Friction plate replacement time?

[MowyTone]

Clutch is slipping when cold. It used to be when pulling away a bit faster when cold but this morning it was slipping when I was really trying to be soft.

It makes a sound like a wooden chair being dragged across a hard surface if that makes sense.

Once warm you wouldn't know anything was wrong as it won't slip at all.

Are there any easy checks to be done with something like this or is it just hold me hands up and cough out for the friction plates?

The bike is 15 years old (SV650S) with 21K miles, however it all depends on what happened in those miles I suppose.

I don't really have the opportunity to do any in depth work myself as there isnt enough room in the garage and I can't leave it in pieces for weeks as I commute on it.

 

[ShakenNstirred]

if your not going to do it yourself, its not going to be cheap.
it £45 ish for the plates, oil/filter change(may as well be done at the same time)
then labour charges

 

[MowyTone]

I know a guy that works at a bike garage through local meets. Going to take a ride down there at lunch in a bid to get the best possible price.


Failing that I'll see if a mate is willing to do it. But since his bike is in pieces and he hasn't put that back together I'm not sure about that option atm

 

[MowyTone]

I've bitten the bullet and ordered the parts for it to be sorted next week.

£195 for both sets of plates and springs etc, gaskets, filter and oil and fitting

 

[wazza300]

are the oil levels correct? seems strange for it to do it when cold

EDIT: 21k miles is not a lot at all tbh,clutch plates should last for ages,61k on mine so far

 

[MowyTone]

are the oil levels correct? seems strange for it to do it when cold

EDIT: 21k miles is not a lot at all tbh,clutch plates should last for ages,61k on mine so far

Oil level on the viewing window on engine case is exactly between high and low points. Oil was also changed when I bought the bike.

I was looking in the SV forum and others are reporting issues at 18K-27K so it's not unheard of. No Idea how its been treated to have this sort of life on a clutch though.

 

[One]

When warm clutch plates will expand which is probably enough to apply adequate pressure and stop it slipping.

 

[Dogbreath]

The very first thing to check is that the clutch is adjusted properly. Insufficient pushrod clearance will cause exactly these symptoms, i.e. slipping when cold and getting better as it heats up.

 

[MowyTone]

Does it also cover it getting progressively worse? I've done about 1K miles on it so far and the slipping now happens when cold and trying to be as gentle as poss.

I might have jumped the gun a little but I don't have the option of chancing it. At least I know the issue will be resolved

 

[Dogbreath]

Does it also cover it getting progressively worse?

Of course. The more clutch slip you get, the more the plates will wear and the worse the pushrod clearance will get, increasing the chances of the clutch slipping.

I'm not saying this is definitely the cause, but it's a trivially simple and free thing to check; it takes literally 5 minutes. The clearance will have to be adjusted when you install the new clutch anyway.

BTW, did you buy original Suzuki plates? The EBC pattern clutch plates aren't very good, and can cause cause grabby, juddery clutch operation.

The other possibility is oil, are you using bike specific oil or something designed for a car? The additives in car specific oils can cause clutch slip.

 

[ShakenNstirred]

i'd be surprised if the metal plates will need replacing.
the Friction Plates wear mostly
the springs can go soft over time, that's what happened to my ZR7, I changed them for some heavy duty ones

 

[Dogbreath]

i'd be surprised if the metal plates will need replacing.
the Friction Plates wear mostly

It's less common for the metal plates to need replacing, but they can get damaged through being overheated if the clutch has been slipping for a long time.