Clutch woes/independent specialists?

[WhiteRhino]

To cut a long story short................

Replaced clutch with a Barnett kit at 19k miles. Experienced drag. Contacted Barnett - "Oh yes, need a replacement, thinner plate" - received, installed, no difference. Bugger! Bled, bled and rebled the hydraulics to no avail.

Have ridden it for a month or so with the drag, just to see if it would settle down but i still can't get neutral at a standstill. I am at the limit of my mechanical skills and my patience so I need to get it looked at. I live in Stoke so D & K are on my doorstep but I wondered if anyone could recommend any independent specialists in the Midlands who might be a) cheaper and b) reliable because I expect D&K to be unhelpful.

[Falco9]

Firstly, did you check that the replacement plate was actually thinnner than the original one?, are all the grooves in the clutch basket smooth and all the plates flat & even? and are all the springs fully seated and tightened evenly? Finally are you sure the slave cylinder is in A1 nick, these have been known to fail and it's also worth trying to adjust the lever span to maximum to see if that makes a duifference

Once you've checked all these, and assuming everything checks out OK I'd be back on the phone to Barnett for another plate just to make sure, just a few thou difference in thickness can make the difference.

I ran the Barnett cluch on my Falco for years with zero problems, it worked faultleslly albeit with a bit heavier action. Now just finding neutral on the new Tuono is best done whilst rolling to a stop, once stationary it's a right pain in the arse, so I share your frustration.

I've no personal experience of D&K's service dept but if there anything like their spares department I'd run a mile personally,

F9

[sabestian]

Now just finding neutral on the new Tuono is best done whilst rolling to a stop, once stationary it's a right pain in the arse, so I share your frustration.

I can find N standing still but it's not an easy task. Stock clutch. I think that - first of all - you need to make sure that the problem you have is actually a problem...It may be no worse than other Aprilias...

[Samray]

Shoulda got a H***a, plenty of neutrals there.

[Thumper]

To cut a long story short................

Replaced clutch with a Barnett kit at 19k miles. Experienced drag. Contacted Barnett - "Oh yes, need a replacement, thinner plate" - received, installed, no difference. Bugger! Bled, bled and rebled the hydraulics to no avail.

Have ridden it for a month or so with the drag, just to see if it would settle down but i still can't get neutral at a standstill. I am at the limit of my mechanical skills and my patience so I need to get it looked at. I live in Stoke so D & K are on my doorstep but I wondered if anyone could recommend any independent specialists in the Midlands who might be a) cheaper and b) reliable because I expect D&K to be unhelpful.

Falco9 gives some good advice, I have been running a barnett clutch for many thousands of miles trouble free. Question did you remove the clutch operating rod and give it a good clean up if not do this and lubricate with clean oil. One other point did you fit the last plate as Ken describes here http://www.geocities.com/sl_mille/clutch.html
Last but not least is your drive chain very slake it doesn't help if it is.

[fastasfcuk]

i would'nt touch D&K with a barge pole, i picked my brand new bike up with eng oil pi--ing out in front of the back wheel,when i phoned them with sixty mls on the clock they said you'll have to bring it down we can't pick it up. .that aside give sean a ring at corse performance, very helpfull.

[WhiteRhino]

Thanks for all the advice guys. In response to your suggestions:

* The replacement plate looked the same but if the difference in thickness is so tiny, would I notice it with the naked eye?
* Checked the clutch basket and it was fine.
* Will go back and recheck the springs.
* Tried the lever span and it made no difference, so I assume the hydraulics are OK.
* Yes, I fitted the last plate as specified.
* Didn't remove/clean the rod, so I will do that at the same time as the springs.

Finding neutral with the original clutch was never as easy as it should have been but nothing like this - I can occasionally catch it as I roll to a stop but even then it is quite tricky. Of course if I don't get it, I end up sitting at lights with the clutch held in, which is hard work (particularly since fitting the Barnett). I'm going to give it one more go to address the things above but otherwise Corse Performance looks like the place.

Thanks again.

[fastasfcuk]

if you need his number it's 01246 251000 ask for sean.

[HowardQ]

Afraid I can't comment on the Barnett kit, but I've never had much luck finding neutral on the standard unit. Then again I've only had the Falco for just over 3 years and around 15K miles so there is still time for me to find it I suppose!
Seriously, never have much joy finding neutral from 1st, these days I always try to select it coming down from 2nd and it's much better that way, but never brilliant once you're at a standstill.
Dealers have looked at it on a number of occasions but never changed things much.
I think from my experience, it is easier when using Semi synth oil rather than fully synth.
Different subject I know, but my clutch started slipping before 10K on synthetic oil, (Putoline as used by my local dealer), been using semi synth for the last 12K miles, and still on original clutch approaching 22k miles. Since changing oil type, I've had no clutch slip at all and neutral has been a bit easier to find (from 2nd as mentioned above).

[Fausto]

I never had any neutral problems on mine once the oil was warm up until quite recently. The last few rides though I seem to have had a job selecting N even when warmed up. I changed the oil just last month and used 15/50 instead of 10/40 I wonder??

I will pay more attention to this on my next few rides.....

[loafersmate]

I fitted a barnett a few months ago and had the same neutral finding issue. Mailed Barnett who sent thinner plate (the thinner one is 1.5mm instead of 2mm). My pack now had 2 thin ones and still no neutral. I am 100% convinced that the friction plates do not like silkolene 15W50 as when removing them they all come out stuck together (thus causing the drag). I'm now running 1/2 barnett friction and 1/2 old aprilia ones with all barnett steels (inc 2 x 1.5mm plates) as this was what I had and it works ok now, don't know what the stack height is now but it works. (also means I have another 'set' to swap in if it slips again).
Still pretty pissed at paying £150 for the barnett and it not working although they said they would take the clutch back from the distributor (road and race) if I sent it back.....couldn't be bothered at that point!!

[Fausto]

I never had any neutral problems on mine once the oil was warm up until quite recently. The last few rides though I seem to have had a job selecting N even when warmed up. I changed the oil just last month and used 15/50 instead of 10/40 I wonder??

I will pay more attention to this on my next few rides.....

OK, so I paid more attention and it's slipping into neutral just fine. Same oil HOWEVER I did just strip/clean/grease the balljoint linkages on the gearlever and I think that has made a big difference.

Might be something to try for anyone who is stuck with a sticky clutch.

[loafersmate]

No good on mine, i've got an rsv lever so no linkages.