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Hello everyone. This is my first post on this site. I have owned a black 2001 Falco for about a year now and think it's a great bike. I've been lurking on this site for a while and you guys seem to know your stuff so, I have a question....

I have noticed some clutch slip recently when accelerating REALLY hard. I have read on here something about choice of engine oil being a possible cause. How is this so? And how do I tell if it's the oil that's to blame or a worn out clutch?

Cheers

Hi BigE and welcome ... glad you've come out of the woodwork.

My understanding is that at some point there was some slight upgrade to the clutch and that the early clutches don't like fully synth oil. This can be particularly noticeable (so I have been led to believe) when you switch from semi to fully synth.

So the problem could be the oil .... or it could be your clutch is worn.

(I've a later Falco and it seems to run on fully synth just fine).

also having one of the faster black early falco's I know what you mean....

I use semi synth, 15/50 with no problems. 10/40 made the clutch slip a lot :(

As Andy said, sounds like it could be oil - but, i fear that you may want to check the clutch over as well.

(ie, in order of cheapness - Suggest oil and filter change first, then start to look at clutch....)

I am sure that others with more experience than me, and no, i am not joking, will add anything else pertinent

Sorry, I can’t help with your problem, (I can tell you where the petrol goes if that’s of any help ) but welcome anyway.

Hi BigE, welcome aboard.

Yup what Aladin said (no not open sesame)

If it's only happening when you're really hard on the gas then it's unlikely to be the clutch and much more likely tobe the oil.

Where you located?

Welcome BigE. As has been said, oil is your first port of call but failing this, it could be the clutch itself. However, DON'T PANIC! There is an easy (and virtually free) fix. The steel plates can become polished and the fix is to take them out and rough them up (no, not with fists!) on a flat surface with some coarse emery cloth. It's easy to do and you don't need to drain the oil. Did mine around 8k miles ago and it's still fine.
Top choice in colour BTW - the fastest by a long way!!!

Tweaker wrote: Top choice in colour BTW

... for an undercoat .......

..... I wondered who'd be first to bite!!!!!

Tweaker wrote:..... I wondered who'd be first to bite!!!!!

Ever predictable - that's me!

Thankyou all very much for the advice - that's really helpful. I am currently using 15/50 fully synthetic oil, so I'll switch to semi and hope that cures it.

I like the sound of 'Tweaker's' free clutch rejuvenation technique - it appeals to my Yorkshire roots (I'm in Leeds by the way - I assume that 'Aladinsane' has some connection with this fair city. What's the story there then?)

Cheers

catholics attend mass to plead forgiveness for their sins - us real sinners are leeds united fans .....

(From the north originally but not leeds!)

Aladinsaneuk wrote:catholics attend mass to plead forgiveness for their sins - us real sinners are leeds united fans .....

(From the north originally but not leeds!)

Pete, I'd never have guessed, and you'd always seemed so normal.
Not sure I can keep talking to you now I know. Would agree with the real sinner bit though.
There are so (too) many Uniteds, but there's only one Wednesday!
In my case I'm from Oop north and from Sheffield!
Hows the head doing by the way, and how are you feeling yourself?
Hope you're getting better in every way.

Oh and BigE,
as for the oil, I also run a 2001 Falco also in fast colour BLACK, like you and Pete. Had an Aprilia Dealer oil change at 10k, Putoline Synthetic, slipped quite bad on way home but did get a bit better with more use. I assumed clutch knackered, left it a little while then having read a thread on the old CPLUS/Hadeler site, I swapped to semi synth and used it for all changes since, still fine at 22k miles, give it a try. Cleaning plates up can come later if you need it.

Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone.

Tried switching to semi synth oil but it's still slipping. So need to investigate clutch internals next.

On RSVR.net site it says clutch can be replaced without draining engine oil - is this true?

BigE wrote: On RSVR.net site it says clutch can be replaced without draining engine oil - is this true?

Never needed to do it myself but I've heard this is the case (don't blame me if I'm wrong though)

I "think" that's right, never done it, think it would have to be done on the side-stand not on a paddock stand