Clutch going down

[billyfields]

I have been good to my clutch, I have. But no amount of adjustment alters the fact that engagement is now at the very last bit of lever release, the last few mils. So the mechanic at the local dealership checks it out and declares that weak clutches are a characteristic of RT's circa my own (1998, 110000 km) and that replacement is about $800-$1000 (cdn). Grrrrrr. Any input to help me make peace with the situation would be appreciated. Like is there anything else that can be looked at or done while in there.. splines, seals... to make it worth less painful and reduce costs down the road???

[BubbaZanetti]

if you're replacing your first clutch at 110,000 kms, i would say that's pretty good, um...kilometerage:laugh . they should definitely lube the splines and check the rear main and clutch input seals. no point in replacing non leaking seals, but they're something that could potentially leak at any time. i would say that kind of milage is pretty good for never having your transmission off the bike (assuming here you've owned it since new). i bit the bullet and replaced the rear main seals (and the clutch while i was at it) at 30,000 miles on my bike cause of a leak myself. i just couldn't justify 800-1000 dollars for a repair that, while time consuming, is not overly difficult.

[JimMoore]

Have you done the adjustment at the back of the transmission? Unless they are abused or misadjusted, the clutches on these things last a long time. My '97 RT was fine at 100,000 miles, my '02 GS is fine at 73,000 miles.

[billyfields]

No I have not done the back of tranmission adjustment.. however the play at the lever is on spec about 0.25" so I assumed it was not necessary.. ?

[JimMoore]

Hey Billy,

I just PM'ed you my phone number. Give me a call tomorrow. The clutch adjustment procedure is a little hard to explain ove rthe internet.