and plain plates, and springs.) A Barnett cable isn't really necessary as the OE Yamaha cable is virtually the same.

 

I know Vavoline makes a synthetic motorcycle oil, is that the one you used?

 

No I used regular Valvoline motorcycle oil. Didnt want to pay for Syn

 

good thing you diddnt pay for it, as then your clutch would have been slipping like a banchee

 

I did a rebuild at of clutch, with the parts that fitz except that I used the stiffer springs, (OEM would have been fine) and it is sweet now! It just grabs the power! I would recommend anyone to do it just beacuse these bikes are old, things detiorate!

Same with the brakes!

 

Yeah I am putting the pieces together to fix it. Headed to Blessing of the bikes next weekend (I hope) in Baldwin. To top it off, Gotta change the rear tire. Any tips on that one? Since my bike is bobbed and lowered, the bike has a 140/90 rather than the typical 130. The rear end of the bike hasnt been apart in a LONG time.